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The Postseason Meal 2014 Part 3 : Quarterback Stats Galore

By Conrad Mostiller
Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

When evaluating Quarterbacks I looked for three key attributes:

1) Did the QB make the most of every play?

2) Did the QB avoid negative plays?

3) Did the QB score points?

I used those three questions to evaluate MAC QBs, selected College QBs and for fun this year's NFL QBs.

MAC QBs

I was quite irritated with the MAC's choice for best QBs, but it's media voted and they are idiots, no matter what happens, they'll look at the box score and applaud whoever is on top. So of course they voted Frohnapfel, Terrell, and Hendrix.

I was furious a month ago and I am still. If MAC Postseason awards are about who got the most yards by any means necessary, than Anthone Taylor is a first team All-MAC back. If MAC Postseason awards are about who did it most efficiently, than Joe Licata is a second-team All-MAC Quarterback.

Rk

Player

Yr

Team

Efficiency

Positive Plays

Scoring Plays

1

Drew Hare

SO

NIU

5

1

5

1

Logan Woodside

SO

TOL

4

5

2

3

Zach Terrell

SO

WMU

1

13

2

3

Joe Licata

JR

BUFF

3

12

1

5

Ozzie Mann

SO

BALL

9

2

7

5

Blake Fohnapfel

SR

UMASS

6

6

6

7

Cooper Rush

SO

CMU

2

14

4

8

Jack Milas

FR

BALL

11

2

9

9

James Knape

SO

BGSU

7

7

13

9

Derrius Vick

JR

OHIO

7

11

9

9

Andrew Hendrix

SR

MIA

12

8

7

12

Colin Reardon

SO

KENT

10

8

12

13

Kyle Pohl

JR

AKR

15

4

14

14

Reggie Bell

FR

EMU

13

14

11

15

JD Sprague

SO

OHIO

14

10

15

I have Drew Hare of NIU and Logan Woodside of Toledo as top QBs of the MAC, followed by WMU's Zach Terrell and Joe Licata. If forced to vote for three, I would vote Hare - Terrell - Licata. Hare the best at avoiding negative plays, Terrell the most efficient, and Licata the most deadly. Woodside was the only very efficient and very deadly QB that also avoided negative plays. Everyone's favorite Fohnapfel was mediocre in all three areas, he just threw the ball a lot more than everyone else.

Efficiency

QB Efficiency

Rk

Player

Yr

Team

Dropback Percentage*

Yards/ Dropback*

Yards/ Touch*

1

Zach Terrell

SO

WMU

64.1%

8.51

8.31

2

Cooper Rush

SO

CMU

59.3%

7.22

7.24

3

Joe Licata

JR

BUFF

62.2%

7.12

6.97

4

Logan Woodside

SO

TOL

59.2%

7.33

6.88

5

Drew Hare

SO

NIU

57.4%

6.65

6.64

6

Blake Fohnapfel

SR

UMASS

52.5%

6.94

6.82

7

Derrius Vick

JR

OHIO

55.0%

6.33

6.39

7

James Knape

SO

BGSU

55.7%

6.05

6.05

9

Ozzie Mann

SO

BALL

56.6%

6.01

5.61

10

Colin Reardon

SO

KENT

55.5%

5.80

5.69

11

Jack Milas

FR

BALL

53.7%

5.92

5.63

12

Andrew Hendrix

SR

MIA

44.3%

5.97

5.86

13

Reggie Bell

FR

EMU

51.0%

5.53

5.86

14

JD Sprague

SO

OHIO

46.0%

5.35

5.62

15

Kyle Pohl

JR

AKR

51.9%

5.14

5.14

Zach Terrell was the most efficient QB in the MAC followed by Cooper Rush and Licata. 62% of Licata's dropbacks led to a completed pass, and on average, UB gained 7 yards for every pass called. Licata's yards per touch fell, as he is not a running threat, anytime Licata scrambled he was less effective than normal.

