FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) - On December 17th, 2022, Fresno State beat Washington State in the LA Bowl. Mikey Keene watched that game on TV.
"So the bowl game really sealed the deal for me, watching the film of Jake (Haener) and seeing a similar playing style in the quarterbacks that have come before me that I feel like I can excel at," said Keene.
Mikey Keene excelled in high school, never losing as a starting quarterback. And he had a winning record as a starter at UCF (8-3).
So why transfer?
"That was my main priority, in all honesty, to get to a system that fit my skill set," said the Fresno State sophomore who has led the Bulldogs to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2013. "And ultimately that was the decision that led me to leave UCF. It wasn't a decision out of bitterness or anything of that sort, sometimes those things happen in college football."
And it just so happens that when Mikey Keene was looking to go elsewhere, Fresno State was looking for its next starting quarterback.
"Well, you always try to find a guy that can do multiple things, you know? And I think Mikey can do that," said Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford. "You know, when you're looking for a quarterback, you'd like to have somebody who's multiple, as far as the dimension they bring."
Said Keene, "The best experience is experience. I can say I learned a lot my freshman year. Not a lot of it was good, in all honesty. It was a lot of stuff that I learned from.
"But those mistakes that I made my freshman year were crucial. It was very helpful to my career."