When it comes to winning the Heisman Trophy, timing is everything. Just ask Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who picked the right time to have his most impressive game of the season.
Erupting for 475 total yards and five touchdowns in making sure the No. 3 Longhorns stayed unbeaten with a tough 49-39 win over Texas A&M Thanksgiving night, McCoy has grabbed the lead in this week's Scripps Howard Heisman Trophy poll.
Breaking loose from a second-place tie with Florida QB Tim Tebow, McCoy grabbed five of 10 first-place votes to grab the lead for the first time this season. Tebow, the 2007 Heisman winner, remains in second, a point ahead of hard-charging Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, who moved up two spots to third.
Alabama RB Mark Ingram, who had led the poll the last three weeks, plummeted all the way to fifth after a poor game vs. Auburn. Houston QB Case Keenum remains in fourth.
In a final chance to impress voters, McCoy, Tebow and Ingram all have high-profile games Saturday with Texas facing Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game and with Tebow's Gators and Ingram's Crimson Tide squaring off in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game. Gerhart's regular season is complete.
Heisman ballots are due on Monday with the 75th winner to be announced Saturday, Dec. 12, in New York City.
This week's poll, with statistics from last week.
Player, Position, School, Last Week, Points.
1. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas, 24-of-40, 304 yards passing, 4 TDs, 175 yards rushing, TD run. 43 (5).
2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida, 17-of-21, 221 yards passing, 3 TDs, 90 yards rushing, 2 TD runs, 30 (3).
3. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford, 29 carries, 205 yards, 3 TD runs, threw 18-yard TD pass, 29 (2).
4. Case Keenum, QB, Houston, 25-of-31, 323 yards passing, 2 TDs, TD run, 15.
5. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama, 16 carries, 30 yards, 14.
Others receiving votes: Boise State QB Kellen Moore 6; Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh, 2; TCU QB Andy Dalton 2; TCU DE Jerry Hughes, 1; Missouri WR Danario Alexander 1.
(Scripps Howard News Service Heisman Trophy poll voters: Kirk Bohls, Austin (Texas) American-Statesman; Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com; Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Mike Griffith, The Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel; Michael Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune; Bob Condotta, Seattle Times; John Lindsay, Scripps Howard News Service; Tom Luicci, The (Newark) Star-Ledger; John Rohde, The Oklahoman.)
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