Michael Dyer: 10 Reasons the Auburn Running Back Is a 2011 Heisman Candidate
With just one game, Michael Dyer catapulted himself from being an afterthought behind the massive dual-threat quarterback named Cam Newton to being thought of as a potential 2011 Heisman Trophy candidate.
His 32-yard run, where he appeared to go down but then got back up, was the play that sealed a victory for the Auburn Tigers against the Oregon Ducks.
Dyer is about to become a household name, and deservedly so after a fantastic freshman season.
Read on for 10 reasons why he could win the coveted Heisman Trophy next season.
The Magical Sophomore Year
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Up through 2006, the Heisman Trophy had never been awarded to anyone but juniors and seniors.
Then in 2007, a sophomore named Tim Tebow took home the prize. In 2008, Sam Bradford, a sophomore quarterback from Oklahoma, won the award.
It seems as though the committee is now willing to honor younger players, which is great news for Michael Dyer, who will be a sophomore next season.
Best Auburn Freshman Running Back Ever
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Auburn has had a history of great running backs, but Michael Dyer topped everyone else's freshman years.
Bo Jackson, who went on to a win a Heisman Trophy, had the previous record for running yards by an Auburn freshman. His 1982 season saw him pile up 829 yards on the ground.
This year, Dyer blew that away. The freshman ran for 1,236 yards in the 2010 season.
Yards Per Carry
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Averaging 6.1 yards per carry over the course of an entire season is not an easy task.
Dyer has proven to be very difficult to tackle. The power back does not often go down at first contact and usually falls forward.
Plus he's elusive and quick, which just makes tackling him a monumental task.
If he can average 6.1 yards per carry as a freshman, it's scary to think about what he could do next year.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Compact But Durable
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Michael Dyer is only 5'9", which means that players like Darvin Adams can almost jump over him. That said, he also weighs 215 pounds and it's all muscle.
He's a power back packed into a compact frame, which makes it all the more difficult to bring him down when he has the ball.
That model has worked well for running backs in the past and will continue to do the same for Dyer.
The National Championship
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The BCS National Championship Game showed off Michael Dyer's insane abilities.
Dyer carried the ball 22 times for 143 times and was inches away from the game-winning touchdown on an incredible 32-yard run.
In a game where he was joined in the backfield by Cam Newton, Dyer was the offensive star.
The running back's abilities to make big plays in crunch time was the catalyst for his team's championship.
Spotlight
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The biggest day of Michael Dyer's career came when the nation's spotlight was pointed squarely at him.
Every sports fan tunes into the national championship and this year was no different. Michael Dyer of course knows this.
The fact didn't deter him from showing off his skills, which is great news for his Heisman backers.
No More Cam Newton
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As good as Cam Newton is, Michael Dyer will have a better chance of winning the trophy without him.
Newton is too good. If he returns, he'd win the Heisman again and Dyer would have no shot. The freshman wouldn't even be the best player on his own team.
Without No. 2, Dyer becomes the team's offensive star and will really have to shoulder a bigger load.
Auburn's Team Is Quite Good
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Many people were worried about Auburn's ability to have its success carry over into the next season without Cam Newton, but this game should have quelled those fears.
Auburn's defense stepped up and the offense looked to be too much for Oregon to handle.
Contrary to popular belief, this was a team and not just a supporting cast for Nick Fairley and Cam Newton.
The Tigers will be just fine next year.
Gus Malzahn
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The spread offense that Auburn uses was at least partially created by offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
The offense is tailor-made for all of Dyer's strengths and will continue to make him look good next year.
Malzahn also has a history of success. In addition to this championship, the coordinator won three high school state titles before leaving for college football.
The Recency Effect
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In psychology, there's a principle called the recency effect.
If you're given a list of numbers or objects to remember, you're far more likely to remember the last one mentioned than you are to recall the ones that were said in the middle.
The same principle will apply when the beginning of the 2011 season rolls around.
Dyer's last game was his best and that's what people will remember.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
