Washington’s Browning making noise; will East Coast notice?
Washington quarterback Jake Browning continues to put up big numbers and is among the leaders in the Heisman Trophy race.
One problem for the Huskies sophomore out of Folsom High School: Will East Coast voters notice?
Browning threw for 378 yards and six touchdowns to set Washington’s single-season record for touchdown passes with 34, and the Huskies beat Cal 66-27 on Saturday night in Berkeley. However, the game didn’t end until after 11 p.m. Pacific time – that’s 2 a.m. Eastern, not including the hour applied for turning back the clock.
Jake Browning threw for 378 yards & six touchdowns to set Washington's single-season record for TD passes in last night's win. #PurpleReign pic.twitter.com/0ySNfZIse5
— UW Football (@UW_Football) November 7, 2016
Another problem for Browning: Heisman front-runner Lamar Jackson of Louisville also had a stellar game Saturday.
The sophomore quarterback for the fifth-ranked Cardinals passed for four touchdowns and ran for three in a 52-7 victory at Boston College. In all, Jackson amassed 416 yards (231 passing, 185 rushing) in a game that started at noon in the East, which likely meant more Heisman voters watching.
Coming into Saturday’s action, ESPN and SI.com had Browning ranked second in the race behind Jackson and in front of Clemson junior quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Associated Press’s Heisman Watch had Browning third and Watson second.
Browning’s performance at Cal boosted his quarterback rating to 202.8 and gives him a shot to destroy the record held by current Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, the Seattle Times reports.
Only 6 QBs have held the single-season NCAA passer rating record since 1964. Jake Browning will be the 7th pic.twitter.com/FKSDR9pEeM
— Sam HawkBadger (@hwkbgr) November 6, 2016
HOW THEY FARED
Here’s how the Heisman favorites looked Saturday:
Jake Browning, So. No. 4* Washington | Lamar Jackson, So. No. 5* Louisville | Deshaun Watson, Jr. No. 3* Clemson | |
Passing yards | 378 | 231 | 169 |
Passing TDs-INTs | 6-0 | 4-1 | 2-0 |
Completion pct. | 19/28 (67.9) | 12/17 (70.6) | 13/16 (81.3) |
Rushing yards | 14 | 185 | 39 |
Rushing TDs | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Team result | W, 66-27 at Cal | W, 52-7 at Boston College | W, 54-0 vs. Syracuse |
* Associated Press rankings
SEASON STATISTICS
Here’s where they stand after nine games this season:
Jake Browning, So. No. 4* Washington | Lamar Jackson, So. No. 5* Louisville | Deshaun Watson, Jr. No. 3* Clemson | |
Passing yards | 2,273 | 2,753 | 2,497 |
Passing TDs-INTs | 34-3 | 26-6 | 24-10 |
Completion pct. | 67.7 | 59.0 | 64.4 |
QB rating | 202.8 | 164.9 | 149.2 |
Rushing yards | 77 | 1,181 | 370 |
Rushing TDs | 4 | 19 | 2 |
Team W-L | 9-0 (6-0 Pac-12) | 8-1 (6-1 ACC) | 9-0 (6-0 ACC) |
* Associated Press rankings
UP NEXT
Browning’s next game will be played in prime time as the Huskies host USC on Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m. Pacific on Fox. Before Washington’s game kicks off, Clemson hosts Pitt and Louisville hosts Wake Forest.
The Bee’s Jon Schultz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 6, 2016 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Washington’s Browning making noise; will East Coast notice?."