Nevada’s Fajardo racks up big dual-threat numbers

The season is now three weeks old, and the stats are proving what defensive coordinators have known for years.

A dual threat quarterback is still the most dangerous weapon an offense can have.

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DUAL THREAT TRIO: Michigan’s Denard Robinson and Ohio State’s Braxton Miller are the nation’s most prominent dual-threat quarterbacks.

They’re both looking up at Nevada’s Cody Fajardo in the stat book.

Robinson, Miller and Fajardo are the only quarterbacks in the nation with at least 1,000 yards passing and 300 yards rushing this season. But Fajardo has more yards of total offense per game than either of his more famous counterparts after running for 118 yards and three touchdowns and throwing for 237 yards and a score in Saturday’s 45-34 win over Northwestern State.

Fajardo has 362.3 yards of offense per game, good for eighth-best in the nation. Robinson is ninth at 350 yards a game, and Miller is 12th after throwing for a season-high 249 yards and four TDs in a dramatic 35-28 win over California.

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GENO ON POINT: West Virginia’s Geno Smith doesn’t need to use his feet to beat up on opposing defenses.

Smith is 66 of 75 passing for 734 yards and nine touchdowns through two games. He’s got as many passing TDs as incompletions and his 88 percent completion percentage leads the nation.

Smith might not find as many open receivers starting this week when the Mountaineers (2-0) face Maryland. West Virginia then starts its first season in the Big 12 by hosting Baylor on Sept. 29.

Based on Smith’s passing prowess, the Mountaineers should fit right in to their new league.

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BAD START: Massachusetts could use a dual-threat quarterback _ and pretty much everything else.

UMass, in its first season in the FBS, is last nationally in scoring offense and defense. The Minutemen are scoring 6.5 points per game and giving up 48.3 after getting blown out by Robinson and the Wolverines 63-13.

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