Heisman Trophy Watch: Tua Tagovailoa Remains Unstoppable With Six TDs vs. Auburn
It's rivalry week. It's Week 13 of college football's regular season. And if you were looking for excitement and drama, you found it.
Tua Tagovailoa made sure we heard him loud and clear in his quest to win the Heisman Trophy, scoring a school-record six touchdowns in an Iron Bowl victory. Dwayne Haskins had to break a record too—Drew Brees's Big Ten single-season passing TD record to be exact—in Ohio State's pounding of Michigan. And, somehow, Will Grier threw for a career-high 539 yards while losing to fellow Heisman candidate Kyler Murray and the Sooners.
The 2018 Heisman ballots will be distributed Monday, with the finalists announced on Dec. 3. A winner will be selected five days later in New York City.
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While we wait to see who takes home the award, here's how the top five Heisman Trophy candidates fared in Week 13:
1. Tua Tagovailoa, Sophomore, QB, Alabama
This week: Passing: 25 for 32, 324 yards, 5 TD, 0 INTs; Rushing: 4 carries, 26 yards, 1 TD in win vs. Auburn
Season stats: 3,189 yards, 36 TDs, 2 INTs
Tagovailoa continued to do things that only he can, accounting for six touchdowns in a 52–21 Iron Bowl win. He also matched the Tide's record with five scoring passes. The sophomore signal-caller threw three touchdowns in an impressive third quarter. Leading only 17–14 at the half, Tagovailoa came out slinging with a 46-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline to Jerry Jeudy to set the tone. He connected with Josh Jacobs on a 33-yard pass and then with DeVonta Smith on a 40-yarder. The top-ranked Tide shook off a slow start to keep their perfect season and Tua's spot at the top of Heisman polls intact. Alabama faces off with Georgia next week for the SEC championship.
2. Kyler Murray, Junior, QB, Oklahoma
This week: Passing: 20 for 27, 364 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; Rushing: 9 carries, 114 yards, 1 TD in win vs. West Virginia
Season stats: 3,674 yards, 37 TDs, 7 INTs
In a key Big 12 battle, Oklahoma prevailed over West Virginia 59–56 Friday. The win sends the Sooners to the Big 12 championship game against Texas and keeps their hopes for a College Football Playoff spot alive. Murray threw three touchdowns for 364 yards with one interception on just 27 pass attempts. He added another score on the ground with an impressive 55-yard run. Murray has 4,527 combined passing and rushing yards with 48 TDs, surpassing last year's Heisman winner, Baker Mayfield. At this point last season, Mayfield had recorded 4,031 combined yards with 42 total TDs. With numbers like that and his dual-threat performances, Murray presents the biggest threat to win the Heisman over favored Tagovailoa.
3. Dwayne Haskins, Sophomore, QB, Ohio State
This week: 19 for 30, 318 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INT in win vs. Michigan
Season stats:4,003 yards, 41 TDs, 7 INTs
Rivalry week couldn't have gone any better for Haskins and the Buckeyes, as they destroyed the higher-ranked Michigan 62–39. Haskins broke Drew Brees's Big Ten single-season passing touchdowns record with 40. Brees set the mark at 39 in 1998 at Purdue. Ohio State's sophomore signal caller connected with wide receiver K.J. Hill for his fourth passing TD of the game and 40th of the season. Haskins threw five touchdowns for 318 yards on the day to get past Michigan's top-ranked defense. The win boosted Ohio State's shot at a playoff berth after facing Northwestern in next week's Big Ten title game. It also keeps Haskins in the Heisman finalists conversation.
4. Will Grier, Senior, QB, West Virginia
This week: Passing: 32 for 49, 539 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; Rushing: 5 carries, -22 yards, 1 TD in loss vs. Oklahoma
Season stats: 3,864 yards, 37 TDs, 8 INTs
Grier had what looked like a stunning night on paper, throwing for a career-high 539 yards and four touchdowns with another score on the ground. However, the Mountaineers' defense struggled against the Sooners and Grier had troubles of his own. The senior lost two fumbles that turned into opposing touchdowns at crucial moments. The first came in the red zone late in the second quarter when the Mountaineers only trailed by one touchdown. Oklahoma went on to score and gain a 35–21 lead. The Sooners scored again on Grier's fumble in the fourth to go ahead 59–49. Grier and the Mountaineers rallied with another score but it wasn't enough to best Oklahoma. Despite being one of the best QBs in West Virginia history, Grier and the Mountaineers' 8–3 season and missed opportunity at making the Big 12 title game will go down as a disappointment.
5. Gardner Minshew, Senior, QB, Washington State
This week: 26 for 35, 152 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INT in loss vs. Washington
Season stats: 4,477 yards, 36 TDs, 9 INTs
His mustache and strong arm kept fans entertained all season, but Minshew's regular-season finale ended on a low note. The senior finished Friday night with zero touchdowns and only 152 yards in a snowy 28–15 Apple Cup loss. Running back James Williams rushed for two touchdowns to keep Washington State alive, as Minshew threw two interceptions at crucial moments to give a strong Washington defense the upper hand. Down 14–7 with eight seconds left before halftime, Minshew was picked off to keep Wazzu from tying the game. His second interception came late in the third quarter while down by five. Minshew had been coming off a school-record seven touchdowns last week, but the Cougars finished the regular season 10–2 and out of the Pac-12 championship against Utah. Despite leading the nation in passing yards, Minshew is not expected to be a Heisman finalist.
