Heisman Watch: Washington Gets Back Its Ground Game With Dillon Johnson

Washington running back Dillon Johnson went off for 256 yards and four touchdowns against USC on Saturday night.

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Well, we talked about it on a recent episode of the College Football Roundup, and it sure as hell seems like the Washington Huskies were listening (said obviously tongue-in-cheek for those of you who might’ve found this article from Google and aren’t familiar with our brand). When Washington was rolling earlier in the season, it was because they were able to run the ball effectively. In recent weeks, despite continuing to win games, they had gotten away from that. I suppose there’s nothing quite like that USC defense for a get right game though, and that’s where we kick off this week’s Heisman Watch. Huskies running back Dillon Johnson absolutely went off in that game on Saturday night, rushing for 256 yards and a whopping four touchdowns. This man posted 9.8 yards per rush attempt. 9.8!!!

Meanwhile, in the SEC West, Alabama and LSU put on a fireworks show that saw the Tide come out on top, 42-28. The game was closer than that final score would indicate, and wasn’t really busted open until late in the game. Both quarterbacks were excellent, so we get the rare Heisman Watch mention in a losing effort. Jayden Daniels was prolific, and delivered a gutsy performance against the Tide, going 15/24 for 219 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception through the air. He tacked on 11 carries for 163 yards and a score on the ground as well. Jalen Milroe continues to develop and grow within this Alabama offense. He was simply dynamic on Saturday night. Passing, he was 15/23 for 219 yards. Rushing, he was damn near impossible to contain, posting 155 rushing yards, and four rushing touchdowns. For the bulk of the evening, this thing was a shootout – a bona fide quarterback duel.

I want to give a shoutout to Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II while we’re at it here on the Heisman Watch. He added 137 yards and two touchdowns to his season total, as the Cowboys upset Oklahoma in Bedlam. After getting single-digit carries for the first few games of the season, Gordon has been on a roll lately, amassing 214.5 rushing yards PER GAME over his last four games. He currently sits atop the FBS in rushing yards with 1,224 on the season, and he still has three games to go. If he keeps it up at this rate, he could potentially flirt with a 2,000-yard season.

Finally, let’s close out this week’s column with Bo Nix getting the chance to stat pad against Cal on Saturday. Personally, I’m a fan of Nix as a pro prospect, and I think he’s being undervalued in this year’s Heisman discussion as well. His 78.1% completion percentage is the best in the FBS, and he’s a top 10 quarterback in other metrics as well, including passing yards, passing touchdowns, and passer rating. The Ducks absolutely rolled Cal, 63-19, on Saturday. Nix was 29/38 for 386 yards, four touchdowns, and a pick, with two rushing touchdowns to go with it. Make that SIX total touchdowns on the evening!

HEISMAN POINTS (WEEK 10)

  1. Dillon Johnson
  2. Jalen Milroe
  3. Jayden Daniels
  4. Ollie Gordon II
  5. Bo Nix

HEISMAN POINTS (2023 SEASON)

  1. Bo Nix, Michael Penix, Jr. – 14
  2. Jayden Daniels, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jordan Travis – 10
  3. Shedeur Sanders – 8
  4. Caleb Williams – 7
  5. Jalen Milroe, Cam Ward – 6
  6. Quinn Ewers, Dillon Johnson, Drake Maye – 5
  7. Drew Allar, Jermaine Burton, Ray Davis, Trevor Etienne, Jawhar Jordan, J.J. McCarthy, Tyler Van Dyke – 4
  8. Brock Bowers, Sam Hartman, Travis Hunter, Jase McClellan, Rome Odunze, DJ Uiagalelei – 3
  9. Keon Coleman, Ollie Gordon II, Taulia Tagovailoa – 2
  10. Eric Ayomanor, Malachi Corley, Quinshon Judkins – 1

If you haven’t already, be sure to go subscribe to the College Football Roundup Podcast, on which Steven McCash and myself break down all the action from the college football world and look ahead to the week to come. 

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.

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