Positive Plays

QB Positive Plays

Rk

Player

Yr

Team

Dropback/ Int

Dropback/ Sack

1

Drew Hare

SO

NIU

169.00

28.17

2

Jack Milas

FR

BALL

42.80

42.80

2

Ozzie Mann

SO

BALL

102.50

25.63

4

Kyle Pohl

JR

AKR

50.13

22.28

5

Logan Woodside

SO

TOL

39.57

34.63

6

Blake Fohnapfel

SR

UMASS

45.90

20.86

7

James Knape

SO

BGSU

41.92

25.15

8

Colin Reardon

SO

KENT

25.69

37.36

8

Andrew Hendrix

SR

MIA

55.67

11.65

10

JD Sprague

SO

OHIO

42.60

19.36

11

Derrius Vick

JR

OHIO

42.75

15.55

12

Joe Licata

JR

BUFF

32.73

24.00

13

Zach Terrell

SO

WMU

39.00

17.73

14

Cooper Rush

SO

CMU

31.54

14.64

14

Reggie Bell

FR

EMU

34.33

9.36

On average, Drew Hare dropped back to pass an amazing 169 times between interceptions. Meanwhile only Colin Reardon and Cooper Rush threw INTS more often than Joe Licata in 2014. Ball State's freshman Jack Milas was the least sacked QB on average in the MAC followed by Colin Reardon, who apparently avoided sacks by throwing balls up for grabs.

QB Scoring Plays

QB Scoring Plays

Rk

Player

Yr

Team

Dropback/ Passing TD

Touch / TD

1

Joe Licata

JR

BUFF

12.41

12.23

2

Logan Woodside

SO

TOL

14.58

14.36

2

Zach Terrell

SO

WMU

15.00

15.38

4

Cooper Rush

SO

CMU

15.19

15.85

5

Drew Hare

SO

NIU

18.78

18.65

6

Blake Fohnapfel

SR

UMASS

19.96

20.78

7

Andrew Hendrix

SR

MIA

21.78

21.21

7

Ozzie Mann

SO

BALL

20.50

22.80

9

Jack Milas

FR

BALL

23.78

21.45

9

Derrius Vick

JR

OHIO

21.38

26.89

11

Reggie Bell

FR

EMU

22.89

24.38

12

Colin Reardon

SO

KENT

29.36

28.69

13

James Knape

SO

BGSU

33.53

32.29

14

Kyle Pohl

JR

AKR

44.56

42.90

15

JD Sprague

SO

OHIO

71.00

44.50

Licata was the deadliest QB in the MAC, throwing a TD every 12 drop backs.

The only thing that prevented Licata from being the best QB in the MAC last year was the turnovers, as a senior with a new coach I expect Licata to be the best of a deep QB Conference in 2015.

Selected NCAA QBs

I selected some national and regional QBs to see where Licata stacked up. As this is already getting wordy, no explanation, just a list.

34 - Long - Syracuse

33 - Hackenberg - Penn State

32 - Walker - Temple

31 - Pohl - Akron

30 - Gardner - Michigan

29 - Whitmer - UConn

28 - Sprague - Ohio

27 - Bell - EMU

26 - Reardon - Kent

T24 - Murphy - BC

T24 - Knape - BGSU

23 - Milas - Ball State

22 - Hunt - Syracuse

21 - Hendrix - Miami (OH)

20 - Vick - Ohio

19 - Mann - Ball State

18 - Trickett - West Virginia

17 - Fohnapfel - UMass

16 - Voytik - Pittsburgh

15 - Hare - NIU

14 - Golson - Notre Dame

13 - Rush - Central Michigan

12 - Licata - Buffalo

11 - Nova - Rutgers

10 - Winston - Florida State

9 - Woodside - Toldeo

8 - Boykin - TCU

7 - Kessler - USC

6 - Kiel - Cincinnati

5 - Barrett - Ohio State

T3 - Rakeem Cato - Marshall

T3 - Terrell - Western Michigan

2 - Cook - Michigan State

and by a landslide

1 - Mariota - Oregon

NFL QB Ranking

As a not so silent protest to that "stick to UB Sports" we got in the comments earlier in the week.

