Heisman Race: CJ Carr Takes Over as Devon Dampier Crashes the Party
With three regular-season games left, the Heisman Trophy race changed shape in a single weekend. CJ Carr beat Miami and quarterback Darian Mensah head to head, Jeremiah Smith has seen his case weakened by Ohio State's slide, and the West has found a real contender in Devon Dampier, the quarterback of an unbeaten Utah team ranked No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Here is where a still-open race stands.
Carr won the quarterback duel
The front-runner tag changed hands in South Bend. Against then-No. 1 Miami, Carr completed 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 31-24 win that put Notre Dame back on track. Micah Gilbert, who caught two touchdown passes, was his go-to target when it mattered.
On the season, the Fighting Irish quarterback has 2,168 passing yards and 24 touchdowns against a single interception. It is not the biggest volume in the country, but the ratio and the context carry weight: Notre Dame (8-1) is now No. 5 in the CFP rankings, and Heisman voters will remember that win over the top-ranked team. Boston College visits Saturday, then SMU: two chances to cement that status.
Mensah did not play poorly. Without Malachi Toney, who had ankle surgery, the Miami quarterback threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns (24 of 43, one interception) after a first half in which the Hurricanes' offense barely showed up. Miami (8-1) slipped to No. 7 in the CFP rankings. To stay in the race, Mensah cannot afford another loss, starting with a home date against Duke, his former team.
Jeremiah Smith: numbers that are no longer enough
Individually, the Ohio State receiver's résumé remains one of the strongest. With 69 catches, 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns, Smith ranks second in FBS in receiving yards and is tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns. Against Oregon, he again caught seven passes for 133 yards and a touchdown.
The problem is the team. Since quarterback Julian Sayin's shoulder injury, Ohio State has lost twice in a row, to USC and then Oregon (41-28), and sits No. 20 in the CFP rankings at 6-3. The Heisman rarely goes to a player whose team has three losses. Smith still has a card to play: Northwestern comes to Columbus on Saturday, and a clean finish would reopen the debate.
The West crashes the party: Dampier, with Legree lurking
The biggest move came out of Salt Lake City. In Utah's 28-20 win over BYU, Dampier had a hand in all four Utes touchdowns: 14 of 26 passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns, 87 rushing yards and two more scores, plus a 29-yard catch on fourth down on a throw from receiver Creed Whittemore. That is the kind of play voters remember.
With 27 total touchdowns this season, Dampier does not have the heaviest stat line in the country, but he leads one of the last two unbeaten FBS teams, along with UCLA. Utah (9-0) is No. 2 in the CFP rankings and visits No. 23 Arizona on Saturday. A 12-0 record and a Big 12 title would likely earn him a trip to the ceremony in New York.
In Oregon, Jesse Legree deserves attention too. The Oregon State true freshman leads FBS in receiving yards, just ahead of Smith, and shares the national lead in receiving touchdowns with him (14). The Beavers, absent from the CFP rankings, do not have the record to carry his candidacy this season, but his name will come back.
Behind that group, Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State) has 2,962 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes, but the Cowboys' three losses (6-3, No. 25) weigh heavily; hosting Texas Tech (8-1, No. 12) on Saturday is his real test. At USC, Jayden Maiava also has plenty at stake with a trip to No. 9 Indiana.
The picture is taking shape: Carr controls his own fate, Mensah has to win without Toney, Smith depends on a struggling team, and Dampier can upend everything by taking Utah all the way. The next three Saturdays will decide who goes to New York.
Tuesday night MAC results
Western Michigan 42, Akron 14 — The Broncos leaned on their ground game in Akron. Jalen Buckley led the way with 121 rushing yards.
Bowling Green 33, Kent State 28 — The tightest game of the night. Nakai Amachree, who ran for two touchdowns, was the game's leading rusher and carried the Falcons.
Miami (Ohio) 34, Ohio 17 — The RedHawks won the Battle of the Bricks rivalry against the Bobcats. Ohio never found a rhythm on offense and was held to 17 points.
