Urban Meyer: Heisman Creator? Part 1

Everyone knows that Tim Tebow had an impressive season in 2007. He deservedly won a Heisman Trophy, with a 32:6 touchdown to interception ratio, and 23 rushing touchdowns. However, does Tebow deserve all of the credit, or does a unusually large amount go to Urban Meyer?

In 2004, Utah’s Alex Smith put up numbers that were similar to Tebow’s 2007 season. Smith had 32 touchdown passes to only 4 interceptions, and ran for 10 touchdowns. However, there is one striking difference between the two teams these quarterbacks starred for. In 2004, Utah had running backs Marty Johnson and Quinton Gather combine for over 1400 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns. This past season Florida’s leading running back, Kestahn Moore, ran for only 580 yards and 6 touchdowns. In addition, 4 of those 6 touchdowns came in the first two games of the season, when the Gators played Western Kentucky and Troy.

What happened to Meyer’s philosophy from 2004 to 2007? There are a couple of different views one can take on this issue. The first is that Meyer felt he had to rely on Tebow in short yardage situations because of a lack of quality alternatives. While Tebow certainly rose to the task, it remains to be seen if it is a good idea to let your star quarterback take so many punishing hits at the goal line. Another slightly more interesting viewpoint is that Meyer saw a way to “create” a Heisman Trophy winner. Tebow’s longest run in 2007 was only 25 yards, and it did not go for a touchdown. In fact, a vast majority of Tebow’s touchdown runs went for five yards or less. All of this added up to a relatively pedestrian, and consistent, 4.3 yards per carry.

Tim Tebow certainly had a Heisman type of season, but it is also easy to see that his coach may have manufactured some of his rushing stats. At the very least, this was a great recruiting tool for Meyer, who likely has a five star recruit locked in at quarterback for however long he is in Gainesville. However, what will he do this upcoming season? With Emmanuel Moody eligible to play this season, Florida seems to have a top flight running back ready to play, which should negatively affect Tebow’s rushing stats. However, this may allow Meyer to feature someone else in a more prominent role this season. Who is next in line for Urban Meyer’s Heisman Creation service? Find out next week at CGB.