2008 Heisman Watch: Matthew Stafford

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. Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford is next on the 2008 list, which will be released in no particular order.

High expectations surround the Bulldogs in 2008. If they are going to make a run at the national title, Matthew Stafford’s continued improvement will be the main reason why. Georgia closed last season on a seven-game winning streak, including a 41-10 thumping of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. Recapturing last year’s momentum is key, but the Bulldogs know they have to get a little more help from their passing game.

Stafford was highly recruited out of high school, but endured some growing pains in his freshman season. Overall, Stafford threw seven touchdowns, but tossed 13 interceptions and completed less than 53 percent of his passes. However, there was noticed improvement at the end of the year. In the Chick-fil-A Bowl victory against Virginia Tech, Stafford was named the Offensive MVP and earned SEC All-Freshman team honors.

After an offseason to work with coach Mark Richt, Stafford showed solid improvement in 2007. In 13 starts, the 6-foot-3 quarterback threw for 2,523 yards and 19 touchdowns and improved his completion percentage to 55.7. Stafford’s 84-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi against Florida was the longest in the SEC for the 2007 season.

Some of Stafford’s game-by-game statistics aren’t overwhelming, but he’s done enough to earn the most important stat — victories. Against Florida, he completed 11 of 18 for 217 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 237 yards and a touchdown against Auburn. Neither of those efforts are particularly impressive in the stat category, but it’s hard to argue with wins.

Why he’ll be holding the hardware: The Bulldogs enter 2008 as one of the top five teams in the country and if they manage to hold that spot at season’s end, Stafford has to be considered among the 10 favorites. Additionally, his profile will be boosted significantly he can continue to cut down on his mistakes and Richt believes he has shown tremendous growth this offseason.

Why he’ll be left out: The biggest knock on Stafford could be teammate Knowshon Moreno. Moreno is also one of 2008’s top Heisman contenders and two Bulldogs vying for votes will likely hurt their cause. Although numbers can be misleading in a Heisman race, if Stafford’s aren’t much better than 2007, he won’t win. Also, the SEC East is one of the toughest divisions in college football. If the Bulldogs can’t get by Florida, Stafford will be hard-pressed to pass Tim Tebow in the Heisman discussion.

Final analysis: Stafford should continue to show solid improvement in 2008, but he will also need help from an inconsistent group of receivers. With Moreno also gathering his share of Heisman consideration, it may be too difficult for either to take the trophy home to Athens. The Bulldogs should be among the top five teams throughout 2008, and if they are able to play for the national title, look for Stafford to get serious consideration among the top 10.

2007 STAT LINE

Other Links:

Athlon Sports' 2008 Heisman Watch
Read the Georgia team preview
Watch the Georgia preview video