Heisman Watch: Week 9

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Nov 1, 2010

Heisman Watch: Week 9

Denard Robinson

Last Week: 11-of-23 passing for 190 yards and one TD; 27 rushes for 191 yards and three TDs in 41-31 loss to Penn State Season: 108-of-166 passing for 1,509 yards, 10 TDs and five INTs; 164 rushes for 1,287 yards and 12 TDs; one punt for 30 yards This was vintage Shoelace ... well, vintage as in early October. He piled up 380 yards of offense, including his sixth 100-yard game in seven games and broke Antwaan Randle-El's 10-year-old Big Ten single-season record for most rushing yards by a quarterback (1,270). But like we've come to expect from Robinson of late, he was also knocked out of a game for the fourth time this season and he couldn't will Michigan to a win. Next Up: Saturday vs. Illinois

Landry Jones

Last Week: 32-of-46 passing for 453 yards and four TDs; two rushes for four yards in 43-10 win over Colorado Season: 227-of-338 passing for 2,547 yards, 21 TDs and five INTs Before last weekend, Jones was the only one of the Big 12's top eight passers without a completion of at least 50 yards. He threw two in a performance that ranks only behind 2007 Heisman winner Sam Bradford (468 yards) in the Sooners' record book. Jones is now tied for second in FBS with 318.3 passing yards per game and that number could swell with none of Oklahoma's remaining opponents ranking better than 87th vs. the pass. Next Up: Saturday at Texas A&M

Ricky Stanzi

Last Week: 11-of-15 passing for 190 yards and three TDS; one rush for 26 yards in 37-6 win over Michigan State Season: 135-of-197 passing for 1,922 yards, 19 TDs and two INTs; 34 rushes for 12 yards and two TDs The clock-management issues in the loss to Wisconsin hurt, but his poise and numbers are hard to ignore. When stacked up against other Heisman-contending passers, he's thrown for more yards than Newton, Moore and Luck and while this may come off as a bit blasphemous in the Hawkeye state, Stanzi is on pace for more yards and TDs than Drew Tate when he was named first-team all-Big Ten. Next Up: Saturday at Indiana

Terrelle Pryor

Last Week: 18-of-22 passing for 222 yards, two TDs and one INT; five rushes for 55 yards and one TD Season: 152-of-225 passing for 1,997 yards, 20 TDs and seven INTs; 84 rushes for 463 yards and four TDs; two receptions for 19 yards and one TD Pryor completed as least 10 straight passes for the third time this season and now trails only Art Schlichter on the Buckeyes alltime list for total yards and career TDs. But he continued to flash lapses in judgment as he threw a bad interception near the goal line. In two weeks he'll face Penn State at home as he tries to atone for a key fumble in a loss his freshman year." Next Up: Saturday Nov. 13 vs. Penn State

Robert Griffin III

Last Week: 16-of-24 passing for 219 yards, two TDs and one INT; 16 rushes for 17 yards and one TD in 30-22 win over Texas Season: 196-of-294 passing for 2,592 yards, 20 TDs and five INTs; 92 rushes for 401 yards and seven TDs; one punt for 59 yards One week after getting the Bears bowl eligible for the first time as a Big 12 member, Griffin helped Baylor make team history, snapping a 12-game losing streak to Texas. He now ranks third nationally in total offense at 332.5 yards per game and is averaging 41.7 yards per TD pass. The Watchman hates to break it to you ladies, but he's also taken . Next Up: Saturday at No. 19 Oklahoma State

Justin Blackmon

Last Week: Suspended Season: 62 receptions for 1,112 yards and 14 TDs; three rushes for eight yards Oklahoma State racked up 511 yards of offense without Blackmon, but this offense truly missed its most lethal weapon, who was suspended after being arrested on a misdemeanor DUI charge. The Cowboys lacked the ability to finish drives they have with the nation's leading receiver in the lineup as they were held 21 points below their season average. Fortunately for the Cowboys Blackmon's expected back with No. 21 Baylor coming to Stillwater. Next Up: Saturday vs. No. 22 Baylor

Andrew Luck

Last Week: 19-of-26 passing for 192 yards, one TD and one INT; five rushes for 92 yards and one TD in 41-0 win over Washington Season: 152-of-226 passing for 1,920 yards, 20 TDs and six INTs; 40 rushes for 345 yards and three TDs; one reception for 11 yards The duel between Luck and fellow NFL GM dream Jake Locker was no contest as Luck's defense bottled up his counterpart. Luck's numbers weren't overwhelming, but he was nearly flawless -- his lone pick coming on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half -- as he became the Pac-10's passing efficiency leader (162.5). He also showed that underrated mobility as he ran for a career-best 93 yards, which included a 51-yard TD run. Next Up: Saturday vs. No. 13 Arizona

Kellen Moore

Last Week: 20-of-28 passing for 298 yards, two TDs and one INT; one reception for seven yards and one TD; one punt for 54 yards in 49-20 win over Louisiana Tech Season: 214-of-307 passing for 1,865 yards, 18 TDs and two INTs; nine rushes for minus-24 yards; one reception for seven yards and one TD; one punt for 54 yards Not to be outdone by Newton's box score-filling exploits, Moore caught the first TD pass of his career and delivered a 54-yard punt, the longest by the Broncos this season to go along with his fourth game with at least 267 yards passing in 2010. For you history minded folks, Notre Dame's Paul Hornung (1956) was the last Heisman-winning quarterback to have his team's longest punt. Next Up: Saturday vs. Hawaii

LaMichael James

Last Week: 36 rushes for 239 yards and three TDs; one reception for minus-2 yards in 53-32 win over USC Season: 170 rushes for 1,210 yards and 14 TDs; five receptions for 119 yards and one TD The player who says he modeled his game after Reggie Bush did a number on his idol's old team. James was two yards shy of equaling the most yards ever given up by USC (Penn State's Curtis Enis had 241 in 1996) and posted the 15th 100-yard game of his career -- and he did it in just 20 games. The last Heisman winner with that many 100-yard games in that short a span was Herschel Walker. Next Up: Saturday vs. Washington

Cam Newton

Last Week: 18-of-24 passing for 209 yards and two TDs; 11 rushes for 45 yards; one reception for 20 yards and one TD in 51-31 win over Ole Miss Season: 108-of-162 passing for 1,573 yards, 15 TDs and five INTs; 168 rushes for 1,122 yards and 14 TDs; two receptions for 42 yards and one TD So the SEC's leading rusher had his string of 100-yard games snapped, but Newton added something new to his resume as he caught a 20-yard TD pass from QB-turned-WR Kodi Burns. Auburn seemed intent on giving Newton's legs a breather after he had a combined 81 rushes the last three weeks as he had 21 pass attempts (tying his season high) by halftime. Expect more of the same Saturday as the Tigers take a break from the SEC schedule. Next Up: Saturday vs. Chattanooga