Tracking UCF Quarterback Mikey Keene

Through seven starts, Mikey Keene has been improving, but more consistency is needed.

Brian Smith | Nov 16, 2021

ORLANDO - A freshman quarterback should be considered to be just that, a freshman quarterback. He’s going to endure ups and downs. For UCF’s Mikey Keene, he’s continuing to grow as the starting signal caller for the Knights.

Here’s a look at his statistics, game by game, through his first seven starts. There are some good moments and games that came from those seven starts behind center, but also moments and games he probably would like to launch into the Gulf of Mexico and never see those statistics again.

That's the nature of being a college quarterback, especially when starting as a true freshman.

As a reference point for the season, Keene’s passing numbers: 122/195, 1,263 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

In order, here are Keene’s statistics for this season since he took over as the starter against Navy.

Game By Game

At Navy: 16/26, 178 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

East Carolina: 23/35, 194 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.

At Cincinnati: 16/27, 141 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

Memphis: 11/19, 63 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

At Temple: 15/21, 229 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.

Tulane: 19/25, 229 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

At SMU: 18/35, 174 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.

As one might expect, Keene went through some ups and downs, especially versus the Cincinnati defense that continues to prove its amongst the nation’s elite. The Memphis game, however, creates more questions.

The Tigers rank No. 89 in total defense by allowing 410.3 yards per game, and their passing defense allows 260.0 yards per game, ranking them No. 107 in the country. That’s still the game where Keene passed for 63 yards.

He’s human. He had a bad game. Then, inexplicably, the next two games were examples of how Keene can play really well. Seven total touchdowns and zero interceptions is a great place to start. His 458 passing yards are good numbers, too.

Like many young quarterbacks, Mikey Keene has shown promise while also enduring some rough stretches of play / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Situationally, Keene’s numbers provide more detail.

Third Down Passing, A Comparison Between Youth and Experience

For the season, Keene completed 33/55 for 346 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions, completing 60.0% of his passes. That’s only 6.3 yards per completion, which likely means that Keene does not yet see the field as well as he needs to just yet.

As a comparison, Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett’s third down numbers read like this: 58/88, for 718 yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. He’s completing 65.9% of his passes during third down attempts, and he’s averaging a tremendous 12.4 yards per completion. There are still two tales to tell regarding Pickett and his rise as a fifth-year senior.

This is a player that was up and down for four consecutive seasons. Just last season, Picket was 56/94 for 574 yards, two touchdowns, four interceptions, and was completing 59.6% of his passes on third down. Look at those interceptions. Talk about a stark difference.

During his fifth and last season of college football, he’s maturing and making tremendous decisions with the football. That’s the biggest difference. Pickett always seems to throw a beautiful pass, but in the past it did not always find its intended mark, nor the decisions as to where to throw the football, proving to be the best.

In short, Keene is much like many other young quarterbacks; they make a litany of mistakes during their first season behind center. It takes time to reach the level that Picket has made it to.

Final Thoughts

Keene did a solid job so far, and he needs to continue to grow. Having Jaylon Robinson back in the lineup will help the situation for sure. Now Keene needs to take advantage of Robinson’s speed, as well as find open receivers that will not be as big of priorities for Connecticut or USF with Robinson on the field.

Keene should improve his statistics just from Robinson’s presence, especially if running back Isaiah Bowswer comes back into the lineup, after his injury, during the last two football games.

While a big if regarding Bowser and his injury status, that’s also the nature of college football much like Keene being the starting quarterback just four games into his collegiate career. The young signal caller needs to learn to overcome adversity, one game at a time. Let's see how Keene advances during the final two contests of the 2021 season.

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