Heupel is player of the year

Whether it was his pinpoint passing against Texas, Kansas State and Nebraska, or crucial third-down dashes in a comeback win at Texas A&M, Heupel made the plays when it counted most.

``There comes a time in each game when the quarterback usually has to make a play to put your team in position to win,'' said Chuck Long, Oklahoma's quarterbacks coach. ``Josh Heupel did that.''

On Thursday, Heupel won the Associated Press' College Player of the Year award in balloting by AP member newspapers, TV and radio stations.

The left-hander from Aberdeen, S.D., completed 280 of 433 passes for 3,392 yards and 20 touchdowns in leading the Sooners (12-0) to the Big 12 title and a chance to win the school's first national championship since 1985. They play Florida State in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3.

Heupel, who spent a season at Snow Junior College in Utah before arriving at OU in 1999, received 30 of the 82 votes in the AP balloting. Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke was second with 17 votes, and TCU running back LaDainian Tomlinson was third with 9. Purdue quarterback Drew Brees was fourth with 8 votes; Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick was fifth with 5.

``I've always thought that honors like this are a reflection of the team,'' Heupel said. ``I may be getting this honor, but without my teammates it wouldn't be possible.

``We've had a great year so far, but we have one game remaining. Winning a national championship would be the perfect ending to a journey that no one even thought we'd be taking.''

Heupel has also won player of the year awards from the Walter Camp Foundation and The Sporting News, and, along with Weinke, appears to be the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.

If the Sooners are enjoying this season, it's been an even longer thrill ride for Heupel. The 6-foot-2 (1.88-meter), 210-pound (94.5-kilogram) son of a football coach started out at Weber State, where he got very little playing time in his first two years. He then enrolled at Snow JC and threw for 2,308 yards and 28 touchdowns.

When Stoops was hired at Oklahoma, he persuaded Heupel to bring his passing talents to Norman. In '99, Heupel threw for 3,400 yards and 30 TDs in a 7-5 season. Now the Sooners are on the verge of a national title, thanks to Heupel's most recent effort _ two TDs passing and one running in a 27-24 win over K-State in the Big 12 title game last Saturday.

``His play through the entire year and his winning speak volumes, and that's what people have recognized,'' Stoops said. ``They see what he's done. He's brought a team that was ranked 20th in the country to No. 1 in the nation the last six weeks, and he's the main reason.''

Oklahoma averaged 44 points in its first four wins against Texas-El Paso, Arkansas State, Rice and Kansas, but then came No. 11 Texas, followed by No. 2 Kansas State and No. 1 Nebraska. No problem. In those three games, Heupel was Heisman-like, completing 66 of 108 passes for 949 yards, four TDs and just one interception.

The Sooners beat the Longhorns 63-14, the Wildcats 41-31 and the Cornhuskers 31-14 and moved to the No. 1 ranking.

The going got tough against Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, but Heupel, despite an ailing throwing arm, still managed to lead his team to victory.

Last Saturday, he was intercepted three times by K-State, but still came away a winner.

``Even when we've struggled, he still made the plays when he had to,'' Long said. ``He's a quality young man and this couldn't be happening to a better person. Quality will always win.''