Bryce Love had an off game on Saturday.
All the Cardinal running back did was carry 17 times for a measly 147 yards -- good for a pathetic 8.6 yards per carry -- and two touchdowns in No. 22 Stanford’s 48-7 destruction of Oregon. Stanford is in the midst of a typical David Shaw second-half run, and that team success may be starting to hurt Love’s personal numbers. His 147 yards -- which would be good for sixth nationally on a per game basis -- dropped his average by close to eight yards per game, and his 8.6 yards per carry -- which, again, would place eighth among all runners -- cut that average from 10.5 to 10.27.
But, still, Love’s numbers remain on an historically great track.
Through seven games, Love has rushed 135 times for 1,387 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 135 carries, Love by himself would rank 29th among teams in rushing offense. He’s run for 50 more yards than actual No. 29 LSU -- in 151 fewer carries.
And Love’s numbers still keep him in the conversation with Barry Sanders‘s Heisman pace. Through seven games in 1988, Sanders had carried 192 times for 1,476 yards -- a pedestrian 7.69 per carry -- and 22 touchdowns.
Love is far and away ahead of one former Heisman running back.
Mark Ingram won the Heisman in 2009 after averaging 118.4 rushing ypg.
— Jacob Jaffe (@Jacob_Jaffe) October 15, 2017
Bryce Love is averaging 120.9 rushing ypg in the first half.
Mark Ingram beat out Stanford running back Toby Gerhart for that season’s Heisman, and Alabama’s Derrick Henry did the same to Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey in 2015.
The Tide don’t have a Heisman candidate at running back this season, so this may be the season for a Stanford runner to break through.
One thing that might help? Stop blowing people out so darn quickly.