Heisman Watch: Big opportunity awaits Jonathan Taylor, D’Andre Swift

With multiple ranked matchups this week, there is a big chance for a few non-quarterbacks to move up the Heisman boards if they can perform.

Week 3 was a bit of a dud with no marquee games and very few opportunities for Heisman hopefuls to create any moments. However, Week 4 is shaping up to be the opposite as there are three top 20 matchups and a plethora of competitive games for players to shine.

This is especially true for a couple of fantastic running backs that will headline two of the weekend’s biggest games. Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin and D’Andre Swift of Georgia will get a chance to move up the Heisman rankings with some big games and big home wins.

Quarterbacks have dominated the Heisman Trophy for the better part of two decades, so a running back must truly shine to win. They both have the talent to do so, but they must play their best in these types of games.

These games also come at a perfect time for these two backs as most of the top quarterbacks are not playing teams that will be much of a challenge. Be advised we are no longer including players who are on bye weeks on the list. So do not be confused when you don’t see Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts.

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama quarterback vs. Southern Miss

• 70/91, 1007 yards, 12 TD

In his first conference game of the season, Tua continued his aerial assault on the Alabama record books, passing for a career-high 444 yards and five touchdowns. Last week we discussed how South Carolina’s young secondary could be in trouble against Tua and the Alabama offense and that was certainly the case.

Now the Crimson Tide head back to Tuscaloosa to face Southern Miss which is their last non-conference game until late November. Alabama will be Southern Miss’ second SEC opponent this season as they played Mississippi State two weeks ago and lost easily 38-15.

Alabama is a much better team than Mississippi State, so if the Golden Eagles were not competitive in that matchup; it’s hard to see this week’s game being much of a challenge. For Tua, this is another game where he is in a position to put up some huge numbers. Southern Miss is coming off a week where they won a shootout against Troy but surrendered 504 yards to Troy’s quarterback Kaleb Barker. They also allowed four different Troy players to have over 100 yards receiving.

With Tua and the receivers he has at his disposal, the passing game should be able to light up the Southern Miss secondary.

Justin Fields, Ohio State quarterback vs. Miami (OH)

• 52/74, 657 yards, nine TD
• 25 attempts, 114 yards, four TD

In his first road start, Justin Fields was not perfect as he missed on a few throws that would have been big plays or touchdowns. However, he still managed to have four touchdowns as the Buckeyes stomped Indiana 51-10.

Next is Miami (OH) who is coming off a tough loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats 35-13. This is the same Cincinnati team that lost 42-0 the previous week to Ohio State in which Fields was 20-of-25 for 224 passing yards and four total touchdowns. So it seems Miami (OH) is in a for a tough outing against the Buckeyes this Saturday.

Look for Fields to work on his accuracy on the deep ball this game as it was inconsistent against Indiana. Miami (OH) did a decent job against Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder when it came to completion percentage as he was only 14-of-30. However, they gave up two big passing touchdowns of 27 and 51 yards which broke the game open in the third quarter.

The Buckeyes have very capable deep threats in Chris Olave and Binjimen Victor who could exploit a lapse in coverage.

Outside of a couple of deep shots here and there, don’t expect the Buckeyes to show much of the playbook in this game, which could lead to good but not great numbers from Fields. They ran the ball very well against Indiana, and if they can do something similar in this game while still dominating with their defense, that’ll be the game plan. Fields could again rack up his usually four touchdowns, but don’t expect to see much of him in the second half.

Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin running back vs. Michigan

• 35 attempts, 237 yards, five TD
• 5 receptions, 65 yards, three TD

Jonathan Taylor and Wisconsin had the week off last Saturday which has given them extra time to prepare for their big matchup with No. 11 Michigan.

Whenever these two teams meet expect a physical altercation and an endless amount of rushing attempts. That sounds like a joke, but if you’ve ever watched these teams play you know how it goes.

For Taylor, this is a marquee matchup and perfect opportunity to elevate his Heisman campaign with a huge performance and win. In two games against the Wolverines, Taylor has yet to find the end zone against their tough run defense. This season is no different as Michigan is stout again upfront and is prepared to force anyone but Taylor to beat them.

The Badgers have been dominant in their first two games, but the level of competition has been minimal. Taylor did not find the end zone against winning teams very often in 2018 (only twice). It would be nice to start 2019 off right not only with yards but with a few house calls too.

Joe Burrow, LSU quarterback vs. Vanderbilt

• 75/90, 1122 yards, 11 TD

LSU steamrolled Northwestern State 65-14 as Joe Burrow continues to put up passing numbers many Tigers fans didn’t even know was possible. He had 387 passing yards to go along with two more touchdowns and is currently third in the nation in passing yards per game at 374.

Burrow is on pace for almost 4,500 passing yards and 40-plus touchdowns which would shatter school records. Now he has more stiff competition down the road, but it seems like Burrow can keep this passing game at a high level.

This week Burrow and the Tigers start SEC play on the road at Vanderbilt which is another nice matchup. Vanderbilt is coming off a bye, but last time they played, they were giving up 509 yards passing to Elijah Sindelar and the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue certainly has some talent in the passing game including the electric Rondale Moore who had 220 yards receiving in that game, but overall they don’t match up talent-wise to LSU.

Burrow has three legit receivers in Justin Jefferson, Terrace Marshall Jr., and Ja’Marr Chase so expect them to attack this leaky Commodores secondary.

D’Andre Swift, Georgia running back vs. Notre Dame

• 31 attempts, 292 yards, two TD
• Three receptions, 73 yards, one TD

We haven’t seen much of Swift or the Bulldogs for that matter as they’ve been playing pretty low competition and winning with relative ease. So this is their first game against a worthwhile opponent and Swift’s chance to make his Heisman claim in one of the season’s most anticipated matchups.

Both teams enter this game with some frustration as Notre Dame tries to prove they belong with college football’s best despite their poor playoff showing.

For Georgia, they’re looking to return to the playoff and stop playing second fiddle to Alabama in the SEC.

For Swift, in particular, this game is a chance for people to see just how explosive and dynamic of a player he truly is. Georgia has run the ball by a committee early in the season as Swift only has 31 carries but if the Bulldogs want to win he should get the bulk of the touches in this game.

Notre Dame struggled against the run versus Louisville opening week giving up 258 yards on 46 carries so Swift could have a big game. Swift also has a significant advantage running behind a monster Georgia offensive line.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart had favored the run game in the past even when Georgia had NFL caliber receivers. They are super young and inexperienced on the outside right now, so it would make sense for Smart to trust Swift in this huge game.