Boise State QB Kellen Moore takes Heisman lead, according to ESPN.com; San Jose State scouting report | Voices.IdahoStatesman.com
By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com
© 2010 Idaho StatesmanBoise State junior quarterback Kellen Moore has become the Heisman Trophy front-runner, according to the ESPN.com Heisman Watch.
The Heisman Watch polls 15 of ESPN’s college football writers and analysts. Moore received eight first-place votes and was named on 13 of the 15 ballots.
Moore received 54 points. Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was second with 45 points and Oregon running back LaMichael James was third with 44.
Moore leads the nation in pass efficiency at 183.28. He has completed 67.4 percent of his passes, tossed 14 touchdown passes against one interception and averaged 9.9 yards per attempt. He’s done it against a schedule that is ranked 28th in the Sagarin Ratings.
Moore, who finished seventh in Heisman voting last year, hasn’t lost a regular-season game in his career and is 31-1 overall.
Here’s what ESPN.com’s Ted Miller wrote about Moore in the Heisman Watch:
“There is no case against Moore. Not to be mean, but anyone who has any other candidate ahead of Moore is being ridiculous. Moore is the No. 1-rated QB in all of college football. He plays for the undefeated, No. 3-ranked team in the nation. His TD-to-interception ratio? 14-to-1. He's completing 67 percent of his passes. Is he dinking and dunking? Nope. He averages 14.68 yards per completion. Has the schedule been weak? Not according to the computers. Is he a flash in the pan? Nope, last year he was the nation's No. 2 QB with 39 TDs and just three picks.”
Meanwhile, at HeismanPundit.com, Moore is tied for second with James, two points behind Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson. Moore received four of the 13 first-place votes, the second-most.
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Here’s a quick San Jose State scouting report. The Spartans are 1-5 with losses to four ranked teams, all on the road — Alabama, Wisconsin, Utah and Nevada. The Spartans also lost to UC Davis and squeaked out a win against Southern Utah.
Offense
The Spartans run the pistol, but they do it without a Colin Kaepernick-like run threat at quarterback. Quarterback Jordan La Secla has rushed for fewer than 100 positive yards this season.
The Spartans have set season highs in rushing yards three straight weeks, including 178 last week at Nevada. Tailback Lamon Muldrow has provided the spark with a 4.7-yard average.
Still, the Spartans remain one of the worst offensive teams in the country. They’re last in scoring at 10.3 points per game and 116th in yards at 269.2 per game.
La Secla and backup Matt Faulkner, who plays at least a series a game, have combined for 171.3 passing yards per game.
“We keep improving,” first-year coach Mike MacIntyre said after the Nevada game. “You can see it. We’re a step away here; a step away there. I think pretty soon we’ll bust loose where we’ll score 35 or 40 points.”
Defense:
The Spartans are 110th in total defense, allowing 442.5 yards per game. Their run defense sprung a leak midway through the promising 2008 season and the problem hasn’t been fixed.
Freshman linebacker Vince Buhagiar is the leading tackler with 44 tackles. Two-time All-WAC first-teamer Duke Ihenacho, a safety/linebacker, is out for the year with an injury. The Spartans have had to get creative with their personnel, with wide receiver James Orth intercepting a pass as a safety last week.
Special teams:
Freshman kicker/punter Harrison Waid easily could have been the WAC special teams player of the week last week. He had two punts over 60 yards, made two field goals and booted a successful onside kick.
He averages 42.5 yards on punts and is 7-for-10 on field goals.
Brandon Rutley is a solid punt returner. The coverage teams have done a good job.
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