Oregon Ducks: Why QB Darron Thomas Should Have Been a Heisman Finalist

Yes the Heisman Trophy was already given out earlier this month, but this is something that still stumps me. Darron Thomas was absolutely snubbed in not being named a Heisman finalist. Yes, Cam Newton was the clear winner. Yes, Andrew Luck, LaMichael James, and Kellen Moore were qualified to be finalist, but so was Thomas.

QB A: 3051 passing yards, 28 TD’s, 7 interceptions, 166.10 QB rating, 70.2 completion percentage, 438 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD’s and an 11-1 record.

QB B: 2518 passing yards, 28 TD’s, 7 interceptions, 151.06 QB rating, 60.7 completion percentage, 488 rushing yards, 5 rushing TD’s, and a 12-0 record.

Anyone know who these mystery quarterbacks are? They are Andrew Luck and Darron Thomas respectively. Their stats are almost mirror images of each other, with the exception that Luck passed for more yards and had a higher completion percentage and quarterback rating than Thomas. Thomas, however, had a better record, including a win over Luck in Eugene, and better rushing stats.

But which ever way you want to look at it at, Thomas and Luck are two sides of the same coin when it comes to the Heisman. The main difference between these two quarterbacks is that Luck was the Heisman runner-up and Thomas wasn’t even a finalist. He should have been.

Let’s flashback to March 12, 2010. On that day, Oregon star quarterback and preseason Heisman contender Jeremiah Masoli pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary. Coach Chip Kelly immediately suspended Masoli for the entire 2010 season. On that day, almost the entire nation wrote off Oregon as a Top 5 team and National Title contender.

Chip Kelly, however, had no worries at all. He saw an experienced senior and a talented sophomore, both of which could have led the team to at least another PAC-10 title. Most  people just saw senior Nate Costa, not sophomore Darron Thomas.

Flashback again to September 20, 2008, a game at Autzen Stadium that saw the Ducks trailing by 24 to Boise State after the 3^rd quarter. Freshmen QB Darron Thomas was thrown in with Masoli, Costa, and sophomore Justin Roper down with injures, going 13-25 for 210 yards, 3 TDs and 1 interception in less than 15 minutes. Thomas brought the Ducks back to a 37-32 defeat.

Flashing forward now to August 27, 2010, Chip Kelly named sophomore Darron Thomas as the Ducks starting quarterback for the 2010 season. Ever since that day, Thomas has dazzled this nation, leading the Ducks to not only another PAC-10 title but to the national title game. Something that few people thought the Ducks could achieve without Masoli, let alone with Thomas.

 I’d like to finish by saying that in no way am I claiming that Thomas should have won the Heisman, merely that he should have at least been mentioned in the talks. What made Luck the Heisman runner-up was mainly that he turned the Stanford Cardinals (a team that went 1-11 4 years ago) into a BCS team. Thomas took a team that the nation had turned its back on to the National Championship.

He has the stats, the record, the play (faking out the Stanford defender), and most importantly the story: his quest. He was the quarterback in the flashing uniform that rescued the Ducks, but could not slay the fire-breathing Heisman. What is left is to see if he can slay the fire-breathing Tiger on January 10, 2010.