Heisman watch: Mac Jones pulls ahead of Trevor Lawrence

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The presidential election is Tuesday, but in college football, the Heisman Trophy campaigns are just heating up. November is the month when the Heisman is won. At the moment, the race still seems wide open as several candidates have shined through conference-only schedules.

Here’s a look at the Heisman race as we head into Week 10 in the season.

Last week: Jones completed 24 of 31 (77.4 percent) of his passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions during a 41-0 victory over Mississippi State.

Season stats: Through six games, Jones has completed 78.5 percent of his passes for 2,196 yards and 16 touchdowns with two interceptions. He leads the nation with 12.4 yards per pass attempt and has a 210.32 passer rating.

Outlook: With Trevor Lawrence missing last week due to COVID-19, Jones now has the most impressive resume of any Heisman candidate. While the Alabama quarterback performed below his exceptional standard last week, he still posted high numbers against a Mississippi State team that came into the matchup leading the SEC in total defense.

Jones has completed 74 percent or more of his passes in each of his games this season. He’s also excelled with deep passes, completing 20 of 32 (62.5 percent) of his throws which have traveled 20 or more yards through the air.

Last week: Fields completed 28 of 34 (82.4 percent) of his passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions during a 38-25 victory over Penn State.

Season stats: Through two games, Fields has completed 87.3 percent of his passes for 594 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. He is averaging 10.8 yards per pass attempt and has a 213.99 passer rating. He also has 50 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Outlook: Fields is making up for lost time with back-to-back standout games against Nebraska and Penn State. While the Big Ten’s delayed start will take a toll on his numbers at the end of the season, his play so far keeps him very much in contention for the award.

Fields dual-threat ability could give him a leg up in this competition. While he wasn’t a factor in the running game last week, the quarterback recorded 484 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground last season.

Last week: Lawrence sat out Clemson’s 34-28 win over Boston College after testing positive for COVID-19.

Season stats: Through six games, Lawrence has completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 1,833 yards and 17 touchdowns with two interceptions. He’s also rushed for 71 yards and four touchdowns.

Outlook: Until testing positive for COVID-19, Lawrence seemed like the leading candidate for the Heisman. However, the Clemson quarterback is now set to miss his second straight game this week as the top-ranked Tigers take on No. 4 Notre Dame. That matchup was supposed to be one of Lawrence’s few opportunities to perform against a top team this season as Clemson’s schedule doesn’t offer much competition.

Despite his time away from the game, Lawrence is still very much in this race. The Clemson quarterback has the biggest name recognition of the candidates and has performed exceptionally well during his six games this season.

Last week: Wilson completed 18 of 32 (56.3 percent) of his passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns with an interception during BYU’s 41-10 win over Western Kentucky. He also added 35 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Season stats: Through seven games, Wilson has completed 74.6 percent of his passes for 2,152 yards and 19 touchdowns with two interceptions. He is averaging 11.2 yards per attempt and has a 198.69 passer rating. He also has 150 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.

Outlook: Wilson is a darkhorse candidate, and his 56.3 percent completion percentage against Western Kentucky last week didn’t help his chances. Still, the dual-threat quarterback is posting impressive numbers and has BYU (7-0) inside the top 10. He’ll need to up his game even more if he’s going to keep up with the contenders though.

Last week: Najee Harris carried the ball 21 times for 119 yards while also pulling in six receptions for 36 yards during Alabama’s 41-0 victory over Mississippi State.

Season stats: Through six games, Harris is averaging 5.76 yards per carry and has 714 rushing yards and a nation’s best 14 touchdowns on the ground. He has also recorded 20 receptions for 183 yards.

Outlook: The Heisman has been a quarterback award in recent years, but Harris is probably best positioned to take home the honor among players at other positions. The Alabama back has broken the century mark in three of his six games this season. He also had a 98-yard game against Missouri and a 96-yard game against Tennessee.

Harris’ best performance of the year came against Ole Miss where he carried the ball 23 times for 206 yards and a school-record five touchdowns while also pulling in three receptions for 42 yards. He’ll need to take over more games in that manner if he’s going to pass Jones as the Tide’s primary Heisman candidate.

Last week: Etienne carried the ball 20 times for 80 yards and a touchdown while also pulling in seven receptions for 140 yards and a score during Clemson’s 34-28 victory over Boston College.

Season stats: Through seven games, Etienne is averaging 5.88 yards per carry and has 606 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. He has also recorded 29 receptions for 434 yards and two touchdowns.

Outlook: Etienne faces the same problem as Harris as he is not his team’s primary Heisman candidate. However, the senior back did come up with a big performance during Lawrence’s absence last week.

This week’s game against Notre Dame could serve as a Heisman moment for Etienne. If he can lead the way to another Clemson win without Lawrence, it should create some momentum behind his name.