Heisman candidate backfield
- Thread starter BiggsCoug
- Start date
Disagree. GM should make it this year. I do not think a RB from WSU will ever make it to NY for the ceremony. They will be overshadowed by the QB. A WSU RB will never have the ground yards that voters look at and they are not broadminded enough to take into account receiving yards.
What if you thought of it as highlight reel runs, yards after catch and touchdowns scored?
I dont disagree with you on rushing yards. Im curious if the gap can be narrowed with being electrifying?
I believe Max is the caliber of player that could have the potential to get Heisman interest, but I'd be surprised if it happened in the Air Raid offense. In our offense I think the ball is spread among too many players for a single RB to put up the eye-popping stats that I think is required of a RB to get serious Heisman interest. And I'm good with that -- I suspect team success and Max's football career/longevity are both better if we continue to spread the ball around the way we do.
Considering that Borghi/Williams combined in each game is usually 20-30 touches, 150-200 total yards, and 2-4 TDs. So if Borghi doesn't have to share reps with a caliber RB like a James Williams/Jamal Morrow type, there is a chance for big numbers.
So far this year, they combine for:
820 rush yds 17 Tds
109 receptions 803 8 Tds = 1,623 total yards, 25 total Tds
2-3 more games should put them over the 2,000 mark, and 30 Td mark
So, if our offense emphasizes the running game more in the coming years, the potential is there for even bigger numbers, and if Borghi is the clear cut best RB on the team.
I do not believe so. There are a lot of voters who are not that nuanced to actually pay attention. If Borghi has such a great season, then the QB is also having an equally great season. That would split votes.
As a feature back, combining carries and receptions, can he get 20+ touches per game to make a run at all purpose yards?
Also, being an AR back isnt a bad thing. If you make it to the NFL you will have more tread on the tire so to say.
McCaffrey had the exciting runs, catches, returns, combined yards. He should have won the Heisman. But, he still was unable to overcome an SEC player.
The way the NFL is adopting more Air Raid concepts, drafting an AR back is what teams may begin to do more of in the future.
I don't think Borghi is likely to win the Heisman....but that isn't what Biggs said. He said that he thought Borghi could get an invite to New York. Totally different conversation.
For me, when I think about the Heisman, I think about players that are so good that just about everyone else looks at that player and says, "I would prefer that guy over our best player". Generally, they have to be on a team that is successful because if they aren't winning, are they that good? This season has been the perfect confluence of factors that has made MInshew perform at a level where every team we face looks at MInshew and thinks, "Man, how did the Cougs get that guy?".
Borghi brings that same kind of mojo. Boobie is better in the open field, but when it comes to the overall package of raw physicality, balance, and elusiveness, Borghi is clearly his match as a true freshman, and that's not an insult to Williams, Max is just that damned good. If Borghi can keep up the good work, he could have an amazing junior year that could get him some attention. As mentioned above, there's a chance that our QB could steal his thunder, but it wouldn't surprise me to see the kid in NYC.
For me, when I think about the Heisman, I think about players that are so good that just about everyone else looks at that player and says, "I would prefer that guy over our best player". Generally, they have to be on a team that is successful because if they aren't winning, are they that good? This season has been the perfect confluence of factors that has made MInshew perform at a level where every team we face looks at MInshew and thinks, "Man, how did the Cougs get that guy?".
Borghi brings that same kind of mojo. Boobie is better in the open field, but when it comes to the overall package of raw physicality, balance, and elusiveness, Borghi is clearly his match as a true freshman, and that's not an insult to Williams, Max is just that damned good. If Borghi can keep up the good work, he could have an amazing junior year that could get him some attention. As mentioned above, there's a chance that our QB could steal his thunder, but it wouldn't surprise me to see the kid in NYC.
Good point about just making it to NY is what Biggs said. I still think that because of how WSU uses their backs and that the QB in the Air Raid is going to be good, it would split his votes.
Truth is, it's really hard to get to New York and it would take a lot for Borghi to get there. Jonathan Stewart was an incredible running back that we almost landed and of course, we all know that he went to Oregon. Despite being highly recruited and having a pretty good career at Oregon, he didn't get a sniff at the Heisman because the Ducks only went 9-4 his junior year and the Heisman has long been the award to the best player on a Top 5 team or higher. Oh....Oregon getting shut out by a mediocre UCLA team didn't help him either. So, while I believe that Borghi has the potential to get to NYC, I'd agree with you that it's pretty damned thin.
I had the pleasure of being able to hang out with Borghi's parents and eventually meet the kid himself after the game. Great kid who is super humble. I told him to lay the same beat down on the Huskies this Friday as they did to Arizona. He chuckled a bit and said that the Apple Cup is gonna be epic. BTW, Max's dad is hilarious. Him and I chatted it up for what seemed to be hours.
I wasnt referring to this year or anybyear where the QB and MB would both be up for the award. I dunno where splitting votes would come from.
I think Borghi will be a great back with us, but I don’t see him as a Heisman guy. He’s more the workman type.
I also had the pleasure of sitting next to Max and his family at breakfast after the Oregon game. Agree with you 100% he is so humble and I can see why after meeting his parents. I think I may have thanked him 27 times for spurning Stanford's last minute push. Gonna be fun to watch him for the next 2-3 years.
Regarding Biggs original comment, I doubt we will every see Mad Max seated in the front row at 20 West St in lower Manhattan, however if he stays healthy he will play on Sundays.
I think there is every possibility that we will hang in the top 25 for the next several years, and the idea that Max would be Heisman material if we are in the top 6 that year is pretty credible. It would take all that, but it is not just hyperbole to suggest the possibility.
