The Daily Toreador - Student Newspaper of Texas Tech

Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Sam Grenadier

Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell always has been considered a politically correct quarterback during interviews. Ask him what receiver is playing best, and he'll find a way to put every wideout's name in the answer. He's just that kind of person, giving credit where credit is due.

In the past few weeks, he has put that political skill to the test, jumping to the forefront of the Heisman Trophy chatter after three-straight victories against top-ranked foes catapulted his football team to places few ever imagined.

"There's definitely a lot of deserving people out there," Harrell said. "The Heisman Trophy, I think, like I've said in the past, has become an award that is more about team wins than individual actual numbers and things."

So let's talk numbers.

Harrell leads the nation with 4,077 yards passing, throwing for 36 touchdowns and only five interceptions in the process. In his last three wins over then-No. 19 Kansas, then-No. 1 Texas and then-No. 8 Oklahoma State, the Ennis native has 1,316 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 76.3 completion percentage with a 183.04 passer rating.

Somehow, those are not the most important numbers. After all, that type of production is expected from Mike Leach's quarterbacks.

However, what has not been expected from his quarterbacks is leading their teams to victory when it matters, and more importantly, winning against the best teams in the Big 12 Conference. So when Tech running back Baron Batch said after beating Oklahoma State, "The only thing we deserve right now is to be 10-0," he forgot to say Harrell deserves a shot at the trophy.

With a head-to-head win over Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, anyone with a pulse plopped Harrell at the top of their list. One of those people was Chris Huston, the creator of the five-year-old Web site, www.Heismanpundit.com and a former assistant sports information director at Southern California.

Huston played an integral role in the successful Heisman campaigns of USC's Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart in 2002 and 2004, respectively. The Web site has turned into an authority on the annual race to the Heisman Trophy.

Huston complemented Tech on its politically-themed Heisman campaign for receiver Michael Crabtree and Harrell on passorcatch2008.com, calling it "fantastic, creative and fun," with "nifty" videos of the two candidates delivering tongue-and-cheek jabs.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools