Heaps' Passing by Quarter

The Aggregate Stats
Heaps has completed 55.6% of his passes, for 855 yards, with 3 TDs and 5 INTs, and his longest completion is 37 yards.  He averages 9.6 yards/completion, 5.3 yards/attempt, and 213.8 yards/game.  Note: I am missing a pass attempt, completed for one yard from the Ole Miss game that the official stats report but I couldn't find it.  Perhaps there was something I counted as a "rush" that was technically a forward pass.

First Quarter
Ironically, Heaps best quarter of football of the season (statistically speaking) came in the first quarter against Utah.  Yes, the same quarter where he had his "C'mon, Man!" moment after a bad snap was also his best quarter.  He was 10-15, with 136 yards.  He completed three passes over 15 yards.  Overall, the first quarter is his best quarter by yardage (averaging 74 yards in first quarters), though it's his worst in terms of percentage (52.17%).  In the first quarter, it seems very clear Heaps is confident and slinging the ball up the field a bit more as he probes the defense.  He averages 12.3 yards/completion and 6.4 yards/attempt.  In throwing the ball downfield more, he has yet to throw a TD pass in the first quarter.  He has thrown a pick, however.  24-46, 296 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT.

Second Quarter
Heaps has had the most success in the second quarter from a completion percentage standpoint, completing 59.5% of his second quarter passes.  It is also his second most successful in terms of yardage, averaging 9.5 yards/completion, 5.7 yards/attempt, and 59.5 yards in the second quarter.  He has thrown two TDs and an INT.  Though the yardage is a bit down, I would venture to say that the second quarter is Heaps' best quarter.  He completes the highest percentage of his passes and scores the most points.  25-42, 238 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.

Third Quarter
By now, the wheels are starting to unravel on this young QB.  These are the situations where BYU has a chance to come out and put some pressure on the opposing team.  But halftime adjustments seem to work in favor of opposing defenses.  Chalk it up to a young QB or a green offensive coordinator or some other factor, Jake Heaps does not perform in the third quarter nearly as well as he does in the first half.  His completion percentage drops to 53.1%, his yards/completion matches 2nd quarter performance at 9.5 but his yards/attempt shrivels to 5.0.  He has thrown 0 TDs and 1 INT, though his lone third quarter INT was returned for a TD.  17-32, 161 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT.

Fourth Quarter
His 56.4% completion percentage exceeds his season average of 55.6%.  However, he averages 7.0 yards/completion and 4.1 yards/attempt.  He seems to take the safer throws.  If I went back to the film, I would problem find that 80% of his fourth quarter passes are outs and fades, which are relatively low risk (and low rewards).  He has thrown a 4th quarter TD is leading BYU's comeback at Ole Miss.  He has also thrown 2 INTs, though both were kind of throw-away INTs (3rd and long against Texas he threw a long bomb to Hoffman that was picked, and threw his second one at 47-10 against Utah).  22-39, 159 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs.

My Thoughts
Heaps moves the ball in the first half.  He's got to start scoring points then.  He clearly isn't going to be able to do much in the second half, so he has to put some points up while he's sharp and confident.  The emergence of a running game will help with his completion percentage and his yards per everything.  The points will come, I have no doubt.  The schedule is remarkably easier starting next week.  The question is: will the points start coming this week or will it have to wait until the opponents get even worse?