Lamar Jackson Keeps Getting Bigger

Roll these numbers around in your head. Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson has accounted for 18 touchdowns this season (8 passing, 10 rushing), which means he has outscored the offenses of 114 entire Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

The sophomore quarterback hit a peak of sorts on Saturday against Florida State, when he rushed for four touchdowns and threw for another in a 63-24 victory that was also FSU’s second-worst loss behind a 49-0 beating by Florida in 1973 (when the Seminoles went winless). The difference? The Noles were ranked No. 2 when Jackson lit them up.

Now the Cardinals’ standout takes another step up into the national spotlight. He’ll be on the cover of your Sports Illustrated magazine this week. Hey, when you’re the early leader for the Heisman Trophy, things break your way.

Sporting News points out that Jackson is on pace for 40 rushing touchdowns, which would break the record of 31 set by Navy’s Keenan Reynolds in 2013. He’s also on pace for 1,856 rushing yards, which would be second to Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch’s 1,920.

Two games will truly tell the tale of where the No. 3 Cardinals are going. Circle Oct. 1, when they play ACC rival Clemson, currently ranked fifth, at Death Valley, and Nov. 17 at No. 6 Houston. Clemson has struggled a bit offensively but DeShaun Watson is very much like Jackson and, for that matter, so is Houston’s Greg Ward Jr.

This is going to be fun. Jackson plays as if he’s having a good time and he should. He’s having a great time.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman