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Cards’ Jackson becomes youngest to win Heisman

The Sports Xchange

December 10, 2016 at 7:19 pm.

Dec 10, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Lamar Jackson from the University of Louisville wins the Heisman Trophy at Playstation Theater. Mandatory Credit: Todd J. Van Emst/Heisman Trust via USA TODAY Sports

Dec 10, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Lamar Jackson from the University of Louisville wins the Heisman Trophy at Playstation Theater. Mandatory Credit: Todd J. Van Emst/Heisman Trust via USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK — Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson’s prolific passing and running numbers during the regular season earned him the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.

Jackson became the youngest player to win the award and the 13th quarterback in the last 16 years to claim the award as the dual-threat sophomore beat out Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson by a margin of 2,144 to 1,524 points.

Wearing a cardinal red blazer he purchased at Macy’s, Jackson hugged the other finalists and some of the 22 former winners on stage before starting his acceptance speech.

The 19-year-old made seven career starts before this season and was considered a heavy favorite to win even after struggling in late-season losses to Houston and Kentucky. Jackson became the first Cardinal to win, doing so after winning the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards as the nation’s top player.

Jackson became the fourth sophomore to win. All of the winners before their junior season have occurred since 2007, when Tim Tebow won as a sophomore.

Jackson was named the MVP of last season’s Music City Bowl and emerged as the favorite by throwing 30 touchdowns and rushing for 21 other scores during 12 games, helping Louisville to a 9-3 record. He completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 3,390 yards and rushed for 1,538 yards to become the first player in FBS history to throw for at least 3,300 yards and rush for at least 1,500.

Jackson also is the first player in ACC history to get at least 15 touchdowns on the ground and in the air during the same season. With 2,498 rushing yards, Jackson will return for his junior season with the third-most rushing yards for an ACC quarterback.

Jackson averaged 8.9 yards per pass and 6.6 yards per rush. He led all FBS quarterbacks in rushing yards and compiled eight games with at least 100 rushing yards to become the sixth player in FBS history with 20 passing TDs and 20 rushing TDs in the same season.

He finished the regular season holding ACC and school records with 51 touchdowns responsible for, rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,538 and rushing scores by a quarterback.

Jackson tied an ACC mark with eight touchdowns in the season-opening victory over Charlotte, including matching a school mark with six touchdown passes. In the following week against Syracuse, Jackson rushed for 199 yards and threw for 411 yards, setting the ACC record for total yards.

Against elite competition, Jackson shined. Facing then-No. 2 Florida State, he ran for four touchdowns in 63-20 victory and in a six-point loss to then-No. 5 Clemson Jackson compiled 457 yards and three touchdowns in one of the best games of the season.

Against Syracuse in a game in which he set the ACC record for total yards (610), he fell one rushing yard short of becoming the first FBS player ever to pass for 400 yards and run for 200 in the same game.

Although his numbers were not as good in losses to Houston and Kentucky, Jackson’s resume was good enough to get him the award.

Watson led Clemson to a playoff berth against Ohio State on Dec. 31 and set 52 school records.

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield placed third with 361 points. Oklahoma wide receiver Dede Westbrook was fourth with 209 points and Jabrill Peppers was fifth, one point behind Westbrook.

Eleven players received at least one first-place vote, including Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey.