Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray wins Heisman Trophy, Dwayne Haskins finishes third

On Saturday night at the PlayStation Theater in New York City, Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray was named the 84th winner of the Heisman Trophy over fellow finalists Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins. The multi-millionaire Oakland A’s first-round draft pick is the second-straight Sooner to take home the most prestigious individual prize in college sports — following current Cleveland Brown Baker Mayfield. With the Murray win, Oklahoma ties Ohio State and Notre Dame for the most Heismans won by a school with seven.

Murray was a runaway winner, totaling 2,167 points, while Tagovailoa received 1,871, and Haskins was a distant third with 783. The complete point totals can be found below.

Heading into an Orange Bowl matchup against Alabama, Murray has amassed 4,053 yards through the air and 892 on the ground, in addition to 40 passing touchdowns and 11 more rushing. This season, Murray was named the Associated Press Player of the Year, the winner of the Davey O’Brien Award, and the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

However, little more than three or so weeks ago, the Heisman was considered a lock to go to Tagovailoa. But, an injury against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, and Murray’s late season performance tilted the scales.

After taking over for Jalen Hurts in the second half of last season’s National Championship Game, Tagovailoa has been dominant for the Crimson Tide in 2018, throwing for 3,353 yards, 37 touchdowns, and just 4 interceptions. While he only amassed 190 rushing yards this year, he did add 5 TDs on the ground. For his efforts, Tagovailoa earned the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards, as well as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

For his part, Haskins had one of the most impressive seasons in the history of the Big Ten Conference. In his first — and perhaps only — season as a starter for the Buckeyes, Haskins rewrote the program’s record books, and etched his name in the B1G annuls as well.

In 2018, the OSU QB passed for a record 4,580 yards and 47 touchdowns, while throwing just 8 interceptions. While not known to be the runner that the other two are, he picked up his rushing game late in the season when it mattered the most, and accumulated 122 rushing yards and 4 TDs. This year, he was named the B1G’s Graham–George Offensive Player of the Year, Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year, and the Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football winner.

While only one of these incredible quarterbacks could ultimately win the trophy, when comparing their teams’ records, and their individual stats, there is no doubt that they each gave a Heisman-caliber performance of which they, and their fans, should be proud.

Complete Heisman Trophy Voting Results:

Heisman Trophy Voting Results by Region: