Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck won his second award of the night, picking up the Maxwell Award over Trent Richardson and Kellen Moore. Earlier, Luck was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year. He becomes the second Stanford quarterback to win the Maxwell award, joining Jim Plunkett.
Maxwell Award 2011 Winner: Andrew Luck Beats Out Trent Richardson, Kellen Moore
Andrew Luck finished fifth in the nation in quarterback rating (167.5) and fifth in touchdown passes (36), but those don't really do him justice. In fact, his overall numbers are slightly down from 2010, when he really burst onto the scene. Luck's 2011 was one of simple sustained excellence. Luck threw at least two touchdowns in every game he played and only threw two interceptions in a game once.
Kellen Moore ended the season with 41 touchdown passes, second in the nation only to Case Keenum. He also threw for 3,507 yards and coughed up a mere seven interceptions. Moore was a Heisman finalist in 2010 with similar numbers (3,845 yards, 35 touchdowns and six interceptions).
RB Trent Richardson had led the Alabama Crimson Tide with 1,583 rushing yards, which was the sixth most in the country. He rushed for 20 touchdowns, which was the fifth best total. He was also the fourth highest scorer in the nation, finding the endzone a total of 23 times.
The Maxwell Award is a "most outstanding player" award and is generally reserved for offensive players. Quarterbacks have won the award every year since 2003. Cameron Newton won the 2010 award and Tim Tebow won the previous two Maxwell Awards, making him only the second player to win the award twice.
SB Nation’s 2011 college football awards stream will have the winners of each college football award, because it’s a college football awards stream.
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