Who had the best individual season ever

[donniesyracuse]

I wonder what Offensive Lineman graded out with the best season in SU history.

It might not have been "all-time great," but Pugh was pretty dominant in 2012.

 

[OrangeinNH]

Marvin Harrison SR Year

56 receptions 1131 yds. 8 TDs

22 punt returns for 369 yds and 2 TDs

I would still take Freeney

 

[OrangeinNH]

Let's not forget Dan Conley

 

[retro44]

How can anyone forget James Collins......http://cuse.com/sports/2005/5/31/jcollins.aspx

He has records that will probably will never be broken.

42 tackles against Ped St. in 1979.

 

[Don]

How can anyone forget James Collins...http://cuse.com/sports/2005/5/31/jcollins.aspx

He has records that will probably will never be broken.

42 tackles against Ped St. in 1979.

The 79 team was one of my all time favorites , they didn't really have any home games, they played a really tough schedule and they had some really historic players not only at Syracuse but the Nfl. Art monk was part of that team, Gary Anderson who is like top five all time in Nfl scoring, Joe morris , and of course Buffalo Bill Hurley, I would bet that is one of the top rushing teams in syracuse history and maybe top 5 or ten offensive teams, plus my friend worked in the equipment room and later would be the equipment manager before moving on to same job at Michigan state . Plus Bill hurley played golf at my hometown golf course back when.

 

[billsin01]

Some under the radar seasons -

1. QB Ryan Nassib 2012, Best passing season in SU history, 62.4%, 3,749 yards, 26/10 td/int, rushed for 142 yds and 2 tds
Also led the Big East Conference in completions, yards (passing and total) and touchdowns (passing and total).

2. LB Doug Hogue 2009 (Was pretty good in 2010 too), 72 tackles, 16 for loss, 9.5 sacks, 1 int, 2 FF.

3. LB Derrell Smith 2009 (What a year for LB production), 82 tackles, 10.5 for loss, 6.5 sacks, 4 FF.

4. DT Jay Bromley 2013, 42 tackles, 14.5 for loss, 10 sacks, 3 FF.

5. LB Cam Lynch 2014, 97 tackles, 12.0 for loss, 7 sacks, 1 FF.

The answer is Freeney so I like the idea of under-the-radar seasons. I'd add these:

Antwan Ponds ('95) 111 tackles, 8 sacks (Had P's LBs attacked more the TFL/sack #s would be higher)

Donovan Darius ('97) 119 tackles, 7 INTs (also had 131 tackles in '95)

Kevin Abrams/Will Allen -- Tough to judge on raw numbers (Abrams had 6 INTs in '95, I think) but those guys made things extremely difficult on opposing QBs all game, every game.

 

[baggerbob]

My top ones would be Jim Brown '56 and Dwight Freeney '01. Both carried otherwise mediocre teams on their backs to great seasons. Davis' Heisman was a great honor for three great seasons. McPherson had a great year but guys were having great years all around him, too.

Jim Brown in 1956 rushed for 986 yards in 8 regular season games and 132 more in the Cotton Bowl for a total of 1,118 with 16 TDs. That would be 1,490 yards and 21 in 12 games, which is what they play now. And Jim played both ways, meaning not only did he play defense but he wasn't on the field for all of our offensive plays: they alternated 1st and 2nd teams. Oh, and he did the kicking, too.

I was going to go with Jim that year also, he really had no one outside of Jim Ridlon on that team to help on offense.

 

[MSOrange]

The answer is Freeney so I like the idea of under-the-radar seasons. I'd add these:

Antwan Ponds ('95) 111 tackles, 8 sacks (Had P's LBs attacked more the TFL/sack #s would be higher)

Donovan Darius ('97) 119 tackles, 7 INTs (also had 131 tackles in '95)

Kevin Abrams/Will Allen -- Tough to judge on raw numbers (Abrams had 6 INTs in '95, I think) but those guys made things extremely difficult on opposing QBs all game, every game.

Good call on Antwaune Ponds. He was one of my favorites. Always thought he would have a solid pro career but injuries caught up to him as I recall.

 

[retro44]

The answer is Freeney so I like the idea of under-the-radar seasons. I'd add these:

Antwan Ponds ('95) 111 tackles, 8 sacks (Had P's LBs attacked more the TFL/sack #s would be higher)

Donovan Darius ('97) 119 tackles, 7 INTs (also had 131 tackles in '95)

Kevin Abrams/Will Allen -- Tough to judge on raw numbers (Abrams had 6 INTs in '95, I think) but those guys made things extremely difficult on opposing QBs all game, every game.

James Collins had 229 in one season,624 for career and 42 in one game against Ped St..

Orangejet could tell us what he was like.

 

[CanadianSU]

Pugh!!!!

 

[djorange1989]

My top ones would be Jim Brown '56 and Dwight Freeney '01. Both carried otherwise mediocre teams on their backs to great seasons. Davis' Heisman was a great honor for three great seasons. McPherson had a great year but guys were having great years all around him, too.

Jim Brown in 1956 rushed for 986 yards in 8 regular season games and 132 more in the Cotton Bowl for a total of 1,118 with 16 TDs. That would be 1,490 yards and 21 in 12 games, which is what they play now. And Jim played both ways, meaning not only did he play defense but he wasn't on the field for all of our offensive plays: they alternated 1st and 2nd teams. Oh, and he did the kicking, too.

You want to get really angry, look at Paul Hornung's 1956 Heisman winning numbers at QB: 6 rushing TDs, 3 passing TDs and 13 int's. Instead of Reggie Bush giving back his Heisman how about Hornung?

