Sheer skill and talent. Every game the announcers have done just enough homework to remind us that Tanner missed spring ball and most all of summer workouts. But this really doesn't tell the whole story. He also wasn't the primary quarterback getting reps in fall camp. He essentially did very little in the way of preparing his body for the season. He did just as little to get in a rhythym with his receivers, to master the offense, to read college level defenses, etc. Most of what he does now on a week to week basis is for the specific game that week. It isn't a camp setting by any means.
And yet, from the first pass he threw in Nebraska when we thought Taysom was just out a series or two, you could tell he was good.
People like to comment that he basically threw the ball up for grabs to his receivers a lot. Well, yeah. This is what he can do. He isn't checking down yet to running backs. He tends to sramble quickly and essentially playground the ball. (see paragraph 1) But what does that end up with? 5 passes completed over 35 yards last Saturday, a 62% completion perecentage, and - as noted below- a very low interception rate. How low?
Beck threw 34 interceptions on 1418 attempts - or one int for every 41.56 passes.
Hall threw 30 interceptions on 1482 attempts - or one in every 49.4 passes
But Tanner's numbers are so far better still. He has 7 interceptions on 390 attempts or one in every 55.71 attempts
Right now he is scrambling and flinging the ball and getting it to good receivers in a spot they can generally catch it. And his numbers are awesome. Imagine what happens next year when he knows what he is doing fully.