Heisman Trophy Watch 2010: Terrelle Pryor Stumbles, Denard Robinson Surges

Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan
We are very rapidly running out of adequate ways to describe Denard Robinson’s actions and how they compose both the essence and the whole of 2010 Michigan football. Fortunately, his numbers tend to speak for themselves: 10 passes for 277 yards against Indiana. Three touchdowns. 217 rushing yards. That’s dangerously close to 500 yards of total offense, from one sophomore, who won’t be pulling up any time soon because he’s got the Wolverines’ sorry defense to carry -- unless he gets hurt again.
Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
In Week 5 of the 2010 Heisman race, Kellen Moore was fast and efficient, completing 13 of 18 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns. He was also hardly needed in the Broncos’ 59-0 rout of New Mexico State. Moore is still on pace to throw well over 3,000 yards, but will his prowess get the recognition it deserves?
Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
Last week’s low-output, high-style outing would ideally have been followed with some can’t miss pinball stats to woo Heisman voters. Instead, Pryor threw for just 76 yards against Illinois, which isn’t an end-of-the-world number unless you consider he hasn’t passed for less than 200 yards in all of 2010. He was out of the game briefly following an injury, but that didn’t happen until the third quarter and can’t account for all the day’s shortcomings. This next date with Wisconsin will need to show a true return to form if Pryor hopes to stave off the marauding Robinson.

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
At the risk of donning a Jon Gruden hat, this is exactly the kind of football The Mike needed to start playing to get back in the Heisman race. Much of Week 5’s Oregon-Stanford shootout was conducted on the ground, and James reeled off an otherworldly 257 yards on 31 touches, scored three times and never fumbled.
Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Luck didn’t have a banner day at Notre Dame, and his trip to Eugene saw him throw as many touchdowns as interceptions. That said, he did pass for 341 yards, more even than he managed against Sacramento State. THAT said, he also lost. After this past weekend, it’s safe to say the Cardinal will make mincemeat of USC next Saturday night. Luck, show us (and that ineffectual Trojan secondary) what you’ve got.
Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
The lucky bastard escaped the carnage of the weekend by virtue of a bye week. Texas A&M and their No. 12 pass efficiency defense come to town in Week 6, so limber up those massive cannons, big fella.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada.
Like Moore, Kaepernick is entering the creamy middle of his conference schedule, and though the wins are convincing, the numbers aren’t world-beating. 124 passing yards and 97 rushing are so, so far from shabby, but they’re also a goodly distance away from what Kaepernick’s capable of.
Cam “Cameron” Newton, QB, Auburn
God, we love Newton’s stat lines. Fourteen passes for 245 yards? The knock on him this week is the one listed rushing attempt for an eleven-yard loss, which probably just means his 33-yard form fell over backwards handling a snap at some point. We’re just going to keep marking him higher and higher based on hilarity.
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Not Ingram’s rosiest Saturday, numbers-wise, but he, too, was needed only sparingly in the Crimson Tide’s rout of Florida. After scoring Alabama’s first two touchdowns of the night to open the second quarter, Ingram’s teammates took over the share of running and scoring. This week, presumably, there will be vastly more need of him, as the Tide rolls to South Carolina and a defense that’s actually seemed determined to stop a football player or two this season.

Jacory Harris, QB, Miami
Preternaturally talented? Undeniably. The class of the ACC? Maybe, still. Can he shake this bizarro interception bug? No. No, he cannot.
Andy Dalton, QB, TCU
Another low-impact workout for Dalton this week against Colorado State. We wonder if this might be a better strategy for mid-major QBs whose performances in conference games against unranked opponents aren’t going to be scrutinized anyway. Why get him hurt, as long as the Frogs are rolling?

Jake Locker, QB, USC
Well, will you look who’s back! 422 all-purpose yards against USC in primetime will turn a few heads. (Being a large and ideally-shaped quarterback in a major program also helps.)

Jacquizz Rodgers, Patrick Peterson, DeMarco Murray, Taylor Martinez, Trent Richardson, John Clay, Daniel Thomas, Jake Locker, Matt Barkley, Kendall Hunter, Christian Ponder.