CFBNews has a series about NCAA records, listing the all-time leaders and speculating about current players that may make a run at breaking them.
edit - receiving records are in post #10.
cfbnews.Records
Smash This! ... The Records[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=+1]
Passing, Rushing
The main NCAA records and who's in the hunt to break them[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial,
sans serif]
By Richard Cirminiello
[/FONT]Records, it goes, are made to be broken, particularly in this era of souped-up offenses, endless overtimes, longer seasons and career numbers that now include bowl games. And as long as records are compiled, there will be athletes working to shatter them and fans monitoring their pursuit. College football doesn’t have signature records, such as home runs in baseball or rushing yards in the NFL, but that shouldn’t stop us from putting some of the key career benchmarks under the microscope. All but touchdown receptions will be safely protected in armored vehicles in 2006, but a new wave of overachievers have already laid their statistical foundations, and will be looking to change that trend in 2007 and 2008.
*The NCAA record book has only been compiling individual defensive records, such as sacks and tackles, since 2000. Those will be looked at in the future. COMING NEXT ... Receiving records. COMING WEDNESDAY ... All-Purpose, Scoring
Rushing Yards
1. Ron Dayne, Wisconsin – 6,397 (1996-99)
2. Ricky Williams, Texas – 6,279 (1995-98)
3. Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh – 6,082 (1973-76)
4. DeAngelo Williams, Memphis – 6,026 (2002-05)
5. Charles White, USC – 5,598 (1976-79)
6. Travis Prentice, Miami (OH) – 5,596 (1996-99)
7. Cedric Benson, Texas – 5,540 (2001-04)
8. LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU – 5,263 (1997-00)
9. Hershel Walker, Georgia – 5,259 (1980-1982)
10. Archie Griffin, Ohio State – 5,177 (1972-75)
Dayne’s Record: It’s safe in 2006, but will be within striking distance if Adrian Peterson decides to return to Oklahoma in 2007. Using today’s guidelines, which include bowl games, Dayne actually rushed for 7,125 yards if you count the bowl games, something the NCAA record books have to address in the near future.
Active Leaders
1. Senior Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois – 3,236 – Wolfe is easily one of the best stories in all of college football. Lightly recruited out of high school and unable to earn a carry his first two years in DeKalb, he erupted early in 2004 and has bolted for more than 200 yards in six of his last 17 games. Had he been given a chance one year earlier, there’s no telling how close Wolfe would be to Dayne today.
2. Junior Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma – 3,033 – Injuries and minimal support from his offensive mates ushered in a sophomore slump for Peterson, the game’s most talented running back. That he debuted with 1,925 yards in 2004 means he’s still averaging more than 1,500 yards a season and is eminently capable of catching Dayne if he returns to school in 2007.
3. Senior Robert Merrill, TCU – 2,771 – For three years, Merrill has gotten the tough yards for the Frogs and been an integral part of the program’s success. Rarely flashy and always unselfish, he’s spent his entire career sharing the limelight and the carries with Lonta Hobbs, and most recently, Aaron Brown.
Record-Setters of Tomorrow
Soph. Tyrell Sutton, Northwestern – 1,474 – Sutton’s 1,474-yard debut was good enough for eighth nationally in rushing and eighth all-time for yards by a freshman. Almost half of his output was gained in three 200-yard games, and too often, Northwestern deficits forced him to become more of a receiver and less of a runner.
Soph. Steve Slaton, West Virginia – 1,128 – Jason Gwaltney was West Virginia’s headline freshman back last year, but it was Slaton who emerged as the team’s offensive superstar. Playing extensively in just eight games, he displayed a great burst of speed that propelled the first-year player to 1,000 yards and a very bright future.
Soph. Darren McFadden, Arkansas – 1,113 – Most observers came to the same conclusion after watching McFadden in action last year; he’s got the right combination of speed and power to be the best Arkansas back in a long time. Fellow sophomore is way too talented to keep off the field, and will cut into McFadden’s reps for as long as they’re both in Fayetteville.
