He was there for the taking.
All a team would have had to do was crook a finger, and Brandon Doughty would have come running.
He had been a very good quarterback for North Broward High School, but the power conferences pretty much ignored him. All he had was an offer to Florida Atlantic. And then Western Kentucky came calling.
And found themselves a star.
Doughty has been a sensation for the Hilltoppers. He’s the second-ranked quarterback in the nation, throwing for more than 9,000 yards and 90 touchdowns during the past two years. He faces USF in the Miami Beach Bowl at 2:30 p.m.
“Most people are looking for a dual threat guy or, if not, a big guy with a cannon for an arm,” Western coach Jeff Brohm told ESPN. “He didn’t have any of that stuff going for him. But he had a good feel for the game and was an accurate passer.”
Playing against Doughty this year, LSU coach Les Miles suggested that Doughty “was every bit an SEC quarterback.”
“Coach Brohm actually played, so he understands that everything is not going to work out perfectly on a play,” Doughty said. “Stuff happens, people fall down, guards get beat. I knew what we were doing under coach Petrino, but with coach Brohm I understood why we’re doing it. That’s been key to the evolution of my success.”
Brohm tailored the no-huddle offense to what his quarterback does best: make quick decisions, and deliver the ball accurately and on time.
“Since his athleticism is not superior, we drill a lot of move-the-pocket stuff, and we work the scramble drill way more than anywhere I’ve ever been,” Brohm said. “But he’s been able to slide and create just a little more time for guys to get open, and that’s really helped his game.”
