Published: Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Heisman hype returns for Locker
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Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
Husky quarterback Jake Locker is hearing Heisman talk again after last Saturday's victory over Syracuse.
SEATTLE -- The sudden resurgence of enthusiasm that followed Saturday's 41-20 win over Syracuse extended beyond the University of Washington football team's chances of getting back into the postseason party.
The Jake Locker-for-Heisman campaign has gained new life.
While the school's athletic department has still held off on any full-blown hype campaigns, Locker has let his play do the talking. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns Saturday and now ranks 17th in the country in total offense (298 yards per game) and 32nd in passing efficiency (150.17).
Locker's numbers are similar to those of Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who has emerged as the top Heisman candidate through two weeks of play.
"I've always thought that about Jake, that he's a legitimate candidate," junior receiver Devin Aguilar said Monday. "He's a hard worker. He game-plans on the field and off the field. He's up there with the top candidates."
After failing to engineer a game-winning drive in the opener at Brigham Young, Locker catapulted back into the discussion with Saturday's performance. Helped in large part by the nine receptions, 179 yards and three touchdowns by receiver Jermaine Kearse, Locker has become a legitimate Heisman candidate again.
"We're definitely there to help out Jake," Kearse said Monday. "We're just trying to make plays for him."
Despite his big numbers, Locker still has a long way to go to get onto the short list of favorites. Five other quarterbacks from the Pac-10 Conference -- USC's Matt Barkley, Stanford's Andrew Luck, Cal's Kevin Riley, Arizona's Nick Foles and Arizona State's Steven Threet -- have better passer-efficiency ratings through two games. And Locker's biggest tests of the season may well come in the next two games, with Nebraska coming to Husky Stadium this week and USC hosting the Huskies the following week.
Further hurting his chances is the emergence of some young players who weren't even on the Heisman radar two weeks ago. Michigan sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson has emerged as one of the top candidates, while Alabama fill-in tailback Trent Richardson and Nebraska freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez have burst onto the scene as well.
Some of the preseason favorites have fallen off a bit, starting with last year's Heisman winner. Alabama running back Mark Ingram has already missed two games due to injury and probably doesn't have enough time to work his way back into the mix. Running backs Dion Lewis (Pitt) and Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech) have all but fallen off the map, while Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder may have passed his way out of the hunt with a horrible outing against Oklahoma on Saturday.
One thing that UW coach Steve Sarkisian knows -- and he's been around three Heisman winners as an assistant at USC -- is that the biggest thing that will make or break Locker's chances of postseason awards is the cast that surrounds him. Getting a big-time performance from Kearse, who did almost all the work on his two longer touchdown receptions Saturday, is a good start.
"It's not a one-guy award, as much as people want to make the Heisman out to that," Sarkisian said Monday. "If it goes to a running back or a quarterback, it's about all the other 10 guys on the field with you doing their jobs as well."
Oh, and Sarkisian knows one other thing as well when it comes to Locker and his Heisman candidacy.
"Honestly, I don't think he's really concerned about it," Sarkisian said. "I think he focuses on the task at hand; that's what makes him unique. He's focused on the task at hand, and this week it happens to be Nebraska."
The Jake Locker-for-Heisman campaign has gained new life.
While the school's athletic department has still held off on any full-blown hype campaigns, Locker has let his play do the talking. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns Saturday and now ranks 17th in the country in total offense (298 yards per game) and 32nd in passing efficiency (150.17).
Locker's numbers are similar to those of Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who has emerged as the top Heisman candidate through two weeks of play.
"I've always thought that about Jake, that he's a legitimate candidate," junior receiver Devin Aguilar said Monday. "He's a hard worker. He game-plans on the field and off the field. He's up there with the top candidates."
After failing to engineer a game-winning drive in the opener at Brigham Young, Locker catapulted back into the discussion with Saturday's performance. Helped in large part by the nine receptions, 179 yards and three touchdowns by receiver Jermaine Kearse, Locker has become a legitimate Heisman candidate again.
"We're definitely there to help out Jake," Kearse said Monday. "We're just trying to make plays for him."
Despite his big numbers, Locker still has a long way to go to get onto the short list of favorites. Five other quarterbacks from the Pac-10 Conference -- USC's Matt Barkley, Stanford's Andrew Luck, Cal's Kevin Riley, Arizona's Nick Foles and Arizona State's Steven Threet -- have better passer-efficiency ratings through two games. And Locker's biggest tests of the season may well come in the next two games, with Nebraska coming to Husky Stadium this week and USC hosting the Huskies the following week.
Further hurting his chances is the emergence of some young players who weren't even on the Heisman radar two weeks ago. Michigan sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson has emerged as one of the top candidates, while Alabama fill-in tailback Trent Richardson and Nebraska freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez have burst onto the scene as well.
Some of the preseason favorites have fallen off a bit, starting with last year's Heisman winner. Alabama running back Mark Ingram has already missed two games due to injury and probably doesn't have enough time to work his way back into the mix. Running backs Dion Lewis (Pitt) and Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech) have all but fallen off the map, while Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder may have passed his way out of the hunt with a horrible outing against Oklahoma on Saturday.
One thing that UW coach Steve Sarkisian knows -- and he's been around three Heisman winners as an assistant at USC -- is that the biggest thing that will make or break Locker's chances of postseason awards is the cast that surrounds him. Getting a big-time performance from Kearse, who did almost all the work on his two longer touchdown receptions Saturday, is a good start.
"It's not a one-guy award, as much as people want to make the Heisman out to that," Sarkisian said Monday. "If it goes to a running back or a quarterback, it's about all the other 10 guys on the field with you doing their jobs as well."
Oh, and Sarkisian knows one other thing as well when it comes to Locker and his Heisman candidacy.
"Honestly, I don't think he's really concerned about it," Sarkisian said. "I think he focuses on the task at hand; that's what makes him unique. He's focused on the task at hand, and this week it happens to be Nebraska."
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