Junior Jamario Thomas, North Texas – 2,162 – You’ve probably forgotten about Thomas because he was banged up last year and only got 89 carries. He’ll reacquaint himself in September. And playing in the Sun Belt, Thomas is very capable of spending the next two years assaulting the record books and approaching 6,000 career yards.
Passing Yards
1. Timmy Chang, Hawaii – 17,072 (2000-04)
2. Ty Detmer, BYU – 15,031 (1988-91)
3. Philip Rivers, NC State – 13,484 (2000-03)
4. Tim Rattay, Louisiana Tech – 12,746 (1997-99)
5. Luke McCown, Louisiana Tech – 12,666 (2000-03)
6. Chris Redman, Louisville – 12,541 (1996-99)
7. Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech – 12,429 (1999-02)
8. Byron Leftwich, Marshall – 11,903 (1998-02)
9. David Greene, Georgia – 11,528 (2001-04)
10. Gino Guidugli, Cincinnati – 11,453 (2001-04)
Chang’s Record: Until a four-year starter at either Texas Tech or Hawaii comes along, Chang’s record for passing yards will be untouchable. And even then, any disruption due to an injury or poor performance would be tough to overcome. Chang’s 12% cushion over second place is the largest of any major career record.
Active Leaders
1. Senior Kevin Kolb, Houston – 9,151 – Since wowing everyone his freshman year, Kolb has been a bit of a disappointment, throwing only 30 touchdown passes and interceptions. A career-high 3,279 yards in 2006 would make him the most prolific passer to ever play college ball in Texas.
2. Senior Brady Quinn, Notre Dame – 8,336 – Even in his second year with Charlie Weis, it’d be hard to imagine Quinn any better than he was a year ago when he threw for almost 4,000 yards and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of more than 4:1. Barring injury, he’s going to finish somewhere in the No. 8 to No. 10 range in all-time passing yards.
3. Senior Chris Leak, Florida – 8,271 – It’s an interesting year in which three quarterbacks have a realistic shot of trading places with one of the Top 10 chuckers in college football history. To be in the hunt this fall, Leak needs 3,182 yards, which, ironically, is 15 less than his personal best achieved in 2004.
Record-Setters of Tomorrow
Soph. Drew Weatherford, Florida State – 3,208 – It’s been more than a few years, but the ‘Noles may finally have a quarterback they can build an offense around. Yes, Weatherford threw too many interceptions in 2005 and showed his age frequently, but the bigger picture showed him mature as the season wore on, a trend the coaching staff hopes will continue this fall.
Junior Colt Brennan, Hawaii – 4,301 – Once Brennan got cooking last year, he was virtually unstoppable, deftly picking apart sub-standard defenses for more than 300 yards in nine of his last ten games. Hawaii plays 13 times this year—eight at home—making 5,000 yards a realistic target in 2006.
Soph. Graham Harrell , Texas Tech – 422 – Whether it’s Harrell or redshirt freshman Chris Todd at the controls this fall, someone’s going to amass the robust passing yards inherent to all Tech quarterbacks since Mike Leach has been on the sidelines. If that assignment goes uninterrupted for the next three or four years, either quarterback will be a Top 10 lock at the end of his amateur career.
[FONT=verdana, arial,
sans serif][SIZE=-1]<TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=2 width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- PRECISIONCLICK.COM 2006 (C) --><!-- Ad Format: Medium Rectangle --><SCRIPT language=javascript><!--var d=new Date();var ccb=(d.getTime()%8673806982)+Math.random();document.write('<scr'+'ipt language="javascript" src="http://servedby.precisionclick.com/midas/?src=pub&site=406&adfmt=5&ccb='+ccb+'"></scr'+'ipt>');//--></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=javascript src="http://servedby.precisionclick.com/midas/?src=pub&site=406&adfmt=5&ccb=2155901032.950239"></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT><IFRAME marginWidth=0 src="" frameBorder=0 width=300 scrolling=no height=250></iframe></IFRAME></IFRAME></NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[/SIZE][/FONT]
Touchdown Passes
1. Ty Detmer, BYU – 121 (1988-91)
2. Timmy Chang, Hawaii – 117 (2000-04)
3. Tim Rattay, Louisiana Tech – 115 (1997-99)
4. Danny Wuerffel, Florida – 114 (1993-96)
5. Chad Pennington, Marshall – 100 (1997-99)
6. Matt Leinart, USC – 99 (2002-05)
7. Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech – 95 (1999-02)
8. Philip Rivers, NC State – 95 (2000-03)
9. David Klingler, Houston – 91 (1988-91)
10. Peyton Manning, Tennessee – 89 (1994-97)
(tie) Byron Leftwich, Marshall – 89 (1998-02)
Detmer’s Record: Off limits in 2006, but in 2007, Colt Brennan could become the second Hawaii quarterback in three years to make Detmer sweat it out. In 2004, Timmy Chang fell four scores shy of a mark that has stood for 14 years and would be even more out of reach if, as is the case today, his four bowl games counted in his career numbers.
