MIAMI -- It's fair to say Monday afternoon's Miami Beach Bowl did not start exactly how Brandon Doughty envisioned the last game of his Western Kentucky career going.
Doughty, he of six games with 4+ passing touchdowns in 2015 alone, began Monday's contest 9 of 18 with an interception through the game's first 15 minutes. He saw two easy touchdown passes sail beyond the grasp of his receivers and another long toss go off-target for his pass catcher.
But as the old adage goes: It's not how you start, it's how you finish.
Doughty recaptured his spark, shaking off his rough opening quarter to go 23 of 26 with three touchdown passes (and yes, a double-tipped interception) over the duration of the game. He finished with 461 yards to become the first player in WKU history and fifth all-time in Conference USA to throw for 5,000 or more yards in a season.
In doing so, Doughty proved once again what he has so often: He has the fortitude to press on when faced with adversity.
"It shows what type of quarterback he is," said WKU coach Jeff Brohm of Doughty's turnaround. "I think he's been consistent all year. When you put as much pressure on the passing game as we do -- and on the quarterback -- you're not going to be perfect all the time. But he's been perfect as much as he could possibly do.
"He was able to overcome a first quarter where we didn't do much offensively, and he made big plays. ... The credit goes to him. He played tough. We talk about it all the time: That's what the great quarterbacks do, and that's what he's done."
Added South Florida coach Willie Taggart, who actually recruited Doughty to Western Kentucky: "Brandon's such a great young man, the ultimate competitor. He has a bright future. He was the rock of that football team. We knew when he came in as a freshman [that] he had something to him. He's such a student of the game."
Though NFLDraftScout has Doughty ranked as the seventh quarterback and No. 87 overall player available in the 2016 NFL Draft, the recent trend of second-day signal callers turning into solid NFL starters (or much better) should not be ignored.
Seattle's Russell Wilson and Cincinnati's Andy Dalton are the best examples, of course, but Oakland's Derrick Carr and Denver's Brock Osweiler have also flashed in 2015.
"Doughty doesn't possess the eye-popping tools of some of his peers in this quarterback class, but he anticipates well and is accurate on short and intermediate passes," analyst Rob Rang said. "He has enough zip to hit sharp cutting routes and the touch to beat defenders over the top."
What Doughty did show Monday was tremendous potential, and he gained some solid momentum heading into a long, exhaustive draft process that will likely see him compete in a collegiate all-star game before he gets poked and prodded by NFL scouts.
For the redshirt senior, who needed an NCAA waiver for a sixth year of eligibility to return to WKU, Monday was a fine cap to his collegiate career. Doughty's totals for his last two postseason games? Try 943 yards and eight touchdowns in two close wins for the Hilltoppers.
"I don't think we can pull off another year. He's got a bright future ahead of him," joked Brohm. "He came back and he brought this team, helped this team achieve probably the greatest moment in our football history. ... I'm definitely looking forward to watching his future."
You think a couple NFL teams will be interested in numbers like that?
"If you're a guy at the next level, there's no reason you shouldn't draft Brandon Doughty to be your quarterback," said Brohm. "We're a passing offense. A lot of pressure is on his shoulders each and every game. This year he played lights-out again. What you're going to get from him as opposed to other quarterbacks out there is consistency. ...
"All the traits you're looking for, he has them. I'm looking forward to watch his future develop, and I think he's looking forward to working hard to do that. I think whichever team gets him will be happy and fortunate."
Doughty referred to his college football journey as "incredible," calling it "cool" and "special" to play so well in the final game of his career came just miles away from his hometown of Davie, Florida. "I feel like I could write a book," he said of the last six years. "A lot of teams didn't give me a chance. A lot of colleges didn't give me a chance coming out of high school."
That is all in the rear view for Doughty now, who said he's "work[ed] my butt off" for his "dream" of playing in the NFL. All that's left is for a team to decide he's the right choice to move their franchise forward.
"I remember when I was in the backyard, I was five years old, I was Dan Marino, hoping to play in the NFL. For a dream to become a reality, something that's realistic, I can't thank God enough for it."
