The race for the Heisman Trophy continues to keep college football fans on their toes.

Any given week, a candidate can come out of nowhere and step into the forefront or stumble back into the middle of the pack. No one has seized command of the race, leaving the door open for a late-season charge.

Front-runners:

Ken Dorsey

senior quarterback, Miami

He’s back - although he never was far from the top. Dorsey still hasn’t lost a game this season and proved he can have a huge - not just solid - game when the Hurricanes need him to. In a 40-23 win against West Virginia last week, he passed for 422 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 22-of-36 attempts. In seven games, he’s 118-of-213 for 1,828 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Dorsey has a 148.8 pass efficiency rating.

Byron Leftwich

senior quarterback, Marshall

Leftwich continues to post unbelievable numbers. Last week in a win against Central Michigan, Leftwich completed 29-of-42 attempts for 374 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. In that game, he became the 20th player in Division I-A history to pass for 10,000 yards in a career. As long as he continues to win and put up big numbers, he could bring home the hardware - especially if the candidates from major conferences continue to stumble. In seven games, he’s completed 197-of-296 passes for 2,688 yards with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions. Leftwich is first in the nation with 384 passing yards per game and second in passing efficiency (160.0).

Dark horse:

Philip Rivers

junior quarterback, North Carolina State

Rivers is a big win away from charging into the thick of this unpredictable race. He has a good team (9-0) and the numbers to garner some attention, but no opponents to prove himself against. The Wolfpack’s next three games are against Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia. Rivers will have to wait until the last game of the season before he has a chance to grab the national spotlight. In nine games, Rivers is 148-of-226 (65.5 percent) for 2,144 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has a pass efficiency rating of 163.2 and along with eight rushing touchdowns.

MSU’s hope:

Charles Rogers

junior wide receiver

As the Spartans pile up the losses and his numbers become less impressive, Rogers’ chances at the Heisman continue to dwindle. But the Saginaw native showed signs of life last week with three catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns, ending a two-game scoreless streak. If he can finish the season the way he started, he’ll have a chance to make a top-three finish. Rogers can begin with a big game against Michigan. On the season, he has 46 receptions for 949 yards (20.6 yards catch) and nine touchdowns.