At the half: midway through the season, blowouts are in, celebrations are down and there is no shortage of thrills

Sporting News, The, Oct 16, 1995 by Andrew Bagnato

Pacific 10. It has lost three consecutive Rose Bowls for the first time since the Eisenhower Administration. But though that is cause for alarm in the conference office in Walnut Creek, Calif., it isn't a true indicator of the league's overall strength. Overall, the conference is playing stronger defense, and it hasn't sacrificed much of its trademark offense. Projected winner: Southern Calffornia. Coach John Robinson's recruiting has given the Trojans the depth to survive some key losses.

Status quote

After a 30-21 loss to Mississippi State, Baylor wingback Kalief Muhammad said: "Since I've been here, we've changed our colors (on home jerseys). We've changed our offense. But we're still the same old damn Baylor." Maybe his teammates took his comment to heart. The Bears went on to defeat North Carolina State and Texas Tech and enter the second half with a shot at the Southwest Conference title.

The shortlit

Here is our updated Heisman watchlist, in no particular order:

Danny Kanell, Florida State quarterback. With 16 TDs and 1,157 passing yards in his first five games, Kanell is piling up the kind of stats that make Heisman selectors' eyes pop. But could the Seminoles' penchant for running up the score produce a voter backlash?

Eddie George, Ohio State tailback. Given the Buckeyes' history, it seemed odd before the season to consider George a dark horse. But 200-yard outbursts against ranked teams Washington and Notre Dame have placed George in the middle of the race. He is a big beneficiary of the increasingly liberal offense, which shreds defenses that spend too much time trying to stop him.

Tommie Frazier, Nebraska quarterback. The Cornhuskers just keep rolling along. If they finish the regular season unbeaten for the third consecutive season, it will be impossible to ignore Frazier.

Danny Wuerffel, Florida quarterback. One problem with listing a Florida quarterback: Coach Steve Spurrier may bench him before the list sees print. But Wuerffel, with 13 TDs in his first five games, was making it hard on Gainesville's Captain Hook.

Bobby Hoying, Ohio State quarterback. If he were playing for Notre Dame instead of against Notre Dame, Hoying would be the favorite. He's fearless in the face of a rush. And he threw 15 touchdown passes in his first five games.

Don't forget about ...

These five won't win the Heisman but still deserve mention:

Leeland McElroy, Texas A&M tailback. He has been a disappointinent recently, mainly because he is getting no help from the rest of the Aggies' offense. He also injured his ankle last week. But you won't find a better all-purpose runner in the country, and he still may rack up huge numbers against the rest of the conference.

Troy Davis, Iowa State tailback. It's a good thing for the Cyclones that Davis, a sophomore, didn't follow his impulse to go home to Miami the first time it snowed in Ames. He stands only 5 feet 8, but he has become the big man on campus, leading Division I-A with a 200-yards-per-game rushing average.

Mike Alstott, Purdue fullback. The Purdue media guide poses the question, "Can a fullback win the Heisman?" The answer in this case is no, but that doesn't demean Alstott's accomplishments. He averages better than 120 yards per game, most of it between the tackles. His offseason training regimen of pushing a station wagon is one reason he's wearing out defenses in the fourth quarter.