Despite Tennessee’s loss to Georgia, many of its goals are still achievable. For quarterback Hendon Hooker – although he may not call it a goal of his – a Heisman trophy is not out of the question.
Hooker finished Saturday 25-35 passing with 355 yards and three touchdowns. He also had eight carries for 50 yards.
Not a bad day, especially considering Tennessee had amassed a significant lead, allowing Hooker to leave the game early.
Here’s a look at how some other Heisman candidates fared on Saturday.
QB C.J. Stroud
Stroud and Ohio State defeated Indiana 56-14 on Saturday.
Stroud finished the day 17-28 passing with 297 yards and five touchdowns. He also had four rushes for eight yards.
Widely considered the Heisman favorite, Stroud played like a Heisman candidate against a lesser Indiana team on Saturday.
Stroud and Ohio State travel to Maryland next week.
QB Drake Maye
Maye and North Carolina defeated Wake Forest 36-34 on Saturday.
Maye finished the day 31-49 passing with 448 yards and three touchdowns. He was also the Tar Heels’ leading rusher, running for 71 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
Maye has led North Carolina to their first ACC championship appearance since 2015 and is slowly climbing the Heisman boards. The quarterback is playing his way into the conversation for college football’s highest honor.
The Tar Heels host Georgia Tech next week.
RB Blake Corum
Corum and Michigan handled Nebraska easily on Saturday, winning 34-3.
Corum finished the day with 28 carries for 162 yards and one touchdown.
Historically, it has been very hard for a running back to win the Heisman, but not impossible. Corum has consistently been talked about for the Heisman trophy this season.
Michigan hosts Illinois next week.
Honorable mention: QB Bo Nix
What makes Bo Nix an honorable mention? Well, Vegas is undecided on the quarterback, and his performance on Saturday did not help him.
Oregon lost to Washington 37-32 on Saturday. Nix finished 19-27 passing with 280 yards and two touchdowns.
On the surface, Nix’s stat line looks good. However, if you watched the game on Saturday, you would understand why that may be a little deceiving.
Nix had several moments on Saturday for the coveted “Heisman moment” – the moment where an athlete showcases why they’re the most valuable player. Nix didn’t take advantage of any of these moments.
Most notably, Nix was unable to get his team into field goal range with 0:51 left in the game to force a possible overtime. If Vegas wasn’t sold on Nix before Saturday, his chances won’t get much better after Saturday.
