When Jalen Hurts transferred to Oklahoma from Alabama this offseason, the big questions were whether he could become the third consecutive Sooners quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy, and how his skill set would carry over with Lincoln Riley in the Big 12.
Hurts answered both of those questions in spectacular fashion for No. 6 Oklahoma on Saturday. In the Sooners' 55-16 victory against Texas Tech, he finished 17 of 24 through the air for 415 passing yards with three touchdowns, adding nine carries for 70 rushing yards and another score. That continued a statistical onslaught that will keep him near the front of the Heisman conversation along with former teammate Tua Tagovailoa.
Right now, Hurts is the front-runner.
MORE: Bring on Jalen Hurts-Tua Tagovailoa Heisman drama, please
Hurts had more than enough against the Red Raiders by halftime with 308 yards on an aerial display where he averaged 25.7 yards per completion. CeeDee Lamb and Charleston Rambo caught passes of 71 and 74 yards, respectively, and Hurts completed five passes of 20 yards or more and had two runs of 20 yards or more. Oklahoma even went for it on fourth-and-11 at one point, and Riley kept the offense on the field. Hurts completed a 23-yard pass to Jeremiah Hall.
Hurts opened the second half with a 65-yard TD pass to Lamb before throwing his first interception of the season on the next possession. Hurts led one more TD drive before exiting for most of the fourth quarter.
Hurts appears more than just a little comfortable in the new conference.
The Big 12 debut was a success, and Hurts' numbers through a third of the regular season rival those of Heisman winners Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018) the last two seasons. Knowing the Heisman favors quarterbacks with big passing and rushing statistics, Hurts is on an even better pace.
| QB | Completion % | Yards | TDs | INTs | Rush Yards | TDs |
| Mayfield | 75.2 | 1,329 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Murray | 68.1 | 1,028 | 11 | 2 | 240 | 3 |
| Hurts | 77.6 | 1,295 | 12 | 1 | 443 | 5 |
Hurts has produced more total offense (1,738) and total touchdowns (17) than either Mayfield or Murray.
MORE: Hurts calls OU's own praise 'rat poison'
Hurts will continue that pace in the Big 12, and that's the advantage he has over the other top Heisman candidates to this point. Hurts will face four schools that rank in the top 50 in defense through the regular season in Kansas State Baylor, TCU and Iowa State. Ohio State's Justin Fields will face five such defenses, including top-five squads in Michigan State and Wisconsin. LSU's Joe Burrow will face four, and Tagovailoa will face three in the SEC West grinder.
Knowing the Big 12 style of play, however, it's almost a given that Hurts will have the best numbers between the passing and rushing totals, and that's the path Mayfield and Murray took to the Heisman the last two seasons.
Of course, Hurts will have to live up to the other end of the bargain and lead the Sooners to the Big 12 championship and another College Football Playoff berth. Oklahoma plays at Kansas next week before the Red River Rivalry, the game that provides a chance for that signature Heisman moment. Considering how the Longhorns' defense fared against LSU and Burrow earlier this season, it could be the Heisman moment.
Mayfield took advantage of that in the regular season, and Murray sealed a late Heisman run in the Big 12 championship game last year. Hurts has that path in front of him too, and that should come with enough Big 12 stat-padding to put Hurts at the top of the conversation.
It's a good bet he'll stay there if this keeps up.
