Tua Tagovailoa’s career day lifts Alabama quarterback to top of Heisman race
Tua Tagovailoa had a career day against Texas A&M that has positioned the Alabama quarterback as the Heisman front-runner.
Last year was considered The Year of the Quarterback with players like Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Mason Rudolph, among others representing the best players in college football.
But if you thought there would be a drop-off this year at the game’s most important position, you would be incorrect.
There has been some great play by quarterbacks in the first four weeks of the season, including Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray, Penn State’s Trace McSorley, Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins and West Virginia’s Will Grier.
However, the best of the bunch is none other than the player who threw the final pass of the 2017 season, Tua Tagovailoa.
The Alabama sophomore had the best game of his collegiate career, which really says a lot when you consider he led the Crimson Tide to a comeback win in the National Championship Game last year. But Tagovailoa set new career-highs in completions, attempts and yards and matched his career best with four passing touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown in the first half to give him a total of five scores in the Tide’s one-sided win over Texas A&M.
A career day for Tua Tagovailoa. pic.twitter.com/7bsUJHCAoR
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 22, 2018
Tagovailoa threw a 30-yard touchdown to DeVonta Smith on their first offensive play and it was really over after that. All that was left to see how big the margin of victory would be and how big of an early Heisman statement would be made.
The statement was larger than the 22-point margin of victory.
He’s been unstoppable as the starter (dating back to the second half of the National Championship Game).
Serving up some rat poison...#Tua has started 32 drives for #Bama.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 22, 2018
Touchdowns: 20
Punts: 6
Field goals: 2
Lost fumbles: 2
Missed field goals: 1
Half expiration: 1
Plays: 161
Yards: 1,502
Yards per play: 9.32
It’s a long season and the Heisman leader in September rarely goes on to win the Heisman, but Tagovailoa is a special player on a special team with a special coach. I see no signs of him loosening his grip on the Heisman, but the aforementioned quarterbacks will have great weeks ahead to make it a fun and exciting race to watch.
The thing is, Tagovailoa is likely to set new career-highs a few more times this season as he looks to join Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry as Heisman winners from Alabama.