Kittley’s WKU Quarterback Can Break BJ Symons’ 18-Year-Old Record
Former Texas Tech quarterback BJ Symons threw for 5833 in 2003. He did so in 12 regular-season games and a bowl game against Navy. That is the most passing yards in a single season for any college quarterback ever. In 2019, Joe Burrow threw for 60 touchdowns in 15 games while leading LSU to a National Championship game.
Those two records are in danger of falling in 2021 to one man. A man led by a familiar face in Zach Kittley. That's right, Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe has been easily the most prolific quarterback this season, and maybe the most prolific of the decade. Zappe played at Houston Baptist with Kittley before transferring to WKU when Kittley was hired away from HBU.
Zappe leads all quarterbacks in passing yards by more than 1,000 yards. Mike Leach's Bulldogs quarterback has thrown just ten less attempts than Zappe, but has more than 1,000 less yards. That's incredible. Rogers has also thrown just 35 touchdowns while Zappe has thrown 56. The next most touchdowns? Alabama's Bryce Young with 43.
Zappe also leads all players in points responsible for and total offense per game.
If the Hilltoppers' quarterback can throw for just 264 yards and 5 touchdowns in their upcoming Boca Rotan Bowl against App State, he'll own both the Symons and Burrows records and Zappe's 2021 will go down as the best season for a college quarterback ever. Have I mentioned Zach Kittley will be taking over Texas Tech's offense next season?
Now, Kittley will still call the plays for Zappe's last game in Boca Rotan, and then he'll be in Lubbock preparing Tyler Shough or Donovan Smith or Behren Morton or maybe even Quinn Ewers to bring Symons' record back home where it belongs in 2022.
This success isn't new for Zappe and Kittley either. In the shortened season of 2020, Zappe and HBU lit up Texas Tech on route to completing 65.6 percent of his passes for 1,833 yards and 15 touchdowns with only one interception over four games. In 2019, Zappe led the nation with 35 passing touchdowns and threw for 334.3 yards per game.