Week 2 blows. It’s right up there with the penultimate week of the season in terms of boring matchups. Almost everyone has gotten their big season openers out of the way and taking the week to get a tuneup against a lower level of competition in. That leads to a lot of stat padding and the result is that the Heisman Watch stinks. Still, there were a few good performances to choose from in games that mattered, so I’ll do the best I can this week.
Heisman Watch: Week 2, 2024
5. QB Ethan Hampton, Northern Illinois – I said the Heisman Watch stunk this week because there was a lot of stat-padding against weak opponents, so hell, let’s take the opportunity to give a spot to the quarterback of the team that pulled off the most shocking upset of the week. I know the box score will say Hampton was just 10/19 for 198 yards and a touchdown, but I don’t care. He gets points for the moment!
4. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State – I don’t make a habit of putting players in the Heisman Watch on losing teams, but holy shit, we have to give Jeanty his due. This dude is on pace for 2,754 yards this season. It’s one thing to do it against Georgia Southern. It’s another thing to do it against Oregon. Jeanty had 192 yards and three touchdowns against the Ducks, putting him atop the FBS with 459 yards and nine touchdowns on the young season. This man is averaging 10.2 yards per carry.
3. RB Jam Miller, Alabama – It would’ve been easy to go Jalen Milroe again after he hung four touchdowns on South Florida, but that’s box score scouting in my opinion, and not paying attention to what actually happened in that game. Miller started running for his life in the second half of that game, one that Alabama led by just one point late into. He finished the game with 140 yards and a rushing touchdown, but I give him a lot of credit for providing that offense with a spark and igniting it when they needed it the most. An underrated Heisman moment on the weekend.
2. QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss – Look, I know Furman and MTSU have been little more than a tune-up for the Ole Miss offense, but let’s recognize Dart for making the most of the moment. He now leads the FBS in both passing yards at 795 and passer rating at 247.4. Ole Miss has outscored their two opponents 128-3. It’s sick. Dart already has eight total touchdowns on the season. These are the kinds of things that come back into the equation when we’re splitting hairs between contenders. The raw volume of production. He’s checked that box so far.
1. QB Quinn Ewers, Texas – I’m not the biggest Ewers fan, but I have to tip my cap to his performance in the biggest game of the week on the road in a hostile environment and against (what we thought would be) a top tier defense. Ewers was 24/36 for 246 yards and three touchdowns. The Longhorns climbed to #2 in the AP poll as a result, and there’s no reason so far to think that Texas isn’t a legitimate National Championship contender. He continues to show up in these big regular season games, and this was as big a stage as you’ll find in Week 2. It wasn’t just the nature of the win that factors into this ranking though, it was the ease with which Ewers was slingin’ the ball around the field. It really looked effortless for this offense with Ewers at the helm.
Heisman Watch 2024 Standings
- Ashton Jeanty – 6
- Quinn Ewers, Cam Ward – 5 (total points)
- Jaxson Dart – 4
- Tetairoa McMillan, Jam Miller – 3
- Miller Moss – 2
- Ethan Hampton, Jalen Milroe – 1
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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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