Red Raider Graham Harrell Deserves Heisman
Texas Tech QB Competing with McCoy, Bradford, Tebow
The senior, three-year starter from Ennis, Texas, is the No. 1 passer in the country and has been since his sophomore year, but that’s not enough to bring home the top honors in college football. He’s up against gridiron giants Colt McCoy of Texas, Tim Tebow of Florida, and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, all of whom come from storied football programs. Harrell, and by proxy Texas Tech, are relative upstarts in the national circuit by this time in the season.
Harrell's Heisman Hopes
But that doesn’t make Harrell any less potent in the pocket. By mid-November 2008, after two consecutive wins against top 10 opponents, Harrell’s offense racked up 4,337 passing yards and 38 touchdowns passing. For perhaps the first time in recent history, Tech is also putting up a significant rushing game, with more than 1,400 yards gained from rushing and 25 touchdowns, which is double the number of rushing touchdowns scored against the Red Raiders in 2008, according to statistics from Texas Tech.
And they’re winning. The Red Raiders have posted a perfect season thus far and are on a 12-0 winning streak, including wins against the Texas Longhorns, who were No. 1 at the time, and No. 9 Oklahoma State. They are the only undefeated team in the Big 12 and one of a few left in the nation. Fox Sports in week 11 lists Harrell as most likely to win the trophy, with Red Raider wide receiver Michael Crabtree the sixth possibility.
Harrell has led Tech to comebacks in both bowl games he’s started; the Raiders scored 17 points in the last four minutes of the Gator Bowl in 2007, beating Virginia 31-28 and earning Harrell MVP honors. He threw for more than 400 yards in all but two games in 2007 and saw few interceptions or even incompletions; in the game against Iowa State Harrell had a completion rate of 84 percent, a school record.
In 2006, Harrell passed for more than 4,500 yards, which was the best sophomore season in Tech history and third best in the NCAA, according to Tech's statistics. He headed the list on completions, passing, passing touchdowns and offense. In the Insight Bowl against Minnesota, Tech was down 31 points halfway through the third quarter. The offense, with Harrell firing off passes, made up that 31 points in 22 minutes and won the game in overtime, earning the sophomore QB MVP honors.
Harrell's Competition
Is a trip to New York for Harrell going to prove as elusive as a trip to Miami for the Red Raiders? Still in the team’s way is No. 5 Oklahoma in Norman; a win against the Sooners and a week later against Baylor will send the Red Raiders to the Big 12 championship against Missouri and then to Miami for the BCS championship. Harrell’s trip isn’t that simple; he has to overcome tradition and prove he belongs there.
According to Athlon Sports’ 2008 Heisman Watch, without the “system quarterback” reputation, Harrell won’t get a New York nod. The best a Tech quarterback has done is Kliff Kingsbury’s ninth place finish in 2002, a position Harrell should expect to emulate. An unofficial poll on the NCAA’s Web site doesn’t even list Harrell as a Heisman contender.
But it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. Although Texas’ McCoy has 43 percent of the vote, the “other” category is in second place with 17 percent. Maybe all of those other voters were thinking of the Red Raider when they cast their ballots.
Texas Tech QB prepares to pass the football.
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