October 15, 2024 • 12 mins
Craig and Cam look at the top favorites for the Heisman award and hear from Texas QB Quinn Ewers.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I wanted to turn my attention, turn our attention. Well,
we were already talking college football, but another element of it,
in addition to mentioning how at this time of year,
that's when you start hearing the grousing and grumbling when
things don't go well for certain teams for whom more
(00:21):
was expected, anticipated and projected. The other projections that happened
this year, there's at this time of year, there's obviously
bold projections, there's playoff projections as well, and their Heisman
Trophy projections. Now, the mid season Heisman Watch votes are in.
(00:41):
According to our friend Max Olsen, the ESPN who covered
the Longhorns for a long time, and he has a
list of that we'll get to in a minute. But
first of all, I want to hear from the guy
who's projected to be if the Longhorns have a Heisman candidate,
would be Quinn Ewers. However, Quinn has missed two and
a half games before coming back last week against Oklahoma,
(01:03):
and he didn't have a Heisman like performance, but he
did well enough, certainly in the Longhorns victory. So here
was some thoughts from Quinn yours yesterday in the media
conversation that he had when they made the players available
for questions.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
We try to go into every week without anything changing
in our mentality of how we approach pro games. But
you know, we're human beings. We understand that, you know,
there's there's two really good teams coming together, and I
know our team is excited for the opportunity, and you know, again,
we're just excited. It's been tough just because you know,
throughout the week you don't have live bullets flying at you,
(01:42):
and you know the speed of the game is just
not the same in practice, but you try to emulate
it as best as we can. And then yeah, I mean,
I'm not gonna say see here in believer the point,
but I don't think I played as well as I
needed to play for the standard. And I'm just going
to try to continue and and and and try to
(02:03):
you know, practice as well as I can and pick
up the tempo within myself that I think that starts
earlier in the week and just knowing that there's going
to be swings and knowing knowing how big momentum changes
are and understanding that there's gonna be adversity. But it's
it's it's how you you come back and and and
see what happens after that. And it's it's I mean
(02:25):
I said it after the game, after the Oklahoma game,
it's it's ten percent of what happens to you, ninety
percent of how you how you overcome it. Don't get
too caught up and how big a game is or
what the environment of the game is going to be.
But just continue to to focus on us and at
the end of the day, just rely on each other.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah. Uh the important stuff for for Quinn years. And
if you talk to Quinn, if if you even bring
up the Heisman thing, he's very dismissive of it and said, uh,
I haven't done enough to be even mentioned the category.
Let me tell you someth Max Olsom with the ESPN
agrees with him because he in his Heisman watch he
has the top five candidates And have you looked at
(03:09):
this list? I have not. Okay, all right, so good.
I want to get your your your thoughts if if
you were to name let's start with number five, number
five on the list. I don't think you're going to
get this guy. He is a quarterback. I don't think
you're going to get him. But if you want to
take a take a shot.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Is he power five? Power four?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
He is power four. I'll give you another hint. I'll
give you another hint. He's in the big ten.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Dylan Gabriel.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Dylan Gabriel is on the list, but he's not at
number five. He's at number four, So Will Howard it
is not worth rall. No, like I said, I didn't
think he would probably get this one. I'm trying to
think of who's who's undefeated. M go ahead and tell
me Cis Rourke quarterback Indiana. Curtis Rourke quarterback, Indiana. Okay,
(04:08):
so this is this is I found this kind of interesting.
And of course Indiana's big game this week. They've got
Nebraska on Saturday. I think that's the big newon kickoff
the Fox game.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Max Olson, who like I said, I admire his work,
does good work. His take on this and this is
the guy's number five, not number one. On was number five, says.
Finding a new starting quarterback in the transfer portal was
high on coach Kirk Signetti's to do list upon taking
the Indiana job. Remember, Signetti was the coach at James
Madison yep, and this is his first year and He's
(04:44):
got them six and oh for the first time since
nineteen sixty seven. He found a proven winner to build
around in Rurke, a thirty three game starter at Ohio
You who'd thrown for more than seventy five hundred yards
and earned MAC Offensive Player of the Year in twenty
twenty two. Together, they just keep winning. The six year
senior has been superb during the Hoosier stunning six and
(05:06):
oh start and rise to number sixteen in the Ape Pole,
passing for seventeen hundred and fifty two yards with sixteen
total touchdowns and two interceptions on a Big Ten best
eleven yards per attempt. He has a QBR ninety one
point nine, best among power for starting quarterbacks while masterfully
(05:26):
operating a rebuilt offense at scoring forty seven and a
half points per game. His experience and efficiency have injected
a ton of confidence into a team that went three
and nine a year ago. So there's that, and then
there's that. He lists a Heisman moment for each guy,
but I'm not going to go into that right now.
