Washington Football quarterback Jake Browning is one of the most efficient passers in the NCAA. But the media loves gunslingers, not surgeons who specialize in TD passes.
On one hand, the NCAA quarterbacks are loaded with talent this year. And on the other hand, the Pac-12 is home to some of the best quarterback talent in the nation. But there is one quarterback for the Washington Football team who is not mentioned much in national discussion. Amidst the crowded stables of the Pac-12 is a seldom discussed quarterback who makes his home in Seattle, Washington. You see,his name is Jake Browning, and he is a junior starting quarterback for the Washington Huskies.
Oh, and he happens to own the University of Washington Football record for throwing touchdown passes in 18 consecutive games.
How long before Jake Browning owns every spot on this list? pic.twitter.com/oxRYGgS0DW
— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) September 27, 2017
Heisman Trophy
On one hand, there is a lot of buzz about the Heisman trophy this year. On the other hand, the media choices for that distinction gravitate to gunslingers. Unfortunately, quarterbacks must take chances to garner national attention.
Stripe Hype
And right now, Jake Browning is on the outside looking in to that prestigious award. But that is just fine for the Folsom, California native. He is less concerned about winning awards, and more about winning games.
You may note that Heisman candidates need a great deal of elements to win national notoriety. On one hande, they must be in a winning program. On the other hand, the team often is proficient in that player’s skillsets (passing or running). And to top it off, the games are often on the line late when the player contributes to the victory.
Washington is a winning program, but the team is winning through the contribution of virtually the entire roster. And so, Jake Browning is more akin to an orchestra conductor, keeping everyone on the offense in sync. And so, he has the Washington Football team at 4-0.
Offense is an anomaly
So far, so good, right? Well yes, to an extent. As a matter of fact, the Washington offense is an anomaly. As the team continues to rack up points, currently at third in the Pac-12 conference at 44.5 points per game, the team does not need much time to score.
In fact, the Huskies often lose the battle in time of possession. The only game where Washington came out with more time of possession was the game hosting Montana, and despite the score of 63-7, possession was less than a minute apart.
In short, Washington doesn’t waste time scoring.
Adam Jude of Seattle Times is a great read
Adam Jude of the Seattle Times points out that the Huskies run 1.33 plays per point, leading the nation as the most efficient offense. But he also points out that the defense is tied with Alabama at allowing a point every 5.98 play.
As you can find in the Table shown below from ”Washington, once again, has the most efficient offense in college football” by Adam Jude
"2017 OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCYTeam … Plays per point1. Washington … 1.332. Miami … 1.373. Oklahoma … 1.394. Maryland … 1.435. Oklahoma State … 1.486. Stanford … 1.487. Central Florida … 1.488. Oregon … 1.569. SMU … 1.5610. Kansas State … 1.57Source: SportSource Analytics"
Even so, the fact remains that the offense is run by Jake Browning. Nine different players on the team have scored, and many more have contributed in both the passing and running game.
Next: Running back Salvon Ahmed itches for a breakout game
After all, It’s a long season. Jake Browning has plenty of games to play. But he just keeps throwing touchdowns. And for now, that is worth more than the Heisman Trophy.