Contender or Pretender?: Heisman Stock Watch Week 5
Brendan Smith
What an entertaining weekend it was. Two Top-10 match-ups, and the ultimate dual-threat QB duel between DeShaun Watson and Lamar Jackson (more on that later). A startling 9 Top-25 teams were defeated this weekend, and there are 2 new members to the AP Top 10. Lastly, who could forget the instant classic in Athens, as Tennessee defeated Georgia on a Hail Mary as the clock expired. After an exciting week, here is how my top 5 Heisman candidates fared:
Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
Some will say that Lamar Jackson had an off game in Saturday’s primetime showdown between Louisville and Clemson, but that’s just a testament to Jackson’s production this season. In defeat, Jackson threw for 295 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, and also ran for 162 yards and 2 scores. Altogether, that is 457 total yards and 3 touchdowns against the number 5 team in the nation. Even though he wasn’t able to squeak out a victory, Jackson played an inspired game, and led his offense to 36 points against a fellow ACC opponent. While a loss hurts Louisville’s chances at a playoff berth, it does not destroy them. Bobby Petrino still has a chance to lead his team to a spot in the ACC Championship Game, but a lot needs to go right for them.
Stock: Rising
Greg Ward, Jr., QB, Houston
Before I start, I know that it was against UCONN, a team that no one fears. But still, Greg Ward, Jr. put together a show on Thursday night. 32/38 through the air, for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also rushing for 65 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ward, Jr. accounted for 5 of his team’s 6 touchdowns in a 42-14 blowout against their AAC foe. In just 4 games, Ward has accumulated 1325 passing yards, 8 passing touchdowns, and 178 rushing touchdowns to go along with 5 rushing touchdowns. While he is not quite on pace to top his rushing yard total from last year, Ward, Jr. has made tremendous strides in his second season running Tom Herman’s offense, and is on pace to surpass his passing yard total by over 1,000 yards. Houston doesn’t face a Top 25 opponent until November 17 when they welcome Louisville in what may shape up to be a battle between two fringe playoff teams.
Stock: Rising
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
Deshaun Watson is back. Finally. In a Top 5 showdown, Watson led Clemson to a narrow 42-36 victory over Lamar Jackson and Louisville. In the victory, Watson, threw for 306 yards and 5 touchdowns, and scrambled for 91 yards on the ground. The only thing that prevented Watson from leap-frogging Ward, Jr. was the 3 interceptions. That brings Watson’s season total up to an alarming 7 interceptions, already more than half of his total from last year. Another interesting trend is that Watson seems to be running the ball less, and still has not scored on the ground, after rushing for 12 touchdowns and 1,105 yards last year. Still, Watson’s leadership and recent success has made him a legitimate Heisman contender for a second season in a row.
Stock: Rising
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
Ouch. In a match-up of two Top-10 Pac-12 teams, McCaffrey and Stanford went out and crapped the bed against Washington, getting demolished to the tune of a 44-6 defeat. In his worst performance of the year by far, McCaffrey gained just 49 rushing yards, and 30 receiving yards. McCaffrey failed to reach the endzone on his 17 offensive touchdowns, the second game in a row he did not score. On the year, McCaffrey has totaled just 4 touchdowns, after scoring 15 last year. Despite his anemic numbers on offense, McCaffrey did return 5 kickoffs for 144 yards, which equates to a well-above-average 28.8 yards per attempt. Still, McCaffrey needs to rebound and score touchdowns in the coming weeks
Stock: Falling
Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
Even though his team was upset by an under-the-radar North Carolina team, Cook stood out. In the 37-35 defeat, Cook gained 140 yards on the ground, and also caught 6 passes for 106 yards, and rushed for 3 touchdowns. Still, Cook’s numbers on the season are not enough for him to move up on my list, as he has finally reemerged in his past 2 games. With a more consistent performance, Cook should garner more attention in the Heisman race.
Stock: Holding steady
My Top 5:
Lamar Jackson
Greg Ward, Jr.
Deshaun Watson
Christian McCaffrey
Dalvin Cook
Outside looking in: J.T. Barrett, Baker Mayfield, Leonard Fournette,
