When it was announced he had won the Heisman Trophy last year, Charles Woodson bowed his head and went down to one knee. This year will be a different story if Ron Dayne wins the award. It could be a public relations disaster because the Badgers back wouldn't bat an eye if he were given the game's most prestigious award -- and he's liable to hand it to a spectator in the first row.
"He wins awards, he'll hand them to somebody in the locker room," Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez told the Cedar Rapids Gazette. "It's meaningless to him."
Let's be clear. Dayne isn't the favorite -- that distinction belongs to Texas' Ricky Williams -- but his seventh straight 100-yard rushing performance and Wisconsin's 8-0 start are pushing Dayne toward the top of the list of contenders.
This week it was Iowa that was made into roadkill by the Badgers' resident freight train. Dayne carried the ball 39 times for the second week in a row, rushing for 164 yards and a touchdown in the Badgers' first win at Iowa since 1974.
But even as he rambles on, there will be no award bluster coming from Dayne.
"I'm not worried about it," Dayne told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the days leading up to the game at Iowa. "If I was to win it, I would dedicate it to my linemen. They go out every week and give it their all."
| MICHAEL BISHOP |
STATS |
Breaking it down: The biggest question after another Wildcats' laugher is about Bishop's health. After throwing for 216 yards and three touchdowns, Bishop limped to the sideline and out of the game two minutes into the third quarter. "It's just a little minor thing," teammate Darnell McDonald said. Coach Bill Snyder does not give updates on injuries, but he did say that Bishop was "going to be all right."
Stock: 
Next: at Kansas, Oct. 31
|
Opponent
vs. Indiana St.
Sept. 5
vs. N. Illinois
Sept. 12
vs. Texas
Sept. 19
vs. NE Louisiana
Sept. 26
at Colorado
Oct. 10
vs. Oklahoma St.
Oct. 17
vs. Iowa St.
Oct. 24
Season
|
Cmp-Att-Yds
6-11-149
6-13-130
14-20-182
23-40-441
9-25-148
8-23-287
14-21-216
80-153-1,553
|
TD-INT
1-0
2-0
2-0
4-0
0-1
3-0
3-0
15-1
|
| CHAMP BAILEY |
STATS |
Breaking it down: He caught a season-low one pass against Kentucky, but before anyone furrows a brow in disapproval, remember that's not even his primary job. Bailey spent most of his energy in the secondary, dueling with Tim Couch and the pass-happy Kentucky attack. Still, Bailey is missing a breakthrough performance in a big game. Maybe next week in The Gator Bowl.
Stock:
Next: at Florida, Oct. 31
|
Opponent
vs. Kent
Sept. 5
at South Carolina
Sept. 12
vs. Wyoming
Sept. 19
at LSU
Oct. 3
vs. Tennessee
Oct. 10
vs. Vanderbilt
Oct. 17
at Kentucky
Oct. 24
Season
|
Rec-Yds
2-44
3-74
6-100
7-114
3-21
5-130
1-14
27-497
|
TD
1
0
1
1
0
2
0
5
|
| TIM COUCH |
STATS |
Breaking it down: Couch was set up to be a hero against Georgia, a game he advertised as the biggest of the season. Couch threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns and had his team in position for its second straight victory over a ranked opponent. A bad snap foiled a potential game-winning field goal. But Couch will be kicking himself for the yard he didn't gain in the first quarter. Kentucky led 10-0 when Couch was stopped at the 1-yard line on a fourth-and-goal play.
Stock: 
Next: vs. Mississippi St., Nov. 7
|
Opponent
at Louisville
Sept. 5
vs. E.Kentucky
Sept. 12
vs. Indiana
Sept. 19
at Florida
Sept. 26
at Arkansas
Oct. 3
vs. South Carolina
Oct. 10
at LSU
Oct. 17
vs. Georgia
Oct. 24
Season
|
Cmp-Att-Yds
29-39-498
32-41-372
38-53-301
40-61-406
47-67-499
29-42-315
37-50-391
34-46-326
286-399-3,108
|
TD-INT
7-0
5-0
1-4
3-2
3-1
3-0
3-1
2-2
27-10
|
| DAUNTE CULPEPPER |
STATS |
Breaking it down: With most of his games being played at night, it takes some searching to see footage. But once you watch, you know he's worth the wait. Culpepper completed 75 percent of his pass attempts against Southwest Louisiana, averaging 20.8 yards per completion as he passed for 438 yards. He also rushed for an 11-yard touchdown, his ninth scoring run of the season.
Stock:
Next: vs. Young. St., Oct. 31 |
Opponent
vs. La. Tech
Sept. 5
vs. Eastern Illinois
Sept. 12
at Purdue
Sept. 19
at Bowling Green
Sept. 26
at Toledo
Oct. 3
vs. N.Illinois
Oct. 10
at SW Louisiana
Oct. 24
Season
|
Cmp-Att-Yds
24-37-370
28-33-406
30-47-368
23-32-320
36-49-342
28-33-327
21-28-438
190-259-2,571
|
TD-INT
4-0
4-0
1-1
4-0
2-0
1-1
3-0
19-2
|
| RON DAYNE |
STATS |
Breaking it down: The numbers aren't as big as they once were. As a freshman, he had five 200-yard rushing performances. As a sophomore, he had three. This season he has none. But there's something to be said for consistency, and Dayne has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of his seven games this season. Before this season, he had never strung more than three consecutive 100-yard games together.