Dylan Gabriel is number four on the list, and it
(05:46):
talks about, you know, the move he made to Eugene
He's accounted for eighteen hundred ninety three yards and seventeen
touchdowns and three interceptions. He's completed a career high seventy
six percent of his passes. It says a twelve to
zero run through Oregon's regular season schedule looks entirely possible now,
which would certainly keep Gabriel in the Heisman race the
(06:06):
rest of the way. His Heisman moment, by the way,
he's listed his performance against Ohio State all right, number
three on the list. Another quarterback, another Power four.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Got some Kim Ward or Jaylen Milroe.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
You got it the first time. It's cam Ward, the
Miami quarterback who, of course transferred in from Washington State
six games in. Ward is truly exceeding Miami fans wildest expectations.
Washington State transfer took over a team that went seven
and six in twenty twenty three and turned it into
the undefeated front runner to win the acc numbers for him.
(06:41):
He's averaging over twelve yards per attempt on third downs,
according to True Media, that is best among all FBS
starting quarterbacks. He is the Hurricanes heart number one nationally
in third down conversions. They're converting sixty percent of their
third downs. That's pretty dog gone good and Ward has
played sixty four snaps on third downs and has accounted
(07:01):
for five hundred and fifty nine total yards and seven touchdowns.
He's number three, Number two Travis Hunter. Very good, good,
very good. Travis Hunter said nobody else in college football
can do what Hunter does to way star future first
round pick got off to a dominant start. His Heisman
(07:22):
moment was his Heisman pose after they won at UCF
on that deal, although they did end up losing last
week against Kansas State because he suffered a shoulder injury
and had to miss the second half of the game.
So we'll see how he is going. So that leaves
number one, and I think you know who number one
is on the Heisman and nobody, nobody on the planet
(07:45):
I don't think would have picked this guy to be
the leader. Going to the back nine if you will here.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Arch Manning, oh No, Ashton gent Yeah, the Boise State
running back who already has twelve hundred yards. He's almost
ninety nine yards away from eclipsing his season total for
last season. A fantastic running back and even when teams
put eight or nine guys in the box, he still
finds a way to break one loose.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Native Texan, Texas high school football star, former Frisco lone
Star stand out running back. Here's some of the numbers
that are just crazy. You mentioned the twelve hundred and
forty eight rushing yards and eighteen total touchdowns. He's averaging
nine point nine yards per carry. So he is way
(08:30):
ahead of Barry Sanders records on a number of things.
First of all, the single season rushing record, he's ahead
of that pace. Remember Barry Sanders ran for twenty eight
hundred and fifty yards and had forty four touchdowns back
in nineteen eighty eight. Remember that twenty eight hundred and
fifty yards and forty four touchdowns. Right now he is
(08:51):
on a pace to have twenty nine hundred rushing yards
and fifty touchdowns. He's on a pace to break all
of that. Soh His Heisman moment was against Oregon, even
though they lost. Of course, he ran for one hundred
and ninety two yards against the number two ranked Oregon Ducks.
(09:12):
So he, according to Max Olsen, is the Heisman front
runner right now, and I don't know that anybody could
really argue with that. It's amazing numbers that he has
put up. Now again I understand, by and large most
of his action has come against the Utah States and
some of the other teams and say, well, yeah, what
(09:33):
about the competition. Hey, he ran for one to ninety
two on Oregon. Now, Oregon's defense is not top tier level,
it's not even I don't think it's Texas level on
the defense, but they find ways. Obviously with Dylan Gabriel, taluts,
slug it out, scoring, you do all that sort of thing. Still,
in all, that's a G five school with a G
(09:55):
five offensive line and a G five supposedly running back
could play on any Power four team and had one
hundred and ninety two rushing yards against him.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
And there's a chance that you know, Boise State can
run the table whin the Mountain West and they can
be that group of five team in the playoff, which
would give Janty more time, more games to break that record,
get on the national stage. And I mean this is
you know, it's always a weird award. It goes usually
to the best quarterback on the number one team in
the country. But Janty, I don't think there's been a
(10:26):
quarterback that we've seen really blow anybody away. It was
Milrae after the Georgia game. For the last two weeks,
he has not looked good at all. Carson Beck has
had a lot of interceptions thrown, and Quinn Yuers has
been hurt, and he's been hurt and didn't play well
against Oklahoma. Now he could throw for four hundred against
Georgia and all of a sudden he's back to number two.
