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Pastimes : College Football: Nits, Gators, Bruins, Vols - Whoever! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wildstar who wrote (7250)	12/2/2002 6:51:56 AM
From: Nittany Lion	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 11146

Heisman race? Coaches give Dorsey slight edge By Jack Carey USA TODAY College football coaches have weighed in on the race for the Heisman Trophy, and if voters follow their lead, the outcome could be one of the closest in history. According to votes from 48 Division I-A head coaches, none of whom has an official ballot, quarterback Ken Dorsey of Miami (Fla.) would win, edging Iowa quarterback Brad Banks and Penn State running back Larry Johnson. Dorsey received 58 points and 13 first-place votes from the coaches contacted by USA TODAY. Banks got 52 points and 12 No. 1 votes and Johnson 51 and seven. With no clear-cut favorite as the season winds down, this year's balloting could rival the 1985 race when Auburn running back Bo Jackson finished 45 points ahead of Iowa quarterback Chuck Long. The 1,509 to 1,464 result was the narrowest margin since the award began in 1935. This year also could continue a trend: The last two years were among the eight closest ever. Dorsey, who led Miami to the national title last season, doesn't have gaudy stats except for all the victories. He was third in last year's voting. Banks, little known before the season started, paced a surprising 11-1 regular season for the Hawkeyes. "This has been an unbelievable season, more than I could have ever dreamt," Banks said. "It's an honor to know that coaches from around the country appreciate what I did this season." Johnson, the nation's leading rusher, is the ninth I-A player to rush for 2,000 yards. Of the eight others to gain 2,000 in a season, five won the Heisman. This year's Heisman will be awarded Dec. 14. Deadline for the roughly 1,000 voters is Dec. 11. Scouting the race Ken Dorsey Case for: Last season's national championship quarterback keeps winning, and coaches love winners. If the Hurricanes win their last two games, then he will have quarterbacked 34 consecutive victories and have a 38-1 record as a starter. At a school known for great quarterbacks, he has shattered program records for touchdown passes (80) and passing yards (8,624). Case against: Dorsey doesn't have the gaudiest individual stats, throwing for 2,428 yards with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. Some think running back Willis McGahee has meant more to the team's success. Brad Banks Case for: He might be more valuable than any player in the nation to his team. Banks is the nation's passing efficiency leader (166.1 rating). He's passed for 2,369 yards, 25 TDs and only four interceptions and had seven TD passes in key wins against Penn State and Michigan. Case against: Have voters paid attention? Banks was off the radar much of the year. The Hawkeyes had no games on national broadcast networks but appeared on ESPN or ESPN2 nine times. For a while he was considered the second-best quarterback in his state behind Iowa State's Seneca Wallace. Also, Banks' season ended Nov. 16, almost a month before the Heisman ballots are due. Larry Johnson Case for: The nation's leading rusher is the ninth in I-A history to run for 2,000 yards in a season (2,015). He has run for 20 TDs and averages 8.03 a carry, on pace for an NCAA record. Case against: Did he do enough in the games against highly ranked opponents? He had 18 carries for 68 yards in an overtime loss to Iowa (although he had six catches that day for 93 yards), 78 yards on 17 carries in an overtime loss to Michigan and 16 carries for 66 yards when the Lions fell to Ohio State. — Jack Carey