1. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
By a very close margin, Mariota propels himself back to the front of the Heisman race. The Oregon quarterback threw five touchdown passes against Cal, so his numbers are hard to ignore despite him throwing his first interception of the season. His accuracy is also significantly higher than Prescott’s at above 68 while Prescott is just above 60.
The Ducks are now No. 5 in the country, but they will face their biggest defensive test in Stanford this Saturday. The Cardinal have been hot and cold this season, so an upset is not out of the question. If the Ducks lose to them again, Mariota will lose ground in the race. However, he seems destined to be a finalist this season no matter what.
Stats: 2,283 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 1 interception, 68.6 completion percentage; 62 carries, 325 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns
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