But I think Jante by far is leading this race.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Now.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
I think Travis Hunter is the best overall college football player,
but Janty so far having the best season.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I think you make a great point on if Boise
State makes the playoff. And I've said this every week
for the past several weeks, I'm going to say it again.
We have had more conversation about G five Group of
five teams than ever before. Why because a G five
school is guaranteed to be in the playoff, the top
four of the Power four conference champions all will get buys,
(11:14):
But that fifth spot, it's the top five highest rated
conference champions who get in. The reason why they say
highest rated is because of all the G five leagues,
the American Conference, USA, Sun Belt, min American you know
all of those so and Mountain West. Well, of course
he's in the Mountain West. Boise State has one loss.
(11:37):
Boise State is not a fan of Army or Navy
right now, they're really going to be a fan of
Notre Dame. They want Notre Dame to beat hand Army
and Navy losses so that they can have in the
Beauty Contest be the best and highest ranked one loss
conference champion. The one loss was that air tight shootout
with Oregon, so that's what they're hoping for. But if
(12:00):
Army Navy continue on this unbeaten collision course, and my goodness,
if even one let alone both should find a way
to beat Notre Dame, all bets are off at that point.
Then you're gonna come down to the final thing. As
Flounders said in Animal House, Oh Boys, was great. It's
gonna be a lot of fun to watch that the
way that that goes. All right, we've got more coming
(12:22):
up here. We'll have some more NFL notes when we
continue on this Tuesday afternoon here on Sports Radio AM
thirteen under the Zone and the IR Radio app.
I wanted to turn my attention, turn our attention. Well,
we were already talking college football, but another element of it,
in addition to mentioning how at this time of year,
that's when you start hearing the grousing and grumbling when
things don't go well for certain teams for whom more
(00:21):
was expected, anticipated and projected. The other projections that happened
this year, there's at this time of year, there's obviously
bold projections, there's playoff projections as well, and their Heisman
Trophy projections. Now, the mid season Heisman Watch votes are in.
(00:41):
According to our friend Max Olsen, the ESPN who covered
the Longhorns for a long time, and he has a
list of that we'll get to in a minute. But
first of all, I want to hear from the guy
who's projected to be if the Longhorns have a Heisman candidate,
would be Quinn Ewers. However, Quinn has missed two and
a half games before coming back last week against Oklahoma,
(01:03):
and he didn't have a Heisman like performance, but he
did well enough, certainly in the Longhorns victory. So here
was some thoughts from Quinn yours yesterday in the media
conversation that he had when they made the players available
for questions.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
We try to go into every week without anything changing
in our mentality of how we approach pro games. But
you know, we're human beings. We understand that, you know,
there's there's two really good teams coming together, and I
know our team is excited for the opportunity, and you know, again,
we're just excited. It's been tough just because you know,
throughout the week you don't have live bullets flying at you,
(01:42):
and you know the speed of the game is just
not the same in practice, but you try to emulate
it as best as we can. And then yeah, I mean,
I'm not gonna say see here in believer the point,
but I don't think I played as well as I
needed to play for the standard. And I'm just going
to try to continue and and and and try to
(02:03):
you know, practice as well as I can and pick
up the tempo within myself that I think that starts
earlier in the week and just knowing that there's going
to be swings and knowing knowing how big momentum changes
are and understanding that there's gonna be adversity. But it's
it's it's how you you come back and and and
see what happens after that. And it's it's I mean
(02:25):
I said it after the game, after the Oklahoma game,
it's it's ten percent of what happens to you, ninety
percent of how you how you overcome it. Don't get
too caught up and how big a game is or
what the environment of the game is going to be.
