2008 Heisman Watch: Matt Grothe

It’s the most prestigious individual award in all of sports, and Athlon's Heisman Watch spotlights the top 25 candidates to hoist the trophy. South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe kicks off the 2008 list, which will be released in no particular order.

South Florida is still in the infancy stages of building a football team. The Bulls played their first game in 1997, but it has been a quick rise to Big East title contention. 2007 had potential to be a special year for the Bulls, as they ascended to No. 2 in the rankings, but lost four out of their last seven contests. However, Matt Grothe and the Bulls have built the foundation for another run in 2008.

Grothe has emerged as a solid dual-threat quarterback for the Bulls, as he amassed 3,542 yards of total offense last season — fifth in the Big East single-season record books. Grothe also owns the South Florida record for career rushing yards by quarterback with 1,494. Grothe also has 19 rushing touchdowns during his two seasons as a starter.

One of Grothe’s best performances of 2007 came in a losing effort against Connecticut. Against a tough Huskie defense, Grothe totaled 335 yards and one touchdown. Grothe followed this effort with 457 total yards and two touchdowns against Cincinnati, but the Bulls fell short once again in the victory column. Some of Grothe’s game-to-game statistics aren’t mind-boggling, but the junior quarterback produces solid efforts and puts his team in position to win games.

Going into 2008, the junior quarterback needs to work on improving his passing if he wants to be a serious contender for the Heisman. Grothe has tossed 14 interceptions in each of his two seasons as a starter, and the offense needs better efficiency in the passing game to contend for the Big East title.

Why he’ll be holding the hardware: The Bulls have a relatively favorable schedule except for an early season matchup against Kansas and the season ending matchup against West Virginia. If the Bulls head into December 6th undefeated against the Mountaineers, Grothe’s name will be in serious contention for the Heisman. Additionally, the junior should continue to improve his decision making and boost his passing touchdown total.

Why he’ll be left out: Although Grothe is a solid quarterback, he isn’t a household name like Tim Tebow or Pat White. The junior will need to have a huge year to jump into the mix, along with improving his touchdown total and cutting down on interceptions. If the Bulls stumble early in the year or the season finale against West Virginia isn’t for a Big East title, Grothe seems unlikely to get enough consideration for the Heisman.

Final analysis: As Grothe enters his third season as a starting quarterback, the Bulls expect him to continue showing growth as a passer and another season of 500 or more rushing yards. The Bulls are contenders for the Big East crown, and another run into the top 10 will give this junior momentum into the Heisman race. Grothe should be considered one of the darkhorses for the Heisman Trophy.

2007 STAT LINE

Other Links:

Athlon Sports' 2008 Heisman Watch
Read the South Florida team preview
Watch the South Florida preview video