Hurricanes' Dorsey blows away Heisman competitors

MIAMI -- Don't mean to be arrogant, but if you're thinking anybody but Miami's Ken Dorsey for the Heisman Trophy, you're wrong. Or maybe I should put it more diplomatically -- if you're thinking Dorsey for the Heisman, you're right.

In one sense, Dorsey's real Heisman run starts Saturday at noon in the Orange Bowl against Florida State when he shoots for a 32-1 career record.

Thirty-two and one! That's a team stat and the one that impels Dorsey, not those gaudy individual passing stats that send so many fans' eyes rolling.

Dorsey already should have three corners of the Heisman Trophy nailed down. He has been the most productive of any of UM's spectacular line of QBs, including Heisman kings Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta. Neither of them came close to Dorsey's leadership figures, although Torretta's 26-2 was memorably formidable.

Like Vinny and Gino, Kenny trades on production rather than flamboyance. The nearest thing to a spectacular quote I've heard from him came before last season. "My expectation," he said simply, "is for nothing less than a national championship." He added, "All of us expect that." That's always been the thing with this pale, skinny winner. "All of us."

And he still isn't quite fully grown. He won't be until the Canes complete Larry Coker's grand design for a second consecutive national championship. To clinch it, they have to whip some tough-to-whip folks, FSU and Tennessee and Virginia Tech, as well as a few who don't appear to rate a chance, West Virginia, Rutgers, Pitt and Syracuse.

If UM wins out, Dorsey will win the Heisman hands down and deserve every inch of it.

Even some of Dorsey's most ardent admirers may be in for another surprise. Deep-throwing arm or not, he could go in the first round of the NFL draft. No worse than second round.

Tom Grimes was scouting for the Oakland Raiders while Dorsey chucked three touchdown passes against UConn. Grimes figures NFL Round 1 for Dorsey "because there are so few good QBs in the NFL, you can always use a guy as accurate and smart as Dorsey."

More to the Heisman point, ask yourself which player would be hardest to replace on a team that has won 27 straight games.

Easy.

Dorsey.

He's head and heart. He's surrounded by good-to-great players and makes them better every game.

"Sure Kenny could pump up his stats if he wanted to," says offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski. "But this is about the team." The team. That's the operative phrase. The team.

Meanwhile, is Willis McGahee, who scored UM's first three touchdowns against UConn, this juggernaut's most talented individual? Probably.

And isn't tackle William Joseph threatening to become the Canes' finest defensive lineman since Warren Sapp? More than likely.

Yet either could be replaced without a huge drop-off. That's no knock at McGahee or Joseph. It's testimony to the depth Coker has groomed.

Dorsey could not be replaced.

Not this year.

Little confession here. The Heisman hasn't freaked me out for a long, long time. I quit voting way back because too many schools were doing too many crazy things to hype their Heisman hopes, though it was only last year that Oregon spent $250,000 to put a sign in Times Squares extolling Joey Harrington.

I wouldn't mind having a vote this year. It would be a privilege to vote for Dorsey.

It irks me when people sneer at him as a "Boy Scout." Maybe they would rather have Randy Moss. Or Ryan Leaf.

Some critics appear irritated by any hint that the Heisman has become a career achievement reward.

What's wrong with that? A career should be more important than one season, as long as every year of the career is a great one. Football should teach what other educational specialties are supposed to teach -- the importance of contributing.

And if winning games isn't the biggest factor in determining a Heisman winner, why do they bother to keep score at all? Florida's Rex Grossman fell out of the running Saturday when Ole Miss picked him four times. Too bad. Poor Grossman is a gamer who deserves better than what he has gotten this season.

Maybe Marshall's Byron Leftwich is the very best QB. He just doesn't play the schedule to prove it.

That leaves it Dorsey's trophy to lose.

Players are always saying the Heisman isn't that important. Most of them are just blowing smoke.

Dorsey means it. Which is another reason he should win. Above all, the Heisman should go to a man who has more admirable goals than individual recognition. Or maybe I'm more naive than arrogant.

Edwin Pope is a columnist for the Miami Herald.