UCF QB Mikey Keene Delivered, Deserves Applause
After starting 10 games in 2021, it had to be hard for quarterback Mikey Keene to take a spot on the bench and watch John Rhys Plumlee start. That’s what he did though, all the while preparing like a starter.
The UCF Knights absolutely hold a unique situation with two quality quarterbacks. That’s incredibly rare. Most teams are lucky to have one above average signal caller. UCF has two better than that.
Here’s what head coach Gus Malzahn said about Keene today during his press conference.
“Mikey is a champ. It was a close, hard-fought battle with him and John Rhys at quarterback. He’d been waiting his turn. He’s been preparing like he’s going to play every week. So it didn’t surprise me (when he played well versus Memphis). It probably didn’t surprise anyone that he played like he did. Last two games, very efficient. Very impressive to see.”
Malzahn is right. Keene is an efficient passer, an efficient leader overall really. During the two games that he’s been behind center, here are his statistics: 37 of 49, 75.5%, 395 yards, 8.1 yards per attempt, three touchdowns and one interception.
Beyond the numbers, he came off the bench against a talented Cincinnati defense and led the offense for more than a half, including the game-winning drive, to help UCF to a 25-21 victory.
For Keene to come off the bench against Cincinnati like he did, and be an impact performer, is more than impressive. It’s absolutely a special situation. Congratulations to Keene for being a true teammate and a winner. He’s doing a marvelous job.
His start against Memphis is also impressive, as UCF's offensive balance is obvious with Keene behind center. It's been a smooth transition with Keene being the leader of the offense.
Keep in mind, Keene only received the No. 1 reps prior to Memphis, too. That means he’s not been throwing with all the primary wide receivers the way Plumlee has. Now, he received reps, too. Just not as many as Plumlee prior to his injury against Cincinnati.
Regardless of whether he’s the starter moving forward or even hits the field again this season, Keene deserves all the credit and applause he can receive from the UCF faithful. He is the definition of what it means to be ready to play at a moment’s notice, and UCF is fortunate to have Keene as a part of the program.
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