Ranking the most dominant Heisman campaigns of the last 25 years

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 13: Marcus Mariota, quarterback for the University of Oregon Ducks, hoist the trophy after being named the 80th Heisman Memorial Trophy Award winner during the 2014 Heisman Trophy Presentation at the Best Buy Theater on December 13, 2014 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: Photographer approval needed for all Commercial License requests. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Getty Images for The Heisman) /

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MIAMI, FL – CIRCA 1991: Quarterback Gino Torretta #13 of the University of Miami Hurricanes circa 1991 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Torretta played for the Hurricanes from 1989-92. (Photo by Van Hook/Sporting News via Getty Images) /

23. Gino Torretta

Leading the Miami Hurricanes to a 23-game winning streak as a starting quarterback undoubtedly makes Torretta a college football legend, but his 1992 Heisman Trophy win remains a head-scratcher.

Torretta became a standout high school quarterback in Pinole, California, eventually joining the Hurricanes in 1989. Craig Erickson started for the majority of the 1989 season for the national champion Hurricanes, although Torretta set a then-school record as an injury replacement in a game against San Diego State with 485 passing yards.

After Erickson left in 1990, Torretta became the full-time starter as a junior and threw for just shy of 3,100 yards and 20 touchdowns to lead the Hurricanes to a 12-0 record and second national title in three seasons. While his numbers were just slightly down the following season and Miami’s 23-game winning streak came to an end in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama, Torretta was still solid with a 56.7 completion percentage, 3,060 passing yards and 19 touchdowns to seven interceptions.

Heisman voters decided that was enough to give Torretta the award by a healthy 320 points over San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk and Garrison Hearst of Georgia. Torretta finished 17th nationally in passing yards, and Faulk’s 1,630-yard campaign was much more impressive.

Of course, compiling a 26-1 lifetime record during an outstanding two-year run as Miami’s starting quarterback should count for something. Still, Toretta’s numbers compared to other to players in 1992 don’t stand out as being particularly dominant.

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