From Football.com...
Every year, relatively unknown players come into the lime life as they blow up the college football scene. Some of them even go on to win awards at the end of the season.
Whether they were unknown due to it being their first year starting or a lack of national spotlight, they prove that they’re a player worth talking about.
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane may have one of those players in 2015. Quarterback Dane Evans’ position as an “unknown” likely fits into the mold of a lack of the national spotlight, something that should be changed given the talents of this young man.
In 2015, Evans has been one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the country, sitting in third in the Football Bowl Subdivision in yards per game. His position of 14th in Division I-A in passing yards is only due to the fact that Tulsa has played three games while most of his competitors have played an extra fourth game.
Tulsa’s high-powered passing attack that Evans leads is nothing new this season.
In 2014, Evans finished third in the American behind notable quarterbacks Shane Carden and Gunner Kiel for passing yards. One of the biggest differences for Evans in his upward trend is his ability to protect the ball. In 2014, Evans finished with a 23-17 touchdown-interception ratio.
However, Evans seems to have turned a page in 2015, as his ratio is 8-2 through his first three games. Not to mention his completion percentage has gone up seven percent from 2014. While it’s a small sample size, Evans has given us no reason to think he can’t continue this new trend.
Normally one of the downfalls of a top player receiving the spotlight is because the team he’s on isn’t a good one. Tulsa hasn’t been kind to Evans, as he holds a 5-16 record as a starter, including a 2-10 season in 2014. Another turn of the page in 2015 sees Tulsa currently 2-1 with their only loss coming on the road against Big 12 power Oklahoma 52-38, and Tulsa was down just a touchdown at halftime.
If Tulsa proves to remain competitive, especially within the American, Evans will continue to see more and more credit come his way. There’s no doubt that he’ll continue to pass the ball and put up incredible statistics with ease, but it’ll come down to how much the remainder of his team can help him get there. In his tenure, that just hasn’t been the case.
This praise of Evans isn’t to say that he will be looking at a potential Heisman Trophy by season’s end, but the young man does deserve consideration for some awards. Evans will likely never receive the attention and respect that quarterbacks like Cody Kessler, Jared Goff, and Connor Cook receive, but Evans is an underrated player that can make any throw on the field.
Don’t be surprised if Evans is looked at as a potential Davey O’Brien Award winner for the nation’s top passer.
Every year, relatively unknown players come into the lime life as they blow up the college football scene. Some of them even go on to win awards at the end of the season.
Whether they were unknown due to it being their first year starting or a lack of national spotlight, they prove that they’re a player worth talking about.
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane may have one of those players in 2015. Quarterback Dane Evans’ position as an “unknown” likely fits into the mold of a lack of the national spotlight, something that should be changed given the talents of this young man.
In 2015, Evans has been one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the country, sitting in third in the Football Bowl Subdivision in yards per game. His position of 14th in Division I-A in passing yards is only due to the fact that Tulsa has played three games while most of his competitors have played an extra fourth game.
Tulsa’s high-powered passing attack that Evans leads is nothing new this season.
In 2014, Evans finished third in the American behind notable quarterbacks Shane Carden and Gunner Kiel for passing yards. One of the biggest differences for Evans in his upward trend is his ability to protect the ball. In 2014, Evans finished with a 23-17 touchdown-interception ratio.
However, Evans seems to have turned a page in 2015, as his ratio is 8-2 through his first three games. Not to mention his completion percentage has gone up seven percent from 2014. While it’s a small sample size, Evans has given us no reason to think he can’t continue this new trend.
Normally one of the downfalls of a top player receiving the spotlight is because the team he’s on isn’t a good one. Tulsa hasn’t been kind to Evans, as he holds a 5-16 record as a starter, including a 2-10 season in 2014. Another turn of the page in 2015 sees Tulsa currently 2-1 with their only loss coming on the road against Big 12 power Oklahoma 52-38, and Tulsa was down just a touchdown at halftime.
If Tulsa proves to remain competitive, especially within the American, Evans will continue to see more and more credit come his way. There’s no doubt that he’ll continue to pass the ball and put up incredible statistics with ease, but it’ll come down to how much the remainder of his team can help him get there. In his tenure, that just hasn’t been the case.
This praise of Evans isn’t to say that he will be looking at a potential Heisman Trophy by season’s end, but the young man does deserve consideration for some awards. Evans will likely never receive the attention and respect that quarterbacks like Cody Kessler, Jared Goff, and Connor Cook receive, but Evans is an underrated player that can make any throw on the field.
Don’t be surprised if Evans is looked at as a potential Davey O’Brien Award winner for the nation’s top passer.
