Lamar Jackson Wins Heisman Trophy

Lamar Jackson capped off an underwhelming Heisman race tonight by winning the Heisman Trophy in New York City. Jackson wins the award over four other finalist, including fellow quarterbacks DeShaun Watson of Clemson and Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma. Jackson becomes the first player from the University of Louisville to win the sport’s most prestigious award.

Jackson’s Highlight Reel Season

Jackson’s numbers on the season were certainly Heisman-worthy. The Cardinals signal caller accounted for almost 5,000 yards of offense this season, finishing with 4,928 total yards. He was responsible for 51 total touchdowns on the season. Through the air, Jackson was statistically just behind Watson and Mayfield. He finished 220/382 (57.6%) for 3,390 yards (282.5/game), a 153.3 passer rating, with 30 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Where Jackson separated himself from the other quarterbacks was on the ground. Jackson rushed for an additional 1,538 yards and added 21 touchdowns with his legs. In total, Jackson contributed an average of 410.7 yards per game.

Jackson had more than the statistics, though. He provided many Heisman-worthy highlight reel plays throughout the season. His hurdle over a Syracuse defender set the tone for his Heisman effort early on.

In a Heisman race with no clear-cut winner, often times the difference comes down to the eye test. Jackson certainly passes the eye test.

In the end, it wasn’t as close as many people predicted. Jackson won 79.5% of the vote, the sixth highest percentage of any winner in the award’s history. In a two-man race, DeShaun Watson was the clear runner-up.

Disappointing Finish

Jackson was the clear Heisman front runner midway through the season. By mid-November, Louisville was 9-1 with a close loss to Clemson. But the Cardinals, and Jackson, struggled to finish the season. Louisville lost the last two games of the season. Houston dismantled Louisville in Louisville and that preceded a Kentucky upset over the Cardinals a week later. In the final three games, Jackson failed to reach 300 total yards of offense in two of the final three games.

The finish didn’t have much of an impact on the award voting, however. Was it because of Jackson’s athleticism? Contributions in the ground game? Or the early lead he built in during the season? Probably a combination of all of the above. But with a vote that close, the Cardinals limping to the finish line clearly didn’t hurt Jackson’s campaign very much.

Repeat Performance?

Jackson, from Pompano Beach, Florida, is only a sophomore. Working in head coach Bobby Petrino’s high-octane offense, Jackson will be the Heisman favorite to start the 2017 campaign. He’ll be joined by Oklahoma quaterback Baker Mayfield, who has already announced his return. Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts also expects to join the 2017 watch list.

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