Trent Richardson could not pick up the victory against LSU, but at least he was a reason as to why Alabama lost to the top-ranked Bayou Bengals at home. Combining for over 160 yards, Richardson remains in the Heisman race, no questions asked.
However, his Heisman chances certainly took a hit after losing last night to LSU. He could not get in the end zone mainly because the Crimson Tide’s offense stalled once it got past midfield.
One should give props to the front seven of LSU for not allowing any huge plays.
Richardson hauled in five passes for 80 yards and toted the rock 23 times for 89 yards. Some were expecting 30 carries, but the Crimson Tide offense sputtered and turned to the passing game when it turned into 3rd-and-longs.
As far as season stats go, Richardson is still 10th in the nation, averaging 119 rushing yards per game. Plus his 18 total TDs are fifth in the entire nation. Alabama will use Richardson for over 200 carries this season, but this was expected to be his Heisman moment game against LSU.
We should not forget that LSU is second in rushing defense (78 YPG), fourth in pass efficiency defense and third in total defense, allowing only 256 yards per game.
The LSU safeties came up into the box as if they were shot out of cannons last night and they came away with two huge sacks on AJ McCarron. No play was bigger arguably than the overtime sack that knocked Alabama basically out of field-goal range.
Richardson needed to find a way to get in the end zone in overtime and propel his Tide to No. 1 in the nation. Had that happened, we would be talking about how Richardson winning the Heisman would be a foregone conclusion.
Instead, Andrew Luck and Kellen Moore may both have a slight edge over Richardson at the moment. Plus, Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State is rising after he threw for over 400 against a solid Kansas State team. Throw in dark horse record-setting Houston signal-caller Case Keenum and we have a mess as to who should and who should not get invited to New York.
So, what will it take for Richardson to win the Heisman?
Stanford surely needs to lose one game and most are unsure if Moore can win the stiff arm trophy even if the Broncos go undefeated. Richardson and the Tide better run the table, but that still may not be enough.
Andrew Luck is the front-runner and he is the stud of all-time studs right now in college football. His legacy continues to grow after every victory his Cardinal pull off. Their game against the Ducks in Palo Alto will be watched by millions, but even if his team loses, he may still win it.
Luck would most likely need a poor outing to get jumped for more than a week or two.
Back to those Boise State Broncos though. If Moore and the Smurfs can torch the TCU Horned Frogs like Robert Griffin III did, then there is a legit chance Moore would crack and stay in the top two.
Richardson would more than likely be on the outside looking in with Luck wrapping up all the West Coast votes. He has no teammate to share the votes with and the injury to LaMichael James forced him to miss a few games which should turn out to be crucial in the Heisman voting.
Clearly, Richardson’s Heisman stock went down a tad, but he is surely going to remain in the majority of voters’ top three. Luck and Moore are the premium players in the nation, but Richardson is right there with them.
“The Freak” is far from being done in the Heisman race, but he needs a few more shining moments, including the “Iron Bowl” against Auburn.
Toronto Blue Jays chicago blackhawks columbus blue jackets detroit red wings nashville predators St Louis Blues
No comments:
Post a Comment