But just continue to to focus on us and at
the end of the day, just rely on each other.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah. Uh the important stuff for for Quinn years. And
if you talk to Quinn, if if you even bring
up the Heisman thing, he's very dismissive of it and said, uh,
I haven't done enough to be even mentioned the category.
Let me tell you someth Max Olsom with the ESPN
agrees with him because he in his Heisman watch he
has the top five candidates And have you looked at
(03:09):
this list? I have not. Okay, all right, so good.
I want to get your your your thoughts if if
you were to name let's start with number five, number
five on the list. I don't think you're going to
get this guy. He is a quarterback. I don't think
you're going to get him. But if you want to
take a take a shot.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Is he power five? Power four?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
He is power four. I'll give you another hint. I'll
give you another hint. He's in the big ten.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Dylan Gabriel.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Dylan Gabriel is on the list, but he's not at
number five. He's at number four, So Will Howard it
is not worth rall. No, like I said, I didn't
think he would probably get this one. I'm trying to
think of who's who's undefeated. M go ahead and tell
me Cis Rourke quarterback Indiana. Curtis Rourke quarterback, Indiana. Okay,
(04:08):
so this is this is I found this kind of interesting.
And of course Indiana's big game this week. They've got
Nebraska on Saturday. I think that's the big newon kickoff
the Fox game.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Max Olson, who like I said, I admire his work,
does good work. His take on this and this is
the guy's number five, not number one. On was number five, says.
Finding a new starting quarterback in the transfer portal was
high on coach Kirk Signetti's to do list upon taking
the Indiana job. Remember, Signetti was the coach at James
Madison yep, and this is his first year and He's
(04:44):
got them six and oh for the first time since
nineteen sixty seven. He found a proven winner to build
around in Rurke, a thirty three game starter at Ohio
You who'd thrown for more than seventy five hundred yards
and earned MAC Offensive Player of the Year in twenty
twenty two. Together, they just keep winning. The six year
senior has been superb during the Hoosier stunning six and
(05:06):
oh start and rise to number sixteen in the Ape Pole,
passing for seventeen hundred and fifty two yards with sixteen
total touchdowns and two interceptions on a Big Ten best
eleven yards per attempt. He has a QBR ninety one
point nine, best among power for starting quarterbacks while masterfully
(05:26):
operating a rebuilt offense at scoring forty seven and a
half points per game. His experience and efficiency have injected
a ton of confidence into a team that went three
and nine a year ago. So there's that, and then
there's that. He lists a Heisman moment for each guy,
but I'm not going to go into that right now.
Dylan Gabriel is number four on the list, and it
(05:46):
talks about, you know, the move he made to Eugene
He's accounted for eighteen hundred ninety three yards and seventeen
touchdowns and three interceptions. He's completed a career high seventy
six percent of his passes. It says a twelve to
zero run through Oregon's regular season schedule looks entirely possible now,
which would certainly keep Gabriel in the Heisman race the
(06:06):
rest of the way. His Heisman moment, by the way,
he's listed his performance against Ohio State all right, number
three on the list. Another quarterback, another Power four.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Got some Kim Ward or Jaylen Milroe.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
You got it the first time. It's cam Ward, the
Miami quarterback who, of course transferred in from Washington State
six games in. Ward is truly exceeding Miami fans wildest expectations.
Washington State transfer took over a team that went seven
and six in twenty twenty three and turned it into
the undefeated front runner to win the acc numbers for him.
(06:41):
He's averaging over twelve yards per attempt on third downs,
according to True Media, that is best among all FBS
starting quarterbacks. He is the Hurricanes heart number one nationally
in third down conversions. They're converting sixty percent of their
third downs. That's pretty dog gone good and Ward has
played sixty four snaps on third downs and has accounted
(07:01):
for five hundred and fifty nine total yards and seven touchdowns.
He's number three, Number two Travis Hunter. Very good, good,
very good. Travis Hunter said nobody else in college football
can do what Hunter does to way star future first
round pick got off to a dominant start. His Heisman
(07:22):
moment was his Heisman pose after they won at UCF
on that deal, although they did end up losing last
week against Kansas State because he suffered a shoulder injury
and had to miss the second half of the game.
