Toby Gerhart Should Be Considered for Heisman
Stanford Running Back Hasn't Been Stopped in 2009
Nov 8, 2009
Gerhart rushed 38 times for a 224 yards and three touchdowns as Stanford stunned the No. 8 Ducks 51-42 in a Pac-10 Conference football game at Stanford, Calif.
The senior ran for touchdowns of 1, 4 and 17 yards, helping the Cardinal (6-3 overall, 5-2 Pac-10) become bowl eligible for the first time since 2001. He also set a pair of school records.
His 224-yard performance broke the 21-year-old school mark of 220, set by Jon Volpe. It also gave Gerhart 1,217 yards on the season, enabling him to shatter his own Stanford record of 1,136 set last season. He's run for 16 touchdowns — four shy of the Cardinal mark of 20 set by Tommy Vardell in 2001.
Gerhart is the second-leading rusher in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, averaging 135.2 yards per game. Only Fresno State's Ryan Mathews (162.11) is gaining more.
Also, Gerhart ranks second in the FBS with 11.1 points per game, trailing only Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs (11.3).
Despite his efforts, Gerhart has generated very little Heisman Trophy buzz. For instance, he was not among the 12 players who gained votes in ESPN's experts poll released this week. Nor did Gerhart pick up any votes in the HeismanPundit.com experts poll. Thirteen other players did.
If Gerhart's performance against Oregon doesn't make him a contender, it should at least make him part of the discussion.
Gerhart Overpowering vs. Oregon
OK, Gerhart did lose a fumble vs. Oregon — and it set up a Ducks touchdown. But he was the main reason Stanford managed 51 points against a defense that played superbly during most of its seven-game winning streak.
Oregon had been yielding only 121.50 yards per game on the ground, and had not allowed an opposing rusher to surpass 100 yards since Ralph Bolden of Purdue did it the second week of the season. Gerhart managed over 200. In 38 rushes, and was downed for a loss on only one occasion — and it was for just one yard.
Gerhart's been held under 100 yards twice this season, but in neither of those games can it be said that he was shut down. He ran 17 times for 82 yards in a 24-17 to Wake Forest, and carried 20 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-28 loss to Oregon State.
Surely, Gerhart hasn't faced the rugged Southeastern Conference competition that Heisman front-runners Mark Ingram of Alabama and Tim Tebow of Florida have. But he's battered his way through some decent run defenses in Arizona and Arizona State as well as Oregon and Oregon State.
And it's not like they didn't know he was coming. He's been the stape of the Stanford offense for two seasons.
What Makes Gerhart So Effective
At 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, Gerhart is built like a fullback, and he often plays like one. He's strong, powerful and absorbs hits tremendously well. Surely, he lacks of the burst of Bay Area rival Jahvid Best of Cal. But he boasts speed and agility that's surprising for a player of his size.
But Gerhart's greatest attribute might be his durability. He'll smash into opponents time and time again, taking seemingly countless hits. On some occasions, he'll get up slowly, appearing dazed and winded. But he'll be carrying the ball on the very next play, seemingly good as new.
Gerhart has rushed 233 times this season — just 15 shy of Brad Muster's school record set in 1986. He's averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
There's no doubt that the emergence of quarterback Andrew Luck and the Stanford passing game has made things easier for Gerhart. But Gerhart has surely opened things up for the aerial attack as well.
A key for both has been the play of Stanford offensive linemen Jonathan Martin, Andrew Phillips, Chase Beeler, David DeCastro, Chris Marinelli and Allen Smith. In addition to paving the way for Gerhart, they've helped limit opposing defenses to six sacks.
How Gerhart Stacks Up in Heisman Race
At this point, Gerhart remains a dark horse. But Stanford's final three games are all high-profile ones. The Cardinal takes on Southern Cal at Los Angeles on Nov. 14, faces Cal at home in the Big Game on Nov. 21, then travels to Notre Dame on Nov. 28.
If Gerhart put together another monstrous outing or two, and players like Tebow, Ingram, Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen and Texas' Colt McCoy slip up a bit, the Stanford star just might able to become a serious candidate.
