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Heisman frontrunner? Justin Fields’ passing stats are video game type numbers
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Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields continued his record pace in the Buckeyes’ win over Rutgers on Saturday.
Fields completed 24-of-28 passes for 314 yards and five touchdowns in the win over the Scarlett Knights.
On the season, Fields has the same number of incompletions (11) as touchdown passes (11) through three games.
But as ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren points out, some of the more advanced numbers are even more favorable. Just 3.6 percent of his passes this season have been off target and he’s averaging 12.6 yards per completion.
Ohio State QB Justin Fields stats through 3 games:
86.7% comp. percentage (2nd to Graham Mertz who has only played 1 game)
Only 3.6% of his passes have been off target, 94.5% were catchable pass attempts
13.3% TD/Pass attempt
12.6 yards per completion
908 yards, 11 TD, 0 INT
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) November 8, 2020
If Fields keeps up his current levels of efficiency, he will shatter the single-season quarterback efficiency record that Joe Burrow set last season. Fields is at 222.4 through three games while Burrow’s all-time best mark from last season is 202.
For a little more perspective, there have only been six quarterbacks to ever post an efficiency rating better than 190: Jalen Hurts, Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa and Burrow.
Of those six, all but Wilson made it to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist at the end of the year. Wilson finished No. 9 in Heisman voting in 2011.
Fields will be back on the field on Saturday as the Buckeyes take on Maryland.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.