BATON ROUGE – LSU quarterback Joe Burrow became the first player in school history to earn Associated Press National Player of the Year as the senior picked up the honor form the news organization on Thursday afternoon
The AP Player of the Year has been awarded since 1998 and is given annually to the most outstanding player in college football. The award is voted on by sports writers and sports editors from around the country.
Burrow, who had previously been named the winner of the Unitas Golden Arm Award and SEC Offensive Player of the Year from both the AP and the SEC Coaches, has re-written the LSU record books this year, leading the Tigers to a 13-0 mark and the SEC Championship. He’s one of four finalists for the most prestigious award in college football – the Heisman Trophy.
Breakdown of AP Player of the Year vote:
1. Joe Burrow, QB. @LSUfootball (159 points)
2. Chase Young, DE. @OhioStateFB (69)
3. Justin Fields, QB. @OhioStateFB (43)
4. Jalen Hurts, QB. @OU_Football (33)Again, Burrow received 51 out of a possible 54 first place votes.
— Dion Caputi (@nfldraftupdate) December 12, 2019
The Tigers, with Burrow leading the way, are ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff Rankings and will face fourth-ranked Oklahoma in the CFP National Semifinals on Dec. 28 in Atlanta at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
This year, Burrow set SEC records for passing yards (4,715) and passing touchdowns (48) becoming the first player in league history to throw for 4,000 yards and 40 TDs in the same season. He’s currently completed 342-of-439 passes and is on pace to establish the NCAA record for completion percentage in a season. Burrow’s completion percentage mark of 77.9 percent is ahead of the current mark of 76.7 percent held by Colt McCoy of Texas in 2008.
Burrow’s record-setting season has seen him lead the Tigers to a school-record five wins over Top 10 teams. In two years as LSU’s starting quarterback, Burrow has posted a 23-3 record with nine of those victories coming over Top 10 opponents, the most of any player at his position in school history.
In 13 games in 2019, Burrow has thrown over 400 yards twice and he’s gone over the 300-yard mark 11 times, also a school record.
Burrow, a native of Athens, Ohio, goes into the national semifinal contest against Oklahoma riding school-record streaks of consecutive 300-yard games (7), consecutive games with at least one TD pass (17) and consecutive games with at least 20 completions (16).
Burrow also set LSU marks this year for TD passes in a game (6 vs. Vanderbilt) and consecutive completions (17 vs. Ole Miss). Burrow holds four of the top 5 passing games in school history, which includes a career-best 489 yards against Ole Miss.
As a unit, LSU’s offense has established school records for points in a season (621), points per game (47.8), total yards (7,206), total yards per game (554.3), passing yards (5,029) and passing yards per game (386.8).
This year’s LSU offense is the first in SEC history to feature a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher, and two 1,000-yard receivers.
Burrow, along with defensive back Grant Delpit and Ja’Marr Chase, are in Atlanta today where they are expected to earn more national recognition tonight at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show. Burrow heads to New York City on Friday as he will look to become LSU’s first Heisman Trophy winner in 60 years on Saturday night. The late Billy Cannon is LSU’s only Heisman Trophy winner as he was awarded the trophy in 1959.