Who is the best quarterback in the Mountain West Conference?
That will be determined in the next few weeks as league plays wind down and ballots go out within conference boundaries.
There are three candidates that stand out. They have a lot in common. They've got talent; they've produced numbers. They've made great plays you could put on highlight reels. And you could make a case for each one — and be right.
In all due respect to Jeff Ballard at league-leading TCU, the frontrunners for the MWC's best quarterback are Justin Holland of CSU, Utah's Brian Johnson and John Beck at BYU.
None of these guys play in high heels. They're all fighters. They've proven their leadership. They've battled ups and downs. Holland's had a steady coaching staff and offense to operate within. Johnson and Beck have had a coaching change with accompanying new coordinators.
The preseason MWC quarterback, picked last July, was Wyoming's Corey Bramlett. Turnovers and a four-game losing streak has taken the Cowboy QB out of the running.
Beck has been lucky to watch both Johnson and Holland live during Thursday night games, something the Cougars didn't earn the curse to do in 2005. He's impressed.
"Justin Holland's had a great career at CSU. Johnson makes good reads. They are ranked high for a reason. To have three guys ranked that high says something about this conference, and that's not taking anything away from the defenses, because TCU is right up there."
Holland is a pure pocket passer. He has an amazingly accurate arm and a prime target in David Anderson, who gobbles up balls all over the field — one of the best route runners in the league who gets yards after catches.
Johnson is the most athletic. He uses his running skills to produce yards and set up his teammates. He has a great receiver with combo speed and size in John Madsen, who is a huge playmaker. His arm is average but his competitive instincts have barely been tapped.
Beck has the strongest arm and is working a system that gives him ample chances to hit a myriad of targets — tight end Jonny Harline may be the best at his position in the conference, and his backs are getting a lot of touches through the air.
Breaking it down statistically — and yes, there are statistics and then there are damn statistics — all have their finer points.
Beck has thrown more, completed more and amassed more passing yards. The BYU junior has completed 249 of 384 for 2869 with 11 interceptions and 20 touchdowns. His 27 completions per game are six more than Johnson and eight more than Holland. Johnson is 193 of 292 for 2,532 and 14 touchdowns with just six interceptions. Holland is 174 of 275 for 2,475 yards and 20 touchdowns with a high 12 interceptions.
Holland gets more yards per attempt at 9 compared with Johnson (8.67) and Beck (7.47), and he triumphs in yards per completion at 14.22 compared with Johnson's 13.12 and Beck's 11.52.
Holland has the best pass efficiency rating at 154.15 and is ranked No. 13. Johnson is second with a 150.65 rating, and Beck's 139.06 rating ranks No. 35 nationally.
Both Johnson and Beck had solid outings against league leader TCU and had chances to beat the Frogs before and during overtime. Holland struggled against the Frogs with four interceptions and no touchdown passes.
Holland and Beck are tied for the conference lead in points responsible for per game at 14.67. Johnson averages 13.3 points per game.
In total offense, Johnson ranks No. 5 nationally with 3053 total yards in nine games, or 339.2 yards per game. Beck is No. 9 at 2,838 total and a 315.3 average. Holland has gained 2,332 total yards and averages out at 259 a game, at No. 29 nationally.
In rushing, Johnson blows the others away. As a double weapon in Andy Ludwig's offense, he's netted 521 yards on 139 carries. Both Beck and Holland have run sparingly and have to absorb sack yardage. Beck has 54 attempts for a net minus 31. Holland has 29 attempts for a minus 143 yards.
Beck has been more productive in notching road wins with victories at New Mexico and UNLV. Johnson has a win at UNLV, and Holland got a victory at New Mexico.
As far as win-loss streaks go, Beck is on the upswing with a 4-1 mark in the last five. Both Johnson and Holland are 2-3 in that span. Beck won a head-to-head with Holland, a 24-14 Cougar decision. Holland won the head-to-head with Johnson in Fort Collins. Johnson and Beck will face off next week in LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Beck's had comebacks and produced at crunch time. Johnson's versatility on the field makes him dangerous. Holland's accuracy is always a threat he showed in the comeback win over New Mexico.
While Beck has the biggest passing game, a 517-yarder, both Johnson and Holland have each notched a 400-plus yard pass outing this season. Beck has twice as many 300-yard passing games (four) as Johnson and Holland (two each) and ranks No. 3 nationally in passing yards behind Cody Hodges of Texas Tech and Colt Brennan of Hawaii.
Whom do you take?
Well, generally, it seems a conference honors upperclassmen, its seniors. If that's the case and the others are seen as close, the MWC quarterback will be Holland. Or the league could opt out by naming two QBs. Three would be stretching it. Still, the leftovers or second-team QBs made a heck of a statement this season.
Picking the best MWC is a good problem to wrestle with in 2005.
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com