Stock:
Next: vs. Minnesota, Nov. 7 |
Opponent
vs. Ohio
Sept. 12
vs. UNLV
Sept. 19
vs. Northwestern
Sept. 26
at Indiana
Oct. 3
vs. Purdue
Oct. 10
at Illinois
Oct. 17
at Iowa
Oct. 24
Season
|
Car-Yds
20-111
13-108
22-168
28-130
33-127
39-190
39-164
194-998
|
TD
3
0
1
1
1
3
1
10
|
| JOE GERMAINE |
STATS |
Breaking it down: In the Buckeyes' first meeting with Northwestern since 1995, Germaine checked in with his fifth consecutive 300-yard passing game. The Buckeyes' winning ways bode well for Germaine's Heisman chances. Three of the past five Heisman winners played for a team that finished the year No. 1 in the AP poll .
Stock:
Next: at Indiana, Oct. 31 |
Opponent
at West Virginia
Sept. 5
vs. Toledo
Sept. 12
vs. Missouri
Sept. 26
vs. Penn State
Oct. 3
at Illinois
Oct. 10
vs. Minnesota
Oct. 17
at Northwestern
Oct. 24
Season
|
Att-Cmp-Yds
18-32-301
13-21-150
19-25-211
16-30-213
17-28-307
27-39-339
19-35-342
129-210-1,863
|
TD-INT
2-0
3-0
0-0
1-1
3-0
2-2
3-1
14-4
|
| DONOVAN MCNABB |
STATS |
Breaking it down: McNabb entered the season with a reputation for the spectacular. He is building this year's Heisman campaign around a theme of consistency. Against Boston College he completed 68.4 percent of his pass attempts, and it was his third lowest single-game percentage of the season. In three of his six games this season, McNabb's completion precentage has been at least 70 percent.
Stock: idle
Next: vs. Pittsburgh, Oct. 31
|
Opponent
vs. Tennessee
Sept. 5
at Michigan
Sept. 12
vs. Rutgers
Sept. 26
at N.C. State
Oct. 1
vs. Cincinnati
Oct. 10
at Boston College
Oct. 17
Season
|
Cmp-Att-Yds
22-28-300
21-27-233
8-12-119
17-32-170
15-18-255
13-19-182
96-136-1,259
|
TD-INT
2-0
3-0
1-0
1-2
4-0
2-0
13-2
|
| CADE MCNOWN |
STATS |
Breaking it down: It's tough to knock McNown's stock as his team won its 16th straight game. But against California, McNown didn't even throw the Bruins' biggest completion. That honor belongs to Jermaine Lewis, whose 30-yard touchdown pass to Jon Dubravac turned the tide was the Bruins' most important. McNown finished with only 182 yards passing against an underrated Cal defense.
Stock:
Next: vs. Stanford, Oct. 31
|
Opponent
vs. Texas
Sept. 12
at Houston
Sept. 19
at Miami
Sept. 26
vs. Wash. St.
Oct. 3
at Arizona
Oct. 10
vs. Oregon
Oct. 17
at California
Oct. 24
Season
|
Cmp-Att-Yds
20-30-339
17-32-315
Postponed
14-27-205
10-24-171
20-36-395
15-27-182
96-176-1,607
|
TD-INT
3-1
1-1
1-1
2-0
3-2
2-0
12-5
|
| AKILI SMITH |
STATS |
Breaking it down: Reuben Droughns was out with a broken leg, forcing Smith to come up with all the answers on offense. The Ducks struggled early, scoring only three points in the first half. Smith turned it around in the second half with a 55-yard touchdown pass and a 62-yard run for the game-winning touchdown.
Stock:
Next: at Arizona, Oct. 31 |
Opponent
vs. Michigan St.
Sept. 5
at UTEP
Sept. 19
vs. San Jose St.
Sept. 26
vs. Stanford
Oct. 3
at Washington St.
Oct. 10
at UCLA
Oct. 17
vs. USC
Oct. 24
Season
|
Cmp-Att-Yds
15-25-266
17-33-295
8-11-220
18-29-357
15-22-280
15-37-221
15-28-231
103-185-1,870
|
TD-INT
4-0
1-1
3-0
4-1
3-1
3-1
1-1
19-5
|
| RICKY WILLIAMS |
STATS |
ESPN's John Mackovic: Saturday night's game was a barometer of how Williams will perform the rest of the season because Baylor's defense has always played tough against Texas. By virtue of his performance Saturday, I think Williams will break Tony Dorsett's NCAA Division I-A rushing record even though he will face the four toughest defenses in the Big 12 to close out the season.
Stock:
Next: at Nebraska, Oct. 31
|
Opponent
vs. N.Mexico St.
Sept. 5
at UCLA
Sept. 12
at Kansas State
Sept. 19
vs. Rice
Sept. 26
vs. Iowa St.
Oct. 3
at Oklahoma
Oct. 10
vs. Baylor
Oct. 24
Season
|
Car-Yds
36-215
29-160
25-43
30-318
37-350
31-139
39-259
227-1,484
|
TD
6
3
0
6
5
2
2
24
|
Saturday, Oct. 24
