Heisman Watch 2017: Running back leads Heisman race after Week 1

Notables

• LEADER BOARDS: 1st in FBS in passing yards (521 YPG), 1st in FBS in passing TDs (7)
• RUSHING: 21-of-34 for 521 yards, 7 touchdowns vs 1 interception
• OTHER: 1 carry for -6 yards (1 sack)

A group of players could easily have made this spot. Holdovers from last year’s race like Jake Browning, J.T. Barrett, and Sam Darnold all had good but not overwhelmingly great games. Running backs like Ronald Jones II, Bryce Love, and Derrius Guice put up big numbers in victories. But for the No. 5 spot in the first Heisman Watch of 2017, we turned our attention instead to Missouri’s gunslinger.

Yes, it was only a game against a Missouri State team that finished 4-7 last year at the FCS level. But even then, what Drew Lock did in Columbia was still quite impressive. He now leads the nation in both passing yards per game and passing touchdowns after a 521-yard, seven-score effort against the Bears.

Lock was hardly perfect, but he didn’t really need to be in the 72-43 blowout. The third-year starter led the SEC in passing last year, and he continued to post prolific numbers heading into his junior year. Lock completed 21 of his 34 attempts and also threw an interception, but he more than made up for it with his productivity and an average of nearly 25 yards per completion.

With South Carolina looming in divisional play right away in Week 2, Lock will have the opportunity to strengthen his Heisman credentials. The veteran Tigers quarterback will also get to take on Purdue in mid-September, offering a chance to compare stats directly against last year’s Heisman winner Lamar Jackson.