The Buzz: The latest Heisman news and views
Week six of the college football season is in the books. Time to take a look to see what’s happening in the Heisman world…
(Disclaimer — The Heisman Trophy Trust and Heisman.com does not endorse any college football player for the Heisman Memorial Trophy. The information contained here serves as a platform of information for fans and media, and is not intended to contain a definitive and comprehensive list of possible contenders.)
The Buzz
Kicking things off with the weekly Heisman straw poll from The Athletic, which again saw a certain senior transfer QB atop the list. See below.
Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts turned in another strong performance in leading the Sooners to a win over Kansas, throwing for two TDs and running for two more, with highlights from Bleacher Report.
FOX broadcaster and former UCLA (and Oklahoma) QB Troy Aikman — third in the 1988 Heisman voting — watched Hurts in person a few weeks back when he played against Aikman’s Bruins and was more than impressed.
“I just wanted to hand him the Heisman that afternoon.” – Troy Aikman, FOX
LSU QB Joe Burrow saw Hurts four TDs and raised him two, accounting for a half dozen in the Tigers’ win over Utah State.
On Saturday, Hurts will play in his first Red River Shootout against Texas and fellow Heisman candidate Sam Ehlinger.
“I played in the Iron Bowl. I’ve played in big games before. I think I’ll be all right.” – Jalen Hurts, when asked about playing in his first Red River Shootout
Ehlinger is coming off of a strong performance, leading the Longhorns to a road win at West Virginia where he – like Hurts – passed and ran for two TDs apiece. Details from the Dallas Morning News. ESPN also found this stat nugget on the Texas QB.
Where is the duo – and others – ranked in Heisman odds from the punditry class? Fansided has its top 10 here. The lone defensive player on the list, Ohio State defensive end Chase Young.
Although he didn’t make the Fansided top 10, Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown did get two votes in the Athletic poll after winning his second straight SEC Player of the Week honor this year.
Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor keeps trucking – or rushing – along, gaining 119 yards on just 16 carries, finding the end zone three times. Taylor is creeping up on various Badger records, notes Saturday Tradition, including now having 27 100-yard rushing games, six short of Wisconsin all-timer Ron Dayne. And this from ESPN on Taylor.
“It’s awesome, it never gets old. I know it, we know it. He’s special. To be able to see it, it’s pretty neat to do.” – Wisconsin Head Coach Paul Chryst
The New York Post is just as impressed with Buckeye QB Justin Fields and Ohio State almost halfway through the season.
Fields now has a passing and rushing TD in each of his first six games, something only four other power 5 QBs did in last 15 years, and the only Big Ten QB to do it in the last two decades, per ESPN.
Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa had the weekend off, giving AL.com time to compile some stats comparing the Crimson Tide signal-caller to his counterparts around the nation.
Et tu Clemson? Yes, the Tigers – and Heisman candidates Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne – were also off this week, but re-surface Saturday with a big game against Florida State.
As Forbes notes with its two cents in its Heisman Watch, that matchup is among many big ones for Heisman hopefuls, including Taylor’s Badgers against Michigan State, Tagovailoa’s Tide vs. Texas A&M, Burrow’s Tigers against Florida, Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and Jake Fromm against South Carolina and of course the aforementioned Longhorn-Sooner tilt with Ehlinger and Hurts.
Swift and Fromm made swift work of Tennessee on Saturday with a 43-14 victory, a decisive 1-2 combination writes The Telegraph.
Catching up on some former Heisman news, 1997 winner Charles Woodson was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday. A week earlier, 2002 winner Carson Palmer was inducted into the Arizona Cardinals Hall of Honor.
And in semi-related Heisman news, Purdue revealed special “Moon Walk” helmets that it will wear to honor undergrad alum Neil Armstrong on the 50th anniversary of his original moon walk.
Purdue has not won a Heisman yet – although Boilermaker WR Rondale Moore is their latest candidate – but USC has, and that is where Armstrong graduated from after competing his Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering.
Heisman Trophy Winners In The NFL
Congrats to 2018 Heisman winner Kyler Murray, who secured his first win as a pro and Arizona’s first win on the season, 26-23, over Cincinnati. He completed 20-of-32 passes for 253 yards and rushed for 93 yards on just 10 carries, including this TD on fourth down.
Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson (2016) wasn’t picture perfect (1 TD, 3 INT) in the pocket but his 70 rushing yards complemented his 161 passing yards as he led the Ravens to an OT win at Pittsburgh.
In doing so, Jackson tied a special record held by teammate and 2011 Heisman winner Robert Griffin III. Additionally, Mark Ingram (2009) rushed for 44 yards, including his sixth rushing score of the year, tying his third-highest career output through just five games.
Marcus Mariota (2014) had a tough day at the office, his Titans falling 14-7. Mariota completed 13 passes for 183 yards and was sacked five times. Derrick Henry (2015) did find the end zone for Tennessee’s lone score.
Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston (2013) threw for 204 yards and two scores but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Saints on Sunday.
Cleveland, led by 2017 winner Baker Mayfield, visits undefeated San Francisco tonight on Monday Night Football.
