Will Howard earns top Pro Football Focus passer grade for Week 12 effort

Will Howard went off against Northwestern, and he earned the top passer grade in the country because of his performance.

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Northwestern Wildcats squared off at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday, and as expected, the former came out with another easy Big Ten victory.

While their defense continued to perform at a high level and the running back duo did their part as well, quarterback Will Howard was the star of the show, earning the top passer grade from Pro Football Focus in Week 12.

Howard ended the game with 247 passing yards and two touchdowns, going 15-of-24 as a passer. Freshman Jeremiah Smith accounted for nearly half of those yards, ending with four receptions for 100 yards.

While there’s really no talk of Howard in the conversation for Heisman, he has quietly put together a complete resume, throwing just five interceptions and having a conference-high 24 passing touchdowns. He also has 2,484 passing yards and should pass his total from last season (2,643) against the Hoosiers on Saturday.

Now, those might not be like the video game numbers Cam Ward is putting up, but they are among the most efficient in the country.