What he did, was manage most games very well, keep BYU in games by fewer mistakes, but was still not scared to go for the home run (even after failures, he gets back up with confidence).
But, make no mistake, the guy is nails, and engineered some of the most memorable game winning drives in BYU history, against all odds, when the game was on the line. That's one of the key things any coach (and fellow players) want to see in their field leader. The stats just don't speak to that key thing that makes a QB a leader.
JR's confidence, and willingness / eagerness to get right back at it after failures, will pay dividends moving forward, and the stats will follow.