TCU’s Boykin on list of Davey O’Brien finalists

TCU’s quarterback Trevone Boykin has been named one of three finalists for the Davey O’Brien Award, presented to the nation’s top quarterback. Joining Boykin as finalists are Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott.

The Davey O’Brien Award is named after the former Texas Christian University quarterback. O’Brien won the 1938 Heisman Trophy in leading the Horned Frogs to their second national championship in four seasons. Boykin tops the Big 12 and is third nationally in total offense (356.9 yards per game). He is on pace to become just the third quarterback since 2009 to average over 300 yards passing (302.1) and 50 yards rushing (54.8). The other two were Heisman Trophy winners Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel.

Since its inception in 1977, the Davey O’Brien Foundation, based in Fort Worth, has given away nearly $900,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.

Boykin has set TCU single-season records for passing yards (3,021) and total offense (3,569). He has 24 touchdown passes with just five interceptions. The Dallas native is second on the Horned Frogs with 548 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on a 4.5 per carry mark. Led by Boykin, TCU is second in the nation in scoring offense (45.9 points per game) and fourth in total offense (541.6 yards per game). The Horned Frogs are the nation’s most improved offense in both total yards (+196.8 ypg) and scoring (+20.8 ppg) from last season. The 20.8 increase in scoring is on pace to set a Big 12 record and would be the largest improvement by any team since Northwestern (24.0 ppg) between 1999-00. TCU is en route to breaking single-season school records for points, first downs, plays, passing yards and total offense. As a Davey O’Brien Award finalist, Boykin will be in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 11 for the Home Depot College Football Awards, which airs on ESPN at 6 p.m. CST.