Braxton Miller has produced some feats on the football field that have left mouths agape in wonderment. And even though he doesn’t like rehashing his individual exploits, the Ohio State quarterback admitted he pulled off one play this year that surprised even himself.

In a tight third quarter at Penn State, the Buckeyes called for a Carlos Hyde run on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line. But seeing Hyde was about to get smothered, Miller yanked the ball back, went into reverse and then made several tacklers miss in a confined space before diving across the goal line.

Coach Urban Meyer joked afterward that the Buckeyes teach their players those moves during practice, but “only a couple guys can do it.”

Actually, there may be only one player in the country capable of that.

“It wasn’t a designed keep. It wasn’t a designed quarterback read or nothing like that. It was just a handoff to Carlos,” Miller said. “I think he was bull-rushed, and the guy came through and hit Carlos, and I just pulled it back with my arm because he got tackled. I just put it on my arm and made some type of move and made somebody miss and just dove in the end zone.”

Miller’s instinctive plays along with the team’s 10-0 record are why he’s in the Heisman Trophy discussion and demands to interview the sophomore from Wayne High School are mounting.

The OSU media relations department made him available for a teleconference this week with local and national reporters, but Miller has never been accused of being loquacious — especially when he’s the topic of conversation.

“It’s tough. A lot of guys come to me about (the Heisman). I try not to talk about it because I really don’t like talking about myself,” he said. “It’s one of those things. You just have to keep working hard and get better at the things I’m supposed get better at. Whatever happens, happens.”

He not only is oblivious to the Heisman race, but he also professes to have no clue about his stats.

“I really don’t pay attention to that unless someone comes up to me and tells me about them,” he said. “Whatever they say, I go, ‘OK, that’s cool.’”

Miller is only the third Big Ten QB to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He has 1,166 yards and averages 6.3 per run.

He’s 22nd nationally in total offense with 291.9 yards per game and is on pace to break the OSU single-season record of 270.6 set by Joe Germaine in 1998. And his 27 TDs passing and rushing are just four off the program record held by Troy Smith (2006) and Bobby Hoying (1995).

But Miller appears to be losing ground in the Heisman race. In the USA Today Sports Media Group poll this week, he’s tied for fourth with Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, who put together an expert TD drive to pull out a 21-17 win at LSU.

Kansas State QB Collin Klein is first, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o second and Oregon’s Kenjon Barner, coming off a 321-yard, five-TD rushing day against Southern Cal, is third.

Chris Huston, known as the Heisman Pundit and renowned for his accurate Heisman projects, wrote this week that Miller is a longshot at best:

“He was always a darkhorse in this campaign. However, he’s performed quite well and is on the bubble as far as a possible visit to New York goes (as one of the finalists). It’s just he can’t win — not this time, not with his numbers and not in the context of this race.

“However, he is set up well to be the Heisman front-runner in 2013, and everything he does the rest of this season will serve to bolster that.”

Miller knows he has parts of his game that he needs shore up, and he’s happy to report he’s growing in those areas.

Meyer has pushed his star hard to become a more fundamentally sound passer. And Miller said: “Last game, I felt more complete as a quarterback, throwing the ball and having my feet compact under my body.”

Asked where he’s improved the most, he replied: “I’d say leadership. Coming from last year, being a young guy, a freshman, I really didn’t know how to take that role. But this year, I’m feeling it and getting better at it each and every week.

“Being a quarterback, you have to be vocal and tell guys — even if they don’t like it — tell them what they’re doing wrong. If they make a big play, you pat them on the shoulder and say, ‘Good job, keep it up.’ And if they do something bad, you’ve got to keep going to them and say, ‘That’s all right, you’ll get the next one. I’m going to come back to you.’ It helps the guys when you’re being a leader.”