NEW YORK--After scoring on a 93-yard punt return against Ohio State last month, Michigan's Desmond Howard struck a Heisman Trophy pose in the end zone.

Tonight, Howard should be holding the trophy in his hands.

The Wolverines' wondrous wide receiver is considered a virtual lock to win college football's most prestigious award, which will be announced during a 30-minute NBC show from the Downtown Athletic Club.

Howard, a triple-threat star who was the nation's second-leading scorer, is expected to beat a field of contenders that includes three other players who will attend the ceremony--1990 Heisman winner Ty Detmer of Brigham Young, Florida State quarterback Casey Weldon and Washington defensive tackle Steve Emtman.

There is a chance Howard could win by the biggest margin in Heisman history. That distinction currently belongs to O.J. Simpson, who received 82 percent of the first-place votes in 1968.

"Everybody knows Howard is going to win it," Heisman voter Ivan Maisel of the Dallas Morning News said. "The only suspense is whether he wins by a record margin."

Howard, who would be the fourth consecutive junior to win the award, moved into the national spotlight with a dramatic, diving touchdown catch that sealed Michigan's early-season victory over Notre Dame.

Another Rocket?

It was the launching pad for a spectacular season in which he scored 23 touchdowns, averaged 159 all-purpose yards per game and set several NCAA records, including most consecutive regular-season games (10) with at least one TD reception.

"The Notre Dame game was like the New Hampshire primary," ESPN commentator Beano Cook said. "Howard took the lead in that game and never gave it up."

While Howard showed remarkable consistency--he scored at least two touchdowns in nine of Michigan's 11 games--preseason Heisman favorites Detmer and Houston quarterback David Klingler faltered early and fell so far behind that they couldn't catch up.

Bye, Bye Ty

Although Detmer and Klingler finished 1-2 in total offense and set dozens of NCAA records, Weldon eventually emerged as Howard's chief challenger. But his chances were ruined when Florida State, which had been No. 1 since the start of the season, lost its final two games to Miami and Florida.

"Everybody stumbled except for Howard," Maisel said. "All the other candidates took themselves out of the race."

Emtman, who was the leader of the nation's best defense, already has won the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy as the top lineman in the country. But no pure defensive player has ever won the Heisman. The best finish by a defender was in 1980, when Pittsburgh's Hugh Green was runner-up to George Rogers of South Carolina.

"A defensive player winning the Heisman is like the governor of Idaho or Montana becoming president," Cook said. "It could happen someday, but probably not in our lifetime."

Howard, who plans to return for his senior season, would be the second Michigan player to win the Heisman. Running back Tom Harmon won the trophy in 1940.

Howard, a 5-foot-9, 176-pound native of Cleveland, also would become only the fifth Heisman winner who was not a quarterback or running back.

The others were two-way ends Larry Kelley of Yale (1936) and Leon Hart of Notre Dame (1949), and flankers Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska (1972) and Tim Brown of Notre Dame (1987).