There is a big quarterback matchup in the SEC on Saturday when Zach Mettenberger and LSU will play against Aaron Murray and Georgia. There is also an intriguing Mountain West quarterback showcase Friday night when David Fales and San Jose State play host to Chuckie Keeton and Utah State.
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The Fales-Keeton battle is one of the best quarterback matchups outside the Big Six conferences this season.
Fales (6-foot-3, 220 pounds), a senior, is averaging 289.3 passing yards per game, completing 60.9 of his passes and has thrown for six TDs and three picks in three games. Keeton (6-2, 200), a junior, is averaging 275.5 passing yards per game, completing 71.5 percent of his passes and has thrown for 14 TDs and one pick in four games. He also has run for 172 yards and a touchdown. Both teams have lost twice, and all four combined losses are to teams in Big Six leagues.
Fales burst on the scene last season, his first with the Spartans after transferring from a junior college. Fales, who began his career at Nevada, threw for 4,193 yards, 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and had a completion rate of 72.5 percent last season. He threw four TD passes in four games and threw at least three in eight games. He is a pocket passer, reads defenses quickly and generally is poised and efficient. He has good footwork and mechanics, but lacks arm strength and mobility and that likely will knock him down some draft boards.
Mobility isn't a problem for Keeton, who was named the first-team All-WAC quarterback over Fales last season. Keeton is a three-year starter from the Houston area who might be the best native Texan playing quarterback in the FBS ranks who isn't named Johnny Manziel (Baylor's Bryce Petty is his only competition for second). Keeton has dual-threat ability and also possesses decent arm strength. His accuracy is improving, too. He lacks ideal size (his listed height probably is an inch too much), his mechanics need work and his ability to throw the deep ball is a question. Still, he is a junior and has another year to work out the kinks and add strength and bulk.
Fales will be facing the better overall defense. Both teams have been good against the pass; in San Jose State's case, that might be because opponents that have made a concerted effort to run on the Spartans have had great success.
San Jose State's rushing attack has been pitiful, meaning it's up to Fales to keep the Spartans in the game with his arm.
Also on view will be Utah State senior Tyler Larsen (6-4, 312), a four-year starter generally considered one of the nation's top five centers.
This is an important game in the Mountain West pecking order. Fresno State and Boise State look to be the two best teams in the league, and the winner of this can claim -- for a while, anyway -- it is the league's third-best squad.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
