Christian McCaffrey vs. Washington: Stats, Reaction, Heisman Stock, Highlights

Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey’s stock as a Heisman Trophy contender elevated yet again with an outstanding performance in the No. 10 Cardinal’s 31-14 win over the Washington Huskies on Saturday.

McCaffrey rushed for 109 yards on 23 attempts and hauled in five passes for another 112 yards, scoring a touchdown apiece in each category. He added another 79 yards on three kickoff returns. It marked his third game and second straight this season in which he has eclipsed 300 all-purpose yards.

The sophomore sensation is now at 1,818 all-purpose yards with eight scores through seven games and continues to stride toward the record books, per Matt Hinton of Grantland:

LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette firmly holds the Heisman pole position, now at 1,302 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns through seven games. But McCaffrey has emerged as a rising dark horse.

What differentiates McCaffrey from Fournette is his pass-catching ability. McCaffrey has hauled in 21 catches for 284 yards and two touchdowns, while Fournette has just 58 yards on seven catches and no scores.

No one should ignore McCaffrey’s versatility. He added a 50-yard touchdown catch against Washington to his resume, courtesy of the Pac-12 Networks:

Playing on the West Coast has been a third rail for Heisman hopefuls in recent years. In 2009, Stanford running back Toby Gerhart (2,028 all-purpose yards, 28 touchdowns) finished second to Alabama running back Mark Ingram (1,992 all-purpose yards, 20 touchdowns) in the closest finish in the award’s prestigious history.

Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports noted McCaffrey’s time zone could be a major factor:

This isn’t to say Fournette hasn’t been arguably the best college running back since Reggie Bush. The LSU sophomore has marched the Tigers to a 7-0 record despite a rugged schedule—one that yielded the Tigers the top ranking in the hypothetical BCS computer polls, per USA Today's Daniel Uthman.

He may not embody the dual threat that McCaffrey does, but Fournette is a once-in-a-generation sensation in the nation’s best conference.

Joe Schad of ESPN agrees:

Stanford is 6-1 and firmly in control of the Pac-12 North without many potential hiccups remaining—especially if it keeps playing with dominance. The Cardinal’s Week 1 loss to Northwestern isn’t getting any prettier with the Wildcats’ ongoing struggles. But should the team run the table and win the conference, the College Football Playoff committee would be hard-pressed to keep Stanford out. 

The Cardinal's success will hinge on McCaffrey, who won’t go away.