Keller throws three touchdown passes in big win

The Toledo (Ohio) Whitmer football program is off to a 4-0 start to its 2017 season and a big reason for that is the play of sophomore quarterback Riley Keller. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound prospect made several big throws again on Friday night in a 31-0 win over Toledo St. John's. After the game was scoreless for nearly 20 minutes to start things off, Keller came alive to throw three touchdown passes in the win.

"Slow start in the first half," said Keller after the game. "The defense did a great job, leaving them with no points on the board in the first half. We talked things over as an offense (at halftime) and we knew what we had to do to put points on the board and we did that pretty well."

Keller started as a freshman last year for Whitmer so while still a very young player, he has the experience and leadership of a veteran. He was confident that things could be fixed at halftime, up just 7-0, and they were.

"We just weren't on the right page," he said. "We missed a few balls. The communication was bad which I have to take the blame for that because communication goes through me and then to the receivers and the rest of the offense. But we really turned it up in the second half."

On the recruiting front, Keller is sitting on offers from Ole Miss and Toledo and is hearing from several Big Ten programs, including Ohio State. Keller visited in July for Friday Night Lights and then again last Saturday for the Oklahoma game.

"It was a great experience," he said of the game. "I've been to Steelers games and stuff like that, but there is no atmosphere like (Ohio State). It was awesome."

Keller doesn't have any other visits planned as of now as he tries to stay focused on what could be a very successful season at Whitmer. The mental aspect of Keller's game continues to improve but he has added another dimension to the physical component this fall.

"You didn't really get to see it tonight, but I've really improved in the running game," he said. "Just the way the defense played (on Friday) it didn't really work out, but that's part of our offense now. I'm going to run the ball when I need to and I probably should have a few more times tonight."