Hendon Hooker and Tennessee lost to South Carolina on Saturday night. Despite the loss, Hooker’s Heisman campaign likely remains intact.
Hooker finished with 247 yards and three touchdowns before leaving with an injury against the Gamecocks. Assuming Hooker is able to play next week, he will be able to pad his stats against an underwhelming Vanderbilt squad.
Could Hooker sneak into first in the Heisman voting? Only time will tell.
Until then, here’s a look at how the other Heisman hopefuls fared on Saturday.
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud
The Buckeyes put on a very underwhelming performance against Maryland but came out with a victory 43-30.
Stroud finished with 241 yards and one touchdown on 18-30 passing.
Not exactly Heisman-like, but it may be enough to get the job done.
North Carolina QB Drake Maye
The Tar Heels were upset 21-17 by Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Maye finished with 202 yards and one interception on 16-30 passing.
Despite the loss, it is essential to remember that Maye is probably the sole reason for North Carolina’s relevance this season.
Michigan RB Blake Corum
Michigan squeaked out a close 19-17 win over Illinois on Saturday.
Corum finished with 108 yards on 18 carries for the Wolverines. He also scored one touchdown on the ground.
The running back caught two passes for 39 yards as well.
Southern California QB Caleb Williams
USC barely defeated UCLA 48-45 on Saturday.
Williams finished with 470 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception on 32-43 passing.
Williams also ran eight times for 33 yards – a stat the committee will definitely like.
Williams likely is playing his way into a trip to New York.
Georgia QB Stetson Bennett
The Georgia that almost lost to Missouri, not the Georgia that beat Tennessee, showed up on Saturday. The Bulldogs beat Kentucky 16-6 on Saturday.
Bennett finished with 116 yards and one interception on 13-19 passing.
He also had 5 rushes for 25 yards.
So, what Heisman contender performed up to Heisman standards on Saturday? Hooker’s lackluster day, and the team’s performance in Columbia, may not matter compared to the rest of the pack on Saturday.
