For the second year in a row, quarterback Andrew Luck’s stellar season wasn’t quite enough, as Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III took home the Heisman Trophy on Saturday.

 

In a race that was closer than many anticipated, Luck finished just 280 votes short of Griffin’s 1,687 votes. Griffin became the first player from Baylor to win the coveted trophy, while Luck became the third consecutive Cardinal player to finish as the runner-up for the award.

 

“Obviously, Robert’s a great player, and very much well deserved,” Luck said after the trophy presentation. “I’m not going to lament on something I could have done or had the opportunity to do. I think it’s very much well deserved for Robert. I’m just proud to be here and very honored to be here.”

 

Luck is now the fourth two-time Heisman runner-up, but had the fifth-most first place votes ever for a runner-up, even despite Griffin winning five of the six national regions.

 

Even though Baylor had only a 9-3 record, Griffin’s Heisman campaign got a big push due to the Bears beating three ranked teams, as well as blowing out Texas in the last game of the regular season. Altogether, Griffin finished the regular season completing 72.8 percent of his passes for 3,998 yards and 36 touchdowns against just six interceptions, and added 644 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

 

In comparison, Luck completed 70 percent of his passes for 3170 yards and 35 touchdowns with nine interceptions, with 153 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Even though Luck was the preseason Heisman favorite and took home the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top all-around player, Luck had his Heisman campaign largely deflated by a late-season loss to Oregon, the Cardinal’s only loss of the year.

 

Luck’s attention will now turn to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, as the Cardinal get one final game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on January 2.