Can Taylor Kelly go next level?

Can Taylor Kelly take the Devils to heights not seen around here in many years? I believe he can because of three things. Those are his experience, mobility, and his ability to throw the ball down field.


He is coming back for his third year starting at quarterback for the Devils and most certainly demolish some Arizona State passing records. To have an experienced quarterback in major college football is a blessing for any program because that experience can lead to many victories for that team. In this case, the Sun Devils have benefitted from that experience. In tight ballgames he can lead his team down the field to victory, like Kelly has done. Other offensive players look to him to be calm when everything is going crazy around them. Kelly will and has provided that calmness on many occasions.  It's his other teammates that have not kept their cool and cost the Devils a down, a penalty, or even a touchdown. He is the leader on the team and been through "the fire" already. He knows how to handle difficult situations because he has had to handle those nutty parts of a game. I look to Taylor Kelly using this experience he has already gained to really propel the Sun Devils to victory this season.


Secondly, his ability to use his legs and extend the play are invaluable in an age when defenses are becoming so quick and agile. Case in point, he had 826 yards last year which is approximately 6.2 yards a carry. When a defense has to game plan not only for a quarterback who can throw, but also averages six yards a carry on the ground, you will have many defensive coordinators having restless nights imagining Taylor Kelly getting outside the pocket and making any number of plays. He had his best game against Texas Tech with 135 on 25 carries, so this kind of stat is one that I would be worried about if I was a defensive coach in the Pac-12. It would be a "tums" moment for me.


Next, when you combine the experience factor and the running ability, and you literally throw in a quarterbacks ability to get the ball downfield you have one potent player on the field every Saturday afternoon. Taylor Kelly's passing stats are off the chart for a quarterback, even in the pass happy Pac-12. He threw for 3,600 yards last year, threw 28 touchdowns, helped the team average almost 40 points a game. He has thrown for over 6,000 yards so far in his career and 57 touchdowns in his two year stint as a starting quarterback. If he keeps at it and stays at ASU, Kelly will destroy records at the school. He averaged about 260 yards a game last year, I have a feeling that will only get better as this season gets underway in few weeks. I for one believe that as the Taylor Kelly goes, so go the Sun Devils.  Time to start throwing that "fork" down the field...