We list five reasons why C.J. Spiller must be a Heisman Trophy finalist. Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.
The momentum for C.J. Spiller's Heisman campaign is rapidly growing, ironic considering Spiller can change things faster than any player in college football. His most recent effort, one where he threw for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown, may serve as a springboard into a huge final half-month of the season. If Spiller's Tigers can clinch the ACC Atlantic Division and a championship game rematch with 10-1 Georgia Tech, it will greatly help his individual cause. We could list numerous career accomplishments of his, but we will focus on his 2009 highlights as this year's Heisman Trophy will be award off of such. We're not saying he should win college football's most coveted individual trophy, but he must be a finalist. Anything less would be shameful. Here's why.
*Spiller ranks second in the nation in all-purpose yards and has the most all-purpose yards of any BCS conference player with 1,956 yards. He averages an offsides penalty shy of 200 yards per game and ten yards every single time he touches the football.
*Spiller is the only player in college football to score a touchdown five different ways. He has six rushing touchdowns, four receiving touchdowns, three kickoff returns for a touchdown, one punt return for a touchdown and one passing touchdown.
*Spiller ranks fourth in the nation amongst BCS conference running backs in scoring with 14 total touchdowns. Less than half of those scores have come via the rush, a stunning testament to his versatility and game-breaking ability. He scores more points per game (8.6) than Southern Cal running back Joe McKnight and LSU running back Charles Scott combined.
*He's playing his best football down the stretch as his team competes for an ACC Championship. As mentioned above, he became the first player in school history to run, catch and pass for a touchdown in a single game against NC State. Against Florida State the week prior he set a career high with 165 yards rushing and caught three passes for 67 yards. He scored two total touchdowns. In a huge upset of Miami, Spiller rushed for 81 yards and had six receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown. The week before that, against Wake Forest, he scrambled for 106 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. His numbers would be even more staggering, but head coach Dabo Swinney limited his action to just nine total carries in games against Middle Tennessee State and Coastal Carolina.
