Suh leaving a lasting impression

BOULDER, Colo. - The number of U's has seemed to grow with each passing week. When Ndamukong Suh was a sophomore, the chant was a more restrained "Suuuuh." When he ran off the field Friday - helmet in hand, looking as stern as if Colt McCoy were already standing before him - he was met with a line of U's that stretched longer than a Led Zeppelin song. "Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh." Hey, he's earned each U, as far as Husker fans are concerned. Their love for the 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive tackle is unquestioned. But has Big Suh earned enough love across the country to possibly make one last push for the biggest award in college football , or at least enough love to get an invitation to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony? Unless you've been locked in a wine cellar for the past month, you know Nebraska is about to play on its biggest stage in eight years when it meets undefeated Texas in the Big 12 title game Saturday. And certainly you're aware that McCoy is one of the top names in the Heisman conversation right now. Given that and the fact many Heisman voters will be paying such close attention to this game, we pose this question: Could an amazing performance by Suh against Texas and Mc-Coy vault Suh into top consideration for the award? Say Suh has a game this week similar to the one he had at Missouri. Say he's McCoy's worst nightmare, sacks him a couple times and forces a turnover and the Huskers pull the upset. Is the Heisman dream a reality if that were to happen? You can think about it. Suh says he won't. "I could care less about the Heisman,"he said after Friday's 28-20 win against Colorado."It's a great honor,but (McCoy's) an offensive quarterback.Obviously,he's going to be up there.He plays for a great team and puts up great numbers both running and passing.But I don't think it's a statement game.I just want to go out there and win. That'll be my statement,if we go out there and win." Here's what we do know: According to Tim Henning, coordinator for the Heisman Trophy Trust,in recent years only about 20 percent of Heisman voters have submitted their ballots for the award prior to the conference championship games on the first week of December.(Votes for the Heisman are due Monday,Dec.7.) If the same pattern holds true this year, and you'd suspect it would, given the wide-open nature of this year's Heisman race, that means a majority of voters could have their minds swayed this weekend. "Suh's going to come out and play his butt off no matter what," said senior center Jacob Hickman. "Obviously, it could be more of a statement game given the gravity of the situation and who he's playing against, but it's not going to change his mentality. If we were playing Nicholls State or whoever, he's going to come out and give everything he's got. And that's the reason he's had so much success. He doesn't care who he's playing." Don't confuse it: Suh is a major longshot for the bronze statue. Just one defensive player has ever won it. And while it's an award given to an individual, it doesn't help Suh that NU has three losses. Voters, as SI.com's Andy Staples wrote last week, prefer players on championship teams. "If Nebraska were the (undefeated) Big 12 team instead of Texas, we'd already be talking about Suh becoming the first primarily defensive player to win the Heisman since Michigan's Charles Woodson in 1997," Staples wrote."But since the Cornhuskers have been up and down this season, Suh hasn't gotten the attention he probably deserves." Suh received some Heisman buzz after his dominating performance in a nationally televised game against Missouri. But since then, national talk about Suh's chances for the award has died down. A few weeks ago, ESPN's Mel Kiper listed Suh as his top pick for the Heisman. But most analysts have centered recent conversations around offensive guys: Mc-Coy, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, Alabama running back Mark Ingram, Houston quarterback Case Keenum, Stanford running back Toby Gerhart and Clemson running back C.J. Spiller. Given that the award has so often gone to quarterbacks and running backs, just making it to New York as a Heisman finalist would be a stunning accomplishment for Suh. He will no doubt receive hardware of some kind this December. Suh seems to be among the leading candidates for the Outland Trophy and Lombardi, Nagurski, Bednarik and Lott awards. Such is the attention that comes when you face double teams on a weekly basis and still post 65 tackles,7 1 /2 sacks, 15 tackles for loss,20 quarterback hurries,three blocked kicks,one interception,one forced fumble and 10 pass breakups - which ties for the team lead with cornerback Prince Amukamara. Media and fans can talk about Suh's opportunity all they want this week. But Husker assistant John Papuchis said Suh is not a guy who is going to get caught up in conversations about the Heisman or any other individual trophy. "He's as good as anyone I can imagine in that situation," Papuchis said."I've never heard him bring it up in a private situation, and he certainly doesn't do it publicly. He's into winning."