Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Awards finalist named
The finalists for the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Awards were announced on Monday 22 November as Auburn Tigers quarterback Cam Newton, Stanford Cardinals quarterback Andrew Luck and Boise State Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore.
The Maxwell Award is given to the best player in college football, while the Davey O’Brien Award is given to the NCAA’s top quarterback.
Newton, Moore, and Luck have all had outstanding seasons thus far and have led their teams to incredible records. However, at this point the likely favourite for both awards is Auburn’s Newton.
Newton has had a tremendous season, throwing for over 2,000 yards, while collecting 21 passing touchdowns and 17 rushing touchdowns. In addition, Newton has led his club to the number two ranking in the nation and a perfect 11-0 record. At the moment Newton
is a shoe-in for the Maxwell Award and is likely the leading candidate for the Davey O’Brien.
Meanwhile, Moore has also put together a Heisman calibre season, but is likely to fall just short of both the Maxwell and the Davey O’Brien. Moore is a straight passing quarterback and has thrown nearly 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns. Moore’s lack of a ground
game may make him more suited towards winning best quarterback honours, but is likely to keep him from player of the year.
Luck is considered the underdog. The youngster has not been able to pass for as many yards or accumulate as many touchdowns as Moore, and while he has a slightly better ground game than the Boise State quarterback, he does not hold a candle to Newton.
Regardless of who takes home the two awards, the NCAA has managed to put together an extremely strong group of 2010 nominees, as all three men are expected to be on the ballot for the Heisman this season.
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