So we'll see how he is going. So that leaves
number one, and I think you know who number one
is on the Heisman and nobody, nobody on the planet
(07:45):
I don't think would have picked this guy to be
the leader. Going to the back nine if you will here.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Arch Manning, oh No, Ashton gent Yeah, the Boise State
running back who already has twelve hundred yards. He's almost
ninety nine yards away from eclipsing his season total for
last season. A fantastic running back and even when teams
put eight or nine guys in the box, he still
finds a way to break one loose.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Native Texan, Texas high school football star, former Frisco lone
Star stand out running back. Here's some of the numbers
that are just crazy. You mentioned the twelve hundred and
forty eight rushing yards and eighteen total touchdowns. He's averaging
nine point nine yards per carry. So he is way
(08:30):
ahead of Barry Sanders records on a number of things.
First of all, the single season rushing record, he's ahead
of that pace. Remember Barry Sanders ran for twenty eight
hundred and fifty yards and had forty four touchdowns back
in nineteen eighty eight. Remember that twenty eight hundred and
fifty yards and forty four touchdowns. Right now he is
(08:51):
on a pace to have twenty nine hundred rushing yards
and fifty touchdowns. He's on a pace to break all
of that. Soh His Heisman moment was against Oregon, even
though they lost. Of course, he ran for one hundred
and ninety two yards against the number two ranked Oregon Ducks.
(09:12):
So he, according to Max Olsen, is the Heisman front
runner right now, and I don't know that anybody could
really argue with that. It's amazing numbers that he has
put up. Now again I understand, by and large most
of his action has come against the Utah States and
some of the other teams and say, well, yeah, what
(09:33):
about the competition. Hey, he ran for one to ninety
two on Oregon. Now, Oregon's defense is not top tier level,
it's not even I don't think it's Texas level on
the defense, but they find ways. Obviously with Dylan Gabriel, taluts,
slug it out, scoring, you do all that sort of thing. Still,
in all, that's a G five school with a G
(09:55):
five offensive line and a G five supposedly running back
could play on any Power four team and had one
hundred and ninety two rushing yards against him.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
And there's a chance that you know, Boise State can
run the table whin the Mountain West and they can
be that group of five team in the playoff, which
would give Janty more time, more games to break that record,
get on the national stage. And I mean this is
you know, it's always a weird award. It goes usually
to the best quarterback on the number one team in
the country. But Janty, I don't think there's been a
(10:26):
quarterback that we've seen really blow anybody away. It was
Milrae after the Georgia game. For the last two weeks,
he has not looked good at all. Carson Beck has
had a lot of interceptions thrown, and Quinn Yuers has
been hurt, and he's been hurt and didn't play well
against Oklahoma. Now he could throw for four hundred against
Georgia and all of a sudden he's back to number two.
But I think Jante by far is leading this race.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Now.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
I think Travis Hunter is the best overall college football player,
but Janty so far having the best season.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I think you make a great point on if Boise
State makes the playoff. And I've said this every week
for the past several weeks, I'm going to say it again.
We have had more conversation about G five Group of
five teams than ever before. Why because a G five
school is guaranteed to be in the playoff, the top
four of the Power four conference champions all will get buys,
(11:14):
But that fifth spot, it's the top five highest rated
conference champions who get in. The reason why they say
highest rated is because of all the G five leagues,
the American Conference, USA, Sun Belt, min American you know
all of those so and Mountain West. Well, of course
he's in the Mountain West. Boise State has one loss.
(11:37):
Boise State is not a fan of Army or Navy
right now, they're really going to be a fan of
Notre Dame. They want Notre Dame to beat hand Army
and Navy losses so that they can have in the
Beauty Contest be the best and highest ranked one loss
conference champion. The one loss was that air tight shootout
with Oregon, so that's what they're hoping for. But if
(12:00):
Army Navy continue on this unbeaten collision course, and my goodness,
if even one let alone both should find a way
to beat Notre Dame, all bets are off at that point.
Then you're gonna come down to the final thing. As
Flounders said in Animal House, Oh Boys, was great. It's
gonna be a lot of fun to watch that the
way that that goes. All right, we've got more coming
(12:22):
up here. We'll have some more NFL notes when we
continue on this Tuesday afternoon here on Sports Radio AM
thirteen under the Zone and the IR Radio app.
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