John McGrath: Falk has everything to be a Heisman contender

Does Washington State quarterback Luke Falk have any chance to win the 2015 Heisman Trophy?

Short answer: Yes.

Slightly longer answer: Cougars head coach Mike Leach sure thinks so.

During his weekly Pac-12 conference call Tuesday, Leach noted that the award often is given to the best player on America’s best team, and then added: “I think you ought to go back to the original definition, which is who’s made the greatest contribution to his team. If that’s the case, then everybody needs to vote for Luke Falk, and anybody that doesn’t needs to re-examine why they’re voting for the Heisman in the first place.”

Leach’s point is on the mark, except he’s wrong about the “original definition” requiring voters to consider who’s made the greatest contribution to his team.

The Heisman Trophy used to be awarded to the “outstanding college football player” of the regular season. That was the lone guideline voters were asked to consider — “outstanding” — until eligibility controversies regarding USC running back Reggie Bush, whose 2005 trophy was forfeited, and Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, who won in 2010.

Revised guidelines now state the trophy should be earned by “the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance and hard work.”

There is some redundancy — is diligence not the same as perseverance and hard work? — but Falk, in any case, epitomizes those virtues and others. A 2013 walk-on who spent his freshman season as a redshirt, Falk wasn’t even identified as WSU’s starting quarterback until Sept. 2, four days before the opener against Portland State.

That he’s become prominent in the Heisman Trophy discussion, two and a half months later, qualifies as the kind of feel-good story voters crave. Voters also look for achievement backed up with numbers, and by that measure, Falk has few peers.

His 4,067 passing yards and 391 completions lead the nation. He’s second in touchdown passes (35) and completion percentage (70.3), third in average total offense (395.7 yards per game) and points for which he’s at least partially responsible (228).

Less quantifiable, but essential for any candidate, is an association with what’s known as a Heisman moment: A spectacular play that wins a game regarded as unwinnable, perhaps, or prominent participation in a clutch possession that accomplishes same.

Falk enjoyed his Heisman moment last Saturday night at UCLA, where he led the Cougars to a comeback victory capped by a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that began with 1:09 remaining in the fourth quarter. Thickening the plot was Falk’s determination to return after surviving a brutal and potentially dangerous, skull-meets-turf sack in the first half.

Falk has made only 13 career starts, yet has mastered the art of the road rally. He engineered similar comebacks at Rutgers and Oregon, which explains why WSU is 7-3 and ranked No. 24 instead of 4-6 and 3,000 miles off the national radar screen.

Speaking of screens: Although few television viewers east of the Rocky Mountains saw Falk’s gutsy performance as it was happening, the notion that West Coast football is played in a regional cocoon no longer applies, thanks to the Internet and social media.

If some Heisman voters were not familiar with Luke Falk when they went to sleep Saturday night, they knew all about him Sunday morning.

Still, Falk’s Heisman candidacy faces some challenges, beginning with the fact Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota took the trophy home a year ago. Between 1935 and 2014, the only player from a Pacific Northwest school to win the award was Oregon State quarterback Terry Baker, in 1962.

Consecutive recipients from this region? Not likely.

Another obstacle is that 7-3 record. It represents a monumental turnaround for the Cougars but, as Leach suggested, won’t sway any voters wired to link Heisman winners with national championship contenders.

But WSU’s record is not a deal-breaker. Robert Griffin III won the trophy for a 2010 Baylor team that finished the regular season 9-3. Those Bears were treading water into November — 4-3 and unranked — then went on a roll largely orchestrated by their quarterback’s arm and legs.

I’m a Heisman Trophy voter, and can recall the momentum of Griffin’s candidacy. Within a month, he vaulted from Somebody To Keep An Eye On to Is This Guy For Real?

So there’s some recent precedent for awarding the Heisman Trophy to a player unlikely to compete in a New Year’s Day bowl game.

There’s no precedent for awarding the Heisman to a former walk-on who didn’t learn he would start until the week of the season opener. This is uncharted territory, and while the Heisman Trophy Trust discourages voters from revealing their ballot until the Dec. 12 presentation in New York, I can tell you this much:

My favorite thing about working as a sports writer is an occasional joy ride into uncharted territory.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 6:20 PM with the headline "John McGrath: Falk has everything to be a Heisman contender."