Active Leaders
1. Senior Chris Leak, Florida – 65 – Leak is poised to finish his Gator career as one of the ten most prolific passers in college football history. However, if he leaves Gainesville without a Heisman or an SEC title, will the one-time uber recruit be considered by some to be a minor disappointment?
2. Senior Jordan Palmer, UTEP – 62 – Palmer might climb into some very elite company before he’s through, but his 62 touchdowns isn’t the only big number on his UTEP resume. He’s also been picked off 50 times, which is way more than any other active quarterback.
3. Senior Brady Quinn, Notre Dame – 58 – Quinn came on like gangbusters in 2005, rewriting the Notre Dame record books and scripting the best season for an Irish quarterback in school history. The Top 10 is within reach, depending
Record-Setters of Tomorrow
Junior Chad Henne, Michigan – 48 – After two very solid seasons, Henne’s already No. 3 in school history in touchdown passes, tied with Rich Leach and trailing John Navarre and Elvis Grbac. With 25 connections this year, he’ll pass Navarre, and assuming he plays four seasons, has a very good chance of displacing Peyton Manning and Byron Leftwich from the Top 10.
Junior Colt Brennan, Hawaii – 35 – Despite having just a couple of months to prepare for the job, the Colorado transfer proved to be a nice fit for the Hawaii offense. His receivers are young and dynamic, and even if he just averages last year’s total over the next two seasons, he’ll pass Chad Pennington and move into the No. 5 spot. If he spins one of those B.J. Symons-type years, Detmer becomes vulnerable.
Soph. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech – 3 – Premature? No way. It’s been a long time since a Red Raider quarterback had more than one year to pile up huge passing numbers in this offense. Harrell could have three, and he’s also Mike Leach’s most heralded recruit in Lubbock. If Chris Todd wins the job this summer, even better. He’s just a redshirt freshman.
Passing Efficiency Rating
1. Ryan Dinwiddie, Boise State – 168.9 (2000-03)
2. Alex Smith, Utah – 164.4 (2002-04)
3. Danny Wuerffel, Florida – 163.6 (1993-96)
4. Brian Brohm, Louisville – 163.5 (2004-present)
5. Ty Detmer, BYU – 162.7 (1988-91)
6. Steve Sarkisian, BYU – 162.0 (1993-96)
7. Matt Leinart, USC – 159.5 (2002-05)
8. Bruce Gradkowski, Toledo – 157.3 (2002-05)
9. Billy Blanton, San Diego State – 157.1 (1993-96)
10. Jim McMahon, BYU – 156.9 (1977-81)
Dinwiddie’s Record: For three years, Dinwiddie was near-perfect, throwing 82 touchdowns to just 21 interceptions, while carving up opposing defenses like a surgeon. He hasn’t shut the door on the competition, however, such as Utah’s Alex Smith or USC’s Matt Leinart, who put up fights the last two years. The biggest challenge will come from Louisville’s Brian Brohm, who is one flawless year from taking over the top spot.
Active Leaders (Minimum 15 games played)
1. Junior Brian Brohm, Louisville – 163.5 – Assuming last year’s season-ending knee injury doesn’t cause any setbacks, Brohm is the right quarterback in the right offense to hang with Dinwiddie’s rating for the next two years. He makes minimal mistakes, has a high touchdