2009 BN Pac-10 Awards: Offensive Player of the Year

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Dec 14, 2009 12:00 PM PST in Football

The 2009 Pac-10 regular season has come to a close and as we all know, between the end of the regular season and beginning of the bowl season is the all-important awards season. So in that spirit, I present to you, the 2009 BruinsNation Pac-10 Awards. Throughout this week, we will present to you our Pac-10 awards, as voted on by the frontpagers and a select few members of the community, totaling ten votes. This is the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, with the Defensive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year and Game of the Year to follow later this week. First place votes were worth five points, second place votes worth three and third place votes worth one.

Winner: Toby Gerhart, Stanford- Unsurprisingly, the 2009 BruinsNation Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year goes to Toby Gerhart, the 6'1''. 235 lbs. running back who finished a close second for the Heisman Trophy. Gerhart not only led the conference in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, but he finished second in the country with 145 rushing yards a game and his 26 touchdowns was tops in the country. He even threw for a touchdown versus Notre Dame.

Following his 38 carry, 223 yard, 3 touchdown performance in the Cardinal's upset of then #8 Oregon led to this quote from his fullback Owen Marecic.

"As usual he was just unbelievable. It's great blocking for him. I have to get a hat on somebody and he'll do the rest. His performance speaks for itself. He carried the team today. He was just awesome."

That game was the first of a four game stretch to finish the season in which he ran for 223 yards, 178 yards, 136 yards and 205 yards to go with 13 touchdowns in those games.

As amazing as those numbers is what Gerhart did academically. While starring football and keeping up with the Stanford baseball team, where he starts in left field, Gerhart also carried 21 units at one of the nation's premier academic institutions, fully embracing the title, student-athlete. A worthy Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year recepient indeed.

Total Votes: 1) Toby Gerhart, Stanford (10-0-0=50) 2) Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon St. (0-5-2=17), 3) Sean Canfield, Oregon St. (0-2-3=), 4) Jeremiah Masoli, Oregon (0-2-2=8), 5) LaMichael James, Oregon (0-2-1=5), 6) James Rodgers, Oregon St. (0-0-1=1)

Tweet Comment 9 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Yeah!

I just want to say, I was on that boat long before many others!

But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.

by tasser10 on Dec 14, 2009 12:58 PM PST reply actions

I like Harbaugh a lot

I think he has done a great job (and probably the best candidate to take over at Michigan if the RR venture doesn’t work out). That said, I think it was Jim Harbaugh who cost one of the two best players in Stanford football history (Elway being the other guy) the Heisman trophy.

Harbaugh had Dorrellian moment during that last drive against Cal when he forgot he had the greatest RB in Stanford history at his disposal. Instead he put the game on the hands of Andrew Luck and lost the gamble. Badly.

It was extremely poor game management on the part of Harbaugh. It cost his team and it also cost Gerhart the Heisman. Oh well not going to worry about it too much because he doesn’t coach my team.

by Nestor on Dec 14, 2009 2:12 PM PST up reply actions

Too bad

I didn’t see the game but I really thought Stanford would win easily. I look at Cal’s season and the way we played them in the Rose Bowl frustrates me even more.

But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.

by tasser10 on Dec 14, 2009 3:30 PM PST up reply actions

Not a huge Harbaugh fan but...

in his defense Gerhart had just rumbled about 40 yards bowling over several guys before going out of bounds inside the 20. He went to the sideline for one play to get his breath. On that play Luck throws the pick. Could argue that Harbaugh should have recognized Gerhart is out for a play and takes a more conservative approach on that one play. But he has one of the better Pac 10 qbs in there so why not throw?

by 84 on Dec 14, 2009 9:08 PM PST up reply actions

If Gerhart had played at Notre Dame

or in Florida, or in the SEC, for sure in the Northeast, or anywhere east of say Missouri, not only would he have won the Heisman, they would have recast the trophy in his image. Stupid East Coast bias.

greg in denver - UCLA guy for life

by gbruin on Dec 14, 2009 3:35 PM PST reply actions

actually

any school that doesn’t recruit astronauts and CEO’s might have worked to his favor… either that or something more than 10 catches

Back in business

by ucla13_usc9 on Dec 14, 2009 3:37 PM PST up reply actions

He should have won the Heisman

I don’t view Stanford’s talent as being that great. Recruiting limitations make it tougher to win at Stanford. To finish second in the Heisman voting at Stanford is extraordinary. But that is why he should have won the Heisman—he played so well on a team that was not as talented as others and lifted Stanford so high. I don’t claim to be an expert on Stanford football, I struggle, and I mean struggle, to have a basic understanding of UCLA’s football team. But I understand Stanford’s recruiting restrictions and Gerhart did more as a player to help his team than anybody else.

Last question: name 5 USC starters who would have been accepted to attend Stanford?

Time’s up.

I couldn’t think of any either.

Gerhart had to play spectacularly for a school that would never allow talented football players like those at USC to work as security guards much less attend a class. And that’s why he should have won the Heisman.

by peggysue69 on Dec 14, 2009 10:27 PM PST via mobile reply actions