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Heisman Watch: The Young and the loss-less

Terry Bowden

I consider the first three guys (Matt Leinart, Vince Young and Reggie Bush) 1A, 1B and 1C in the Heisman race.

They clearly are the guys to beat, but we'll keep some others in the race.

LEADERS OF THE PACK

Matt Leinart (Sr., QB, USC)
Last week: 26-of-40 (65%), 360 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT in 42-21 win vs. Arizona
Season totals: 169 rating (6th in nation), 108-of-166 (68%), 1646 yds, 12 TD, 3 INT
Next: at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m. ET

Another day of big numbers for Leinart, but the biggest one is that Leinart has won 27 consecutive starts.

Vince Young (Jr., QB, Texas)
Last week: 14-of-27 (52%), 241 yds, 3 TD; 17 rushes, 45 yds in 45-12 win vs. Oklahoma
Season totals: 162 rating (9th in nation), 68-of-109 (62%), 1021 yds, 10 TD, 5 INT; 355 rush yds, 2 TD
Next: vs. Colorado, 3:30 p.m. ET

Young earned another huge national TV victory, and again he clearly was the biggest difference between the Longhorns and their opponent.

Reggie Bush (Jr., RB/KR/PR, USC)
Last week: 143 all-purpose yds (110 rushing), in 42-21 win vs. Arizona
Season totals: 194 all-purpose yds/game (2nd in nation), 8 TD
Next: at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m. ET

He tweaked his knee, which won't help, and for the second week in a row he was only the second-best running back on the Trojans behind LenDale White. Both White and receiver Dwayne Jarrett also have found the end zone more than Bush. And it's another Bush, Louisville's Michael Bush, who's tied for the national lead in scoring.

DeAngelo Williams (Sr., RB, Memphis)
Last week: 14 rushes, 136 yds in 38-17 loss at UCF
Season totals: 123 rushes, 885 yds (leads nation), 8 TD
Next: at Houston, 5 p.m. ET

Williams leads the country in rushing by more than 20 yards per game, and that's keeping him on the list. Memphis (2-3) has struggled, though.

Brady Quinn (Sr., QB, Notre Dame)
Last week: Did not play
Season totals: 156 rating, 124-of-190 (65%), 1621 yds (7th in nation in ypg), 13 TD, 3 INT
Next: vs. USC, 3:30 p.m. ET

Next week's head-to-head battle with Leinart will be a good indicator of just where Brady Quinn stands.

Drew Stanton (Jr., QB, Michigan State)
Last week: Did not play
Season totals: 190 rating (leads nation), 99-of-138 (72%, 3rd in nation), 1466 yds (10.6 yds/attempt 2nd in nation), 14 TD, 3 INT
Next: at Ohio State, noon

Stanton still leads the nation in passing efficiency and has a head-to-head victory over Brady Quinn. Let's see how he does against the Buckeyes this week.

STILL IN THE RACE

Omar Jacobs (Jr., QB, Bowling Green)
Last week: 24-of-41 (59%), 381 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT in 38-14 win over Ohio
Season totals: 166 rating, 125-of-201 (62%), 1813 yds (2nd in nation in ypg), 19 TD (2nd in nation), 3 INT
Next: at Buffalo, 1:30 p.m. ET

Jacobs clearly has gotten over his rocky outing at Boise State. Nobody has thrown more touchdown passes per game.

Laurence Maroney (Jr., RB, Minnesota)
Last week: 36 rushes, 129 yds, 1 TD in 23-20 win at Michigan
Season totals: 165 rushes, 875 yds (4th in nation), 7 TD
Next: vs. Wisconsin, noon ET

Maroney got back to putting up big numbers, and Minnesota got a really big win. Both Maroney and the Gophers needed it after being shut down by Penn State.

Cody Hodges (Sr., QB, Texas Tech)
Last week: 34-of-45 (76%), 368 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT in 34-31 win at Nebraska
Season totals: 173 rating, 148-of-203 (73%, leads nation), 1818 yds (leads nation in ypg), 17 TD, 3 INT
Next: vs. Kansas State, noon ET

Because he's part of Mike Leach's offensive machine, Hodges is going to have the numbers. But this win over Nebraska was his first big one against a great defense, and he threw the game-winning touchdown pass at the end.

JUST KEEP ON WINNING, BABY

Everybody knows that the most important thing about a quarterback is to lead his team to victory. For that reason alone, these four undefeated quarterbacks remain in the race.

  • D.J. Shockley (Sr., QB, Georgia)
    Last week: 16-of-27 (57%), 207 yds, 1 INT in 27-14 win at Tennessee
    Season totals: 155 rating (leads SEC), 74-of-124 (60%), 1166 yds, 8 TD, 3 INT
    Next: at Vanderbilt, 7:15 p.m. ET

Marcus Vick (Jr., QB, Virginia Tech)
Last week: 11-of-16 (69%), 163 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT in 41-14 win over Marshall
Season totals: 177 rating (3rd in nation), 73-of-107 (68%), 1043 yds, 10 TD (T-1st in ACC), 2 INT
Next: at Maryland, Oct. 20

  • Brodie Croyle (Sr., QB, Alabama)
    Last week: Did not play
    Season totals: 155 rating, 76-of-126 (60%), 1111 yds, 9 TD, 2 INT
    Next: at Mississippi, noon ET

  • Drew Olson (Sr., QB, UCLA)
    Last week: 17-of-33 (52%), 225 yds, 2 TD (plus 1 rush TD) in 47-40 win over California
    Season totals: 154 rating, 102-of-155 (66%), 1274 yds, 10 TD, 2 INT
    Next: at Washington State, 6:30 p.m. ET

ON THE OUTS

Chris Leak (Jr., QB, Florida)
Last week: 18-of-33 (55%), 244 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT in 35-9 win over Mississippi State
Season totals: 143 rating, 115-of-184 (62.5%), 1468 yds, 10 TD, 4 INT
Next: at LSU, 3:30 p.m. ET

Leak doesn't quite fit this spread option of Urban Meyer's.

Gerald Riggs Jr. (Jr., RB, Tennessee)
Last week: 19 rushes, 52 yds in 27-14 loss vs. Georgia
Season totals: 109 rushes, 462 yds, 3 TD
Next: at Alabama, Oct. 22

Riggs has been a solid back for a very disappointing offense.

Reggie McNeal (Sr., QB, Texas A&M)
Last week: 10-of-21 (48%), 146 yds, minus-14 rush yds in 41-20 loss at Colorado
Season totals: 152 rating, 58-of-116 (50%), 1054 yds, 8 TD, 3 INT; team-high 355 rush yds
Next: vs. Oklahoma State, 3:30 p.m. ET

What in the world happened to the Aggies?