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Stanford Football: Bryce Love bolsters Heisman case against Washington

By Matthew Bartlett

PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 10: Bryce Love #20 of the Stanford Cardinal runs in for a touchdown against the Washington Huskies at Stanford Stadium on November 10, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 10: Bryce Love #20 of the Stanford Cardinal runs in for a touchdown against the Washington Huskies at Stanford Stadium on November 10, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Stanford football put themselves back in the Pac-12 North title hunt with an upset of Washington on Friday. Was Bryce Love the biggest winner of the night?

No one player has separated themselves from the pack in the 2017 Heisman Trophy race. Saquon Barkley jumped out to an early lead. Baker Mayfield has looked impressive as of late, but there hasn’t been a runaway favorite like Lamar Jackson in 2016.

The trophy is still up for grabs. A healthy stat line is a prerequisite to get your name in the hat, but a strong finish will determine who walks away with the hardware. Love has both of those on his resume with an opportunity to build on them in the coming weeks. He posted his second 3-touchdown performance on Friday against Washington, running for 166 yards on 30 carries.

More: 3 Takeaways from Stanford’s upset of Washington in Week 11

Love leads the nation in rushing yards (1,622) and is tired for third in rushing touchdowns (15). He’s done all that while fighting through injuries that caused him to miss the Oregon State game entirely. He’s arguably the best running back in college football right now and the value he brings to his team is unparalleled. The disparity between how well Stanford plays with Love on the field compared to their play without him is incredible.

Because of Love the Cardinal are in position to play in the Pac-12 title game, potentially a rematch with USC. He’s on pace to finish near 2,000 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns. Add a conference championship to that and you have a resume that is worth of an invitation to New York at the very least.

Next: Stanford kicks off CFB Playoff chaos scenario

In a season in which Stanford has struggled, Bryce Love has been superb. His performance against the Huskies was just one more argument in support of a Heisman candidacy that is cresting at the right moment.

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