LOS ANGELES - As of Wednesday, there’s a new slogan floating around the USC campus.
Out with “Unfinished Business” and in with “Do you #BELEEVE?”
The school sent out a video Wednesday morning promoting sophomore wide receiver Marqise Lee for the Heisman, Biletnikoff, Maxwell and Hornung Awards.
Lee has propelled himself into the Heisman conversation after piggybacking off the phenomenal ending to his freshman season. He may not have a better two-game stretch in his career than the last two weeks he’s put together.
During USC's 39-36 loss to Arizona on Oct. 27, he set a Pac-12 single-season record with 345 receiving yards. His 469 all-purpose yards during that game were the second most in NCAA history.
Last Saturday vs. Oregon in a 62-51 loss (on FOX), Lee registered 408 all-purpose yards, including conference-record 251 kickoff return yards.
“I didn’t have anything to do with the production of the video but I think it would be hard to argue he’s not playing as well as anybody in America (with) the dynamic plays that he makes,” said USC head coach Lane Kiffin. “He does not get as much touches as a running back would or a quarterback would so it’s unusual for a receiver to have the type of numbers that he’s having.”
Stanford coach David Shaw provided an unintentional segue to the video on Tuesday.
“I don’t mind going on record as saying that Marqise Lee is the best college receiver that I’ve seen since I scouted Randy Moss,” said Shaw during the Pac-12 coaches’ weekly teleconference.
“I’ve never seen a college receiver do what he’s done the past month — ever.”
That’s high praise from Shaw who spent nine years in the NFL with the Eagles, Raiders, and Ravens. Once news spread of Shaw’s comments on Lee, the coach reached out to Kiffin via text.
“He didn’t realize that it was going to get so much play but that he meant it,” said Kiffin of the text he received from Shaw. “That’s a pretty big statement.
“As a head coach you’re always going to say good things about your stars but when other people are making statements like that, I think that should be more powerful for a video being sent out or numbers being sent out why Marqise should be considered in awards conversations.”
Lee, who was not available for comment on Wednesday, has 1,286 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. He’s second in the nation in receiving yards per game (142.9) and receptions per game (9.78) and leads the nation with 223 all purpose yards per game.
