Jackson’s stats, at least, on par with Heisman year
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lamar Jackson has looked even better than last year, when his performance was good enough to make him the youngest player to ever win the Heisman Trophy.
This year, the junior quarterback has posted remarkably similar statistics, but the attention has been more muted after Louisville stumbled through a 1-4 midseason stretch in Atlantic Coast Conference play this year.
His skills, leadership abilities and prospects as a pro quarterback have been questioned, particularly after defending national champion Clemson and QB counterpart Kelly Bryant upstaged Jackson and the Cardinals in a 47-21 loss in September.
Jackson has sidestepped questions about his NFL future and remained focused on helping Louisville win. And though he doesn’t have the same talent around him as he did last year, he has led Louisville (8-4) to a three-game winning streak and a spot in the Dec. 30 TaxSlayer Bowl against No. 24 Mississippi State.
He also has earned a return trip to New York on Saturday as a Heisman finalist and can become just the second repeat winner and first since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin did it in 1974, and ’75.
“I don’t really think about all that,” said Jackson, 20, a finalist along with Stanford running back Bryce Love and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. “I just come into the game with a passion. I hate losing.
I love to win, and that’s it.”
But the stats he has put up along the way have been impressive. He has:
• Passed for 3,489 of his 4,932 yards of total offense, a total that is 4 yards better than last year.
• Scored 42 touchdowns (25 passing), just nine fewer than in 2016.
• Improved his completion rate from 56 percent to 60.4 percent, with just six interceptions.
• Led the nation in total offense per game with 411.0 yards (1 yard more than last season).
• Become the first player in the Football Bowl Subdivision to surpass 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 rushing in consecutive seasons.
• Been named the ACC offensive and overall player of the year, with a school-record 12-game streak of 300-plus yards.
His best game statistically was a 525-yard, six-TD performance at North Carolina preceding Louisville’s slump that dropped the Cardinals out of the top 25 and ACC title contention. But the 6-foot-3, 207pound Jackson remains one of the nation’s top offensive players because of his ability to pass and to embarrass defenders with his legs.
“Every day in practice he’ll do something or he’ll turn around and look at me and comment on his knowledge of the passing game and what he would like to do or what the corner(back) did,” Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. “It’s just so much fun to watch how he’s grown. I don’t think I’ve ever been around someone who competes like he does and backs it up with confidence and is so humble.”