I think you hold JR to impossible standards. He had 20 Tds and 10 picks this year. Here are how some other BYU QBs did in their second significant year:
Zack 11/9
Steve Young 18/18
Ty 41/28
McMahon 6/8
Marc Wilson 8/13
John Beck 15/8
John Walsh 28/15
Nielson 29/19
Taysom 19/14
Sheide 23 /19

Before he was injured (end of Oct) he was the second highest rated QB in the Big 12, the highest rated pocket passer in the NCAA, and the top rated player on the team (PFF).


Was his game yesterday any worse than the potential number one pick in the draft? Both threw 2 picks, one into tight coverage and the other a correct throw (or shovel pass), that the receiver didn’t catch. The shovel pass was absolutely a correct choice- shovel passes are always into crowded spaces, and he hit the TE in the numbers. JR executed properly, and his PFF grade will reflect that. On the picked 2 point conversion, a pick is the same as an incompletion or a sack, so you take the chance there even if they are covered.

The big difference between JR and Sanders is that Sanders threw short passes only, and 2 were turned into long gains by a freak. JR, threw a 75 yard TD pass that was dropped, and threw short, medium and long passes. Both missed by my count about 3 times (one a pick each). BYU has very good receivers, CO better. JR had fair protection, Sanders had none (no time to throw long).