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Tale of the Tape: Sizing up the pinball quarterbacks of 2011

Part of Mid-Major Week.

We all want to impress friends, workers and comely barmaids with the perfect fantasy/All-American/dark horse Heisman pick that will turn out to be devastatingly accurate in December. But who? As usual, your best option this fall is to mine the tried-and-true ranks of stat-busting quarterbacks with a schedule full of ripe defenses for the picking.

In 2011, that means four names: Dual-threat Tulsa senior G.J. Kinne, tireless Hawaii senior Bryant Moniz, unflappable Boise State senior Kellen Moore and the elder statesman, sixth-year Houston senior Case Keenum. Between Keenum's arm, Kinne's versatility, Moniz's flowing locks and Moore's eerie consistency, they make a complete set of prolific overachievement. But if you only need one, there is only one place to go: To the tape!{YSP:MORE}

. . .

CASE KEENUM

G.J. KINNE

BRYANT MONIZ

KELLEN MORE

ADVANTAGE

GENERIC PROFILE

Prolific slinger gets second chance at grand finale.

Texas refugee found perfect fit just as Longhorn offense went off the rails.

Hawaii quarterback.

Unassuming winner is seven victories away from Colt McCoy's career record.


Moore

MOST IMPRESSIVE STAT

Well within reach of NCAA career records with 3,486 yards and/or 27 touchdowns.

Accounted for two-thirds of total yards by nation's No. 5 offense.

Went over 300 yards passing in 11 different games, with at least three TD passes in ten.

182.6 efficiency rating was third-highest in I-A/FBS history.


Moore

SIGNATURE WIN

29-28 over Texas Tech (9/26/09)

62-35 over Hawaii (12/24/10)

27-21 over Nevada (10/16/10)

17-10 over TCU (01/04/10)


Moore

SUPPORTING CAST

Four seniors with 10,291 total yards and 98 career TDs.

NCAA's career leader in all-purpose yards.

Huna spirits filling in for loss of five of the top six receivers.

"Muscle Hamster."


Keenum

ACHILLES HEEL

Anterior cruciate ligament.

Road trips: Pass efficiency dropped by 30 percent in road games.

Head shots. Wait, what was the question again?

Kickers, man. Kickers.


Moore

DRAFT PROSPECTS

Possible late-round pick with full return from ACL injury.

Possible late-round pick at best due to questions about arm strength and the spread offense.

Create-a-Player mode on Madden.

Solid late-round pick due to size and questionable arm strength.


Moore

FUN FACT

Has attempted at least 50 passes in 12 of 30 career starts.

Led C-USA's No. 1 rush offense with 561 yards.

Delivered pizzas as a walk-on and has an unfairly cute daughter.

36-1 as a starter when Broncos are favored. (2-1 when they're not.)


Moniz

SEASON IS A SUCCESS IF...

Passing marks fall with all limbs attached and functioning.

Texas fans still regret his transfer in December.

"We're going to the Hawaii Bowl!"

Boise's back in the BCS after a one-year hiatus.


Kinne

There you have it: When in doubt, double down on the reigning Heisman finalist to reprise the Broncos' long-running reign of death in the WAC in their new home in the Mountain West, en route to becoming the winningest quarterback in the history of college football. The barmaids of the Northwest are counting on you, Kellen.

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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.