Stanford Football: 5 reasons Bryce Love will win 2018 Heisman Trophy

4. He will score at least 20 rushing touchdowns

Last year, Bryce Love scored 19 touchdowns on the ground. It was the highest number of rushing touchdowns by a Cardinal running back since Tyler Gaffney posted 21 scores on the ground in 2013. Amazingly, it was also six more than the highest single-season total posted on the ground by Christian McCaffrey, the runner Love replaced in the Stanford backfield.

And they were rarely small runs, either. Only four of Love’s 19 touchdown runs went for fewer than 10 yards. Conversely, 11 of the 19 began in the opponent’s half of the field. That trend is unlikely to change, meaning that there will be even more highlight-reel touchdown runs to dazzle Heisman voters.

This year Love will be gunning for Gaffney’s mark of 21 — as a starting point. Then it would be a shot at passing the 22 scores put up by Tommy Vardell in 1994. He could even challenge Toby Gerhart’s school record of 28 rushing touchdowns set in 2009.

As of now, those are the only three Stanford players who have ever rushed for at least 20 touchdowns in a single season. Love will undoubtedly join them this season, and could easily average at least two rushing touchdowns per game. That would push him further up the list for Heisman consideration.