An 18-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio, like the one Shepherd quarterback Jeff Ziemba sported last season, would be hard to top.
But Ziemba is giving it his best shot this year.
The Rams junior has thrown no interceptions against 14 touchdowns so far in 2015, but he'll face the Mountain East Conference's leader in interceptions at noon Saturday when West Virginia State visits No. 9 Shepherd.
Ziemba said he attempts not to focus on a specific statistic, even one as impressive as staying interception-free through five games this season.
"I try not to look at those things and not worry about it," Ziemba said. "I just go out every game and just play and hopefully make the right decisions."
Part of the formula behind Ziemba's efficiency is his experience, Shepherd coach Monte Cater said. He has played in 26 games as a Ram and started 21 of them. Ziemba is 18-3 in those 21 starts.
"I think once you get that background and you've been to war that many times, you get to a point where you do make good decisions," Cater said. "In terms of the experience and having a chance to be out there and having some good people to throw to, he's made some really good decisions.
"He's not forcing it," Cater added. "He's making good decisions, he's got great pocket presence, he moves around and he throws the ball away when it's time to throw it away."
Ziemba is second in the Mountain East in completion percentage, connecting on 98 of 162 attempts (60.5 percent). He's also second in the conference with 277.2 passing yards per game. He averages 14.14 yards per completion, also second best in the MEC.
The quarterback agrees that his time under center has made him very comfortable in the Rams offense. He also gives credit to a stout running game that doesn't force him to throw more than he has to and dynamic receivers that make his job easier.
"I'm starting to understand every progression," Ziemba said, "getting to know the plays and trusting my receivers and the line. We have a good running game, two great running backs, and all of our receivers are great. It's hard for defenses to game-plan against one player."
If there's any secondary that could test Ziemba's perfect mark, it's the Yellow Jackets. State has intercepted 10 passes so far this year and has three games with multiple interceptions. Cater said WVSU's defense applies so much pressure on opposing quarterbacks that it leads to mistakes, which lead to turnovers.
"They blitz all the time, that's part of it," Cater said. "And it forces people to go ahead and throw the ball maybe before they're ready. They're taking some chances and it's worked out pretty well for them. They get those opportunities to get those interceptions and they're coming up with them. You have to appreciate that and respect that."
The turnaround for Fairmont State this season - the Falcons have won three straight after losing their first two of the year - can be connected to its defense. FSU is fourth in the MEC in scoring defense (28.6 points allowed per game), third against the pass (220.4 yards) and fifth against the run (136.6 yards).
Falcons coach Jason Woodman said that, rather than any improvement in scheme, the defense's growth has come off the playing field. It comes from the attitude the coaches promote and the players embrace. Those intangibles translate to improved performance.
"The things that you see on the field are a direct reflection of the coaches and their day-to-day operations with those guys," Woodman said.
Opponents are taking notice, too. The University of Charleston, which hosts Fairmont State at 1 p.m. Saturday, can see through game film the effort and intensity with which the Falcons defense plays these days.
"Those are things that, foundationally, we love to talk about and are our goals as far as building a program," he said. "Especially defensively, effort is huge. And we've stressed running to the ball and creating turnovers and being physical at the point of attack.
"All those things that are basic defensive philosophies, they're easier said than done, especially when you have young guys," he added. "They're fundamentals that any defense has and are things we talk about a lot as well."
Those fundamentals remained strong even after the Falcons' struggles in their season opener.
FSU watched West Virginia State score the first 37 points of the game in that 59-34 loss. The Yellow Jackets rolled up 509 yards of total offense, and Woodman said he and his defenders walked back to their locker room very disappointed after that game. Yet he was never worried that those players would pack it in. He had faith that they would rebound as they have.
"I knew the group of guys we had in that locker room and the work they put in," he said. "I saw the change in character and attitudes throughout camp. At no point was I ever concerned about that. I completely trusted our coaching staff. I completely trusted our players."