56 - Christian Ponder

55 - Johnny Manziel - Yea he's not good.

54 - Chase Daniel

53 - Connor Shaw

52 - Michael Vick - Vick played like Alex Moran in the first season of Blue Mountain State.

51 - Blake Bortles

50 - Ryan LIndley

49 - Matt Cassel

48 - Josh McCown

47 - Jake Locker

46 - Case Keenum

45 - Ryan Mallett

44 - Chad Henne

43 - Jimmy Garoppolo

42 - Jimmy Clausen

41 - Geno Smith

40 - Derek Carr

39 - Austin Davis

38 - Robert Griffin III - Weirdest QB year ever. Completed 69% of passes, but only 60% of dropbacks...which means he took a lot of sacks. He was 7th in yards per attempted throw, but sacked once every 7.5 dropbacks. RG3 was only responsible for 5 TDs, touching the ball on average 57 times between scores. He needs a change of scenery.

37 - Cam Newton

36 - EJ Manuel

35 - Colin Kaepernick

34 - Teddy Bridgewater - These stats got racist.

33 - Shaun Hill

32 - Kyle Orton - Bills starter signed after training camp, is 32nd best QB in NFL. Leads team to triumphant 9-7 record and retires on a blaze of glory. Sounds about right.

31 - Mike Glennon

30 - Zach Metenberger

29 - Brian Hoyer

28 - Jay Cutler - Don't care, still want him.

27 - Charlie Whitehurst

26 - Nick Foles

25 - Drew Stanton

24 - Matt Stafford

23 - Andy Dalton

22 - Alex Smith

21 - Ryan Tannehill

20 - Colt McCoy

19 - Matt Hasselbeck

18 - Mark Sanchez

17 - Brandon Weeden

16 - Philip Rivers

15 - Kirk Cousins

14 - Eli Manning

13 - Russell Wilson

12 - Joe Flacco

11 - Matt Ryan

10 - Andrew Luck - 37th in Touches per Turnover, giving the ball away every 32.14 touches. Russell Wilson gave the ball away once every 87.43 touches, Rodgers once every 84.43, Brady once every 53.25 touches and Flacco once every 51.08 touches. Those four have rings, Andrew won't get one until he learns to take care of the ball.

9 - Drew Brees

8 - Tom Brady - As always, if the Pats win again, I quit football forever.

7 - Carson Palmer - Carson can't catch a break.

6 - Ryan Fitzpatrick - Should've just kept Fitzy. Another reminder to fire Russ Brandon.

5 - Derek Anderson* - Started two games, both against Tampa

4 - Peyton Manning - Torn between wanting him to retire so I don't have to hear from Broncos fans again, and wanting him to stay so I don't have to hear from San Diego fans. #WestCoastFanProblems

3 - Ben Roethlisberger - Large Ben tied for the NFL passing title, and I think he spent the entire season as a free agent in my fantasy league. I think he had the weirdest best season for a QB in league history. Speaking of, the Steelers are 11-5 division champs with losses to Cleveland, Tampa, the Jets, and New Orleans.

2 - Tony Romo - I'm ashamed to say I'm rooting for the Cowboys, it's the first time in my life, but I have irrational love for big strong wide receivers. I loved Terrell Owens until he became a Bill, my favorite UB receiver was Ernest Jackson, and my favorite player in the game right now is Dez Bryant, especially after audio of "Dez being sideline cancer" showed that nope, Dez is just an aggressive motivational speaker and cheerleader.

I really hope Dallas cheap out and somehow Dez finds his way to Buffalo, Dez an Sammy goodnight world, even EJ couldn't mess that up, probably.

1 - Aaron Rodgers - I hate Aaron Rodgers but he was great this year, I hope he loses in the playoffs.

*Dropback completion percentage - Completions/Dropbacks. Used instead of completions/attempts, penalizing QBs who take sacks instead of risking an incompletion.

Yards per dropback - (Passing yards - Sack yard) / (Attempts + Sacks)

Yards per touch - (Passing Yards + Rushing yards) / (Dropbacks + Run Attempts)

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