 

[SWC75]

You want to get really angry, look at Paul Hornung's 1956 Heisman winning numbers at QB: 6 rushing TDs, 3 passing TDs and 13 int's. Instead of Reggie Bush giving back his Heisman how about Hornung?

For a 2-8 team. Who wins Heismans for a 2-8 team?

 

[djorange1989]

For a 2-8 team. Who wins Heismans for a 2-8 team?

White dudes at Notre Dame in the segregated 50s. Look at Tim Brown's 1987 numbers when he won the Heisman too. 3 receiving TD, 1 rushing TD. He had an impressive 3 punt return TDs but does that sound like a Heisman winner compared to Donnie? 7-4 ND team vs 11-0 SU team. We should have two other Heisman's standing alongside Ernie's

 

[SWC75]

White dudes at Notre Dame in the segregated 50s. Look at Tim Brown's 1987 numbers when he won the Heisman too. 3 receiving TD, 1 rushing TD. He had an impressive 3 punt return TDs but does that sound like a Heisman winner compared to Donnie? 7-4 ND team vs 11-0 SU team. We should have two other Heisman's standing alongside Ernie's

Bill Jaust on the old "Sportswriters on TV" show from Chicago kept lauding Tim Brown's " phantom yards": those yards other plays gained because the defense had to pay attention to Brown. My two thoughts in response:

1) if you start talking about "phantom yards" to argue that somebody should get a Heisman, that sounds like you don't have enough of an argument involving real yards.
2) A quarterback is in on every play. Arguably all his team's yards are in some part a result of his play.

in 1986 Vinnie Testeverde led the nation in passing and his team to a perfect record and finished way ahead of 3rd place Tim Brown, who had a better year than he did in '87. Don McPherson led the nation in passing and his team to a perfect record and finshed behind Tim Brown that year. Go figure.

Of course it helped Brown, the pre-season favorite as anointed by the media, that 25% of the Heisman voters sent their votes in before the season was over, (on columnist announced he was sending his in after the second game), and another 25% didn't bother to vote at all. And, of course the Heisman vote is before the bowl games, (even though the national championship is decided afterward). We got tied by Auburn but Donnie was MVP while Texas A&M clobbered Notre Dame 35-10 in the Cotton Bowl.

By the way, Jim Brown didn't just lose to Paul Hornung in 1956. he finished 5th in the voting.
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1956.html

 

[Briancuse]

No question about it, Freeney's senior year on defense, teams doubled and tripled him, and he still dominated games.

 

[djorange1989]

Bill Jaust on the old "Sportswriters on TV" show from Chicago kept lauding Tim Brown's " phantom yards": those yards other plays gained because the defense had to pay attention to Brown. My two thoughts in response:

1) if you start talking about "phantom yards" to argue that somebody should get a Heisman, that sounds like you don't have enough of an argument involving real yards.
2) A quarterback is in on every play. Arguably all his team's yards are in some part a result of his play.

in 1986 Vinnie Testeverde led the nation in passing and his team to a perfect record and finished way ahead of 3rd place Tim Brown, who had a better year than he did in '87. Don McPherson led the nation in passing and his team to a perfect record and finshed behind Tim Brown that year. Go figure.

Of course it helped Brown, the pre-season favorite as anointed by the media, that 25% of the Heisman voters sent their votes in before the season was over, (on columnist announced he was sending his in after the second game), and another 25% didn't bother to vote at all. And, of course the Heisman vote is before the bowl games, (even though the national championship is decided afterward). We got tied by Auburn but Donnie was MVP while Texas A&M clobbered Notre Dame 35-10 in the Cotton Bowl.

By the way, Jim Brown didn't just lose to Paul Hornung in 1956. he finished 5th in the voting.
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1956.html

Great post, and I completely forgot(blocked it out of my mind more accurately) that Brown finished 5th. Unreal.

 

[tipphill]

Great post, and I completely forgot(blocked it out of my mind more accurately) that Brown finished 5th. Unreal.

i believe dick schaap, a great sports writer and author,refused to participate in future heisman voting because of the discrimination against jim brown in that vote. he did not vote again for 20yrs.

 

[All4SU]

Bill Jaust on the old "Sportswriters on TV" show from Chicago kept lauding Tim Brown's " phantom yards": those yards other plays gained because the defense had to pay attention to Brown. My two thoughts in response:

1) if you start talking about "phantom yards" to argue that somebody should get a Heisman, that sounds like you don't have enough of an argument involving real yards.
2) A quarterback is in on every play. Arguably all his team's yards are in some part a result of his play.

in 1986 Vinnie Testeverde led the nation in passing and his team to a perfect record and finished way ahead of 3rd place Tim Brown, who had a better year than he did in '87. Don McPherson led the nation in passing and his team to a perfect record and finshed behind Tim Brown that year. Go figure.

Of course it helped Brown, the pre-season favorite as anointed by the media, that 25% of the Heisman voters sent their votes in before the season was over, (on columnist announced he was sending his in after the second game), and another 25% didn't bother to vote at all. And, of course the Heisman vote is before the bowl games, (even though the national championship is decided afterward). We got tied by Auburn but Donnie was MVP while Texas A&M clobbered Notre Dame 35-10 in the Cotton Bowl.

By the way, Jim Brown didn't just lose to Paul Hornung in 1956. he finished 5th in the voting.
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1956.html

And Gordie Lockbaum siphoned off a chunk of the NE vote which could have gone to Donnie.