Robert Griffin III beat out preseason favorite Andrew Luck for the Heisman Trophy, dazzling voters with his ability to throw, run and lead Big 12 doormat Baylor into the national rankings. Read more after the jump.
The quarterback known as RG3 became the first Heisman winner from Baylor on Saturday night by a comfortable margin over the Stanford star.
Griffin started the season on the fringe of the Heisman conversation, a talented and exciting player on a marginal team, while Stanford’s Luck was already being touted as a No. 1Â NFLÂ draft pick.
A look at the Heisman finalists:
Montee Ball is Wisconsin’s first Heisman Trophy finalist since Ron Dayne won in 1999. He led the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards and scoring, and his 38 touchdowns leave him one shy of Barry Sanders’ NCAAsingle-season record. Ball rushed for 1,759 yards and 32 TDs, an average of 6.4 yards a carry and 135.3 a game.
Robert Griffin IIIÂ has led Baylor to its first nine-win season since 1986, passing for a school-record 3,998 yards and 36 touchdowns. He leads the nation with a 192.31 passing efficiency rating that is on pace to shatter the NCAA record. He has also rushed for 644 yards and nine touchdowns.
Andrew Luck returns to New York after finishing second in the 2010 Heisman voting. The Stanford star completed 70% of his passes for 3,170 yards and a passing rating of 167.5. He threw for 35 scores with nine interceptions.
Tyrann Mathieu, a cornerback-return specialist, leads No. 1Â LSUÂ in tackles (70), forced fumbles (six) and fumble recoveries (five). He has two punt returns for touchdowns in the last two weeks, 92 yards against Arkansas and 62 against Georgia.
Trent Richardson has rushed for 1,583 yards and 20 touchdowns for Alabama. He ranks fifth nationally with 131.9 rushing yards a game and is second in school and SEC history with 23 total touchdowns. He has added 27 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns and has accounted for 1,976 all-purpose yards this season, an average of 164.7 yards a game.
