What Does Derrick Henry Have to Do to Win 2015 Heisman Trophy?

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Even though Saturday was when Derrick Henry took the lead in the Heisman Trophy chase, one play against LSU stands out to the University of Alabama running back, the fumble.

It occurred with 11:08 to go in the game, when he was running with the ball not tucked away and Tashawn Bower knocked it out. Arden Key recovered at the Alabama 22, and LSU turned it into a quick seven points.

“I was mad, I was furious,” Henry said.

Proving the equivalent to “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry,” Henry took 10 handoffs (11 if you count the 17-yard gain that was nullified by a holding penalty) on the subsequent possession and pounded out 77 yards as Alabama ran out the clock.

Yes, he was the college football equivalent to the Hulk, just not green.

“It just kills me because I really don’t like making mistakes,” Henry said. “That’s something I need to get better at, something I still need to work on. It just nags me all the time because it’s in the back of my mind that I made that mistake. Gotta get it corrected this week and just get better at it.

Henry’s 38 carries were the third most in a single game in Alabama history. He finished with 210 rushing yards against the sixth-best rushing defense in the nation and scored three touchdowns.

“I don't think it was our plan to have him carry the ball 38 times in that game or any other game,” head coach Nick Saban said. “But when he's going well and he's running well, it's kind of hard to take him out, especially in critical times of the game.”

Nevertheless, Henry woke up Sunday morning as the Heisman front-runner, which has since been confirmed by every survey, from ESPN to USA Today. He might still be focused on the fumble, but his teammates aren’t surprised with his success.

“I knew Derrick was going to have a great year in the offseason because of the way he prepares,” junior tight end O.J. Howard said. “It didn’t start now, Derrick had this kind of mentality in June and July and it’s showing right now. He’s a hard-working guy. He’s always trying to finish first when we're running sprints in the summer, always working extra in the weight room, and that’s what happens when you put in the work off the field. It’s going to show up during game time.”

Here are 10 things that need to happen for Henry to win the Heisman:

1. Stay healthy

OK, this one is a given, but LSU running back Leonard Fournette missing a game that was cancelled isn’t helping his cause now, even though it was against McNeese State.

2. He needs to top the numbers posted by Mark Ingram Jr.:

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Ingram, Alabama’s only Heisman Trophy winner, played in 14 games during the 2009 season and finished with 1,658 rushing yards, 334 receiving, 1,992 total yards and 20 touchdowns. That worked out to an average of 118.4 rushing yards and 142.3 total yards per game.

Henry has 1,254 rushing yards through nine games for an average of 139.3. With his 69 receiving yards, that comes out to 147 total yards. Combined with the 17 touchdowns, he’s on pace to top Ingram.

3. Stay within range of Fournette and ahead of Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott

Alabama’s victory over LSU will act like a tiebreaker, especially considering that Henry finished with 210 rushing yards and Fournette had just 31. Fournette is still averaging 172.9 yards per game, 30-plus better than Henry, but LSU relies on him more.

A stat to keep an eye on is rushing yards in conference games. Henry is averaging 159.8 yards, while Fournette is behind him with 151.2.

Meanwhile, Elliott has topped 100 rushing yards in every game this season and has 193 carries for 1,244 yards and 14 touchdowns. Henry must match his numbers in Elliot's upcoming games against Michigan, Michigan State and the potential Big Ten Championship Game.

4. Alabama has to keep winning

Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

If Alabama wins out, Henry is practically a lock to make the trip to New York as a finalist. A significant number of voters will opt for the best player on the best team, which hurts every quarterback not named Deshaun Watson of Clemson.

Another loss and Henry no longer gets the benefit of doubt, and Fournette or someone else would likely jump into the lead. Quarterback Dak Prescott could also re-emerge as a strong candidate if Mississippi State manages to beat Alabama on Saturday. 

5. Henry has to finish strong

Ingram didn’t lock up his Heisman Trophy until the SEC Championship Game—when he had 28 carries for 113 yards and two receptions for 76 yards against Florida—and it was still the closest voting in the history of the award.

Trent Richardson put up better numbers and had his only 200-yard rushing performance at Auburn in 2011, but when Alabama didn’t play in the SEC championship he was largely overlooked for the Heisman.

6. Run more people over

Henry’s had a signature performance, now he could use more signature moments, and what better way to leave a lasting impression than to turn a defender into football roadkill?

Henry’s final drive against LSU was reminiscent of Ingram’s against South Carolina, when Alabama even put him in the Wildcat formation and let him pound away. Ingram finished that game with 24 carries for a career-high 246 rushing yards.            

7. Win the regional voting

Heisman voting is split into six balanced regions, and the only other serious candidate east of the Mississippi River is Elliott, who could do well in the Midwest, Northeast and maybe even the Mid-Atlantic regions.

Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey appears to be the one to watch in the West. Corey Coleman being the top player in the Southwest could help Henry because some voters won’t cast their ballot for a wide receiver, and he's only drawing attention from quarterbacks like TCU's Trevone Boykin.

Henry also needs to avoid having his own region, the South, split between he and Fournette.

8. Score more touchdowns

Henry has scored a touchdown in 14 straight games, which is the longest streak in the nation and ties Tim Tebow’s SEC record for consecutive games with a rushing score. With three games still on the regular-season schedule, Henry is on pace to finish with 23 rushing touchdowns, which would tie the league single-season record before potentially playing in the SEC Championship Game.

Number	Name	School	Year
23	Tim Tebow	Florida	2007
23	Tre Mason	Auburn	2013
21	Trent Richardson	Alabama	2011
21	Johnny Manziel	Texas A&M	2011
20	Cam Newton	Auburn	2010
19	Garrison Hearst	Georgia	1992
19	Shaun Alexander	Alabama	1999
19	LaBrandon Toefield	LSU	2001
18	Herschel Walker	Georgia	1981
18	Charles Scott	LSU	2008

Matching or topping Tebow in anything statistically would be a strong feather in his cap, er, helmet. 

9. The rest of the SEC needs to do well

A huge factor in Henry’s favor is that he’s faced the toughest competition, and against the five ranked opponents that Alabama has faced he’s averaging 173.6 rushing yards, including two 200-yard performances.

Henry, having faced tougher run defenses than Fournette, got a lot of attention in the buildup to the LSU game. Similarly, it could only help his cause if Tennessee or Arkansas ended up being ranked again and the SEC West finished looking strong.

10. No more turnovers

When Ingram won the Heisman, he had just one lost fumble that season, against Tennessee, and just two during his career. Henry’s had three this season, with two lost, and even though it motivated him during the fourth-quarter drive against LSU he can’t afford more.

“That’s been messing with me since that happened,” Henry said.

“I was careless with the ball on that fumble. I gotta get better on that. I gotta work on that.”

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer. Follow Christopher on Twitter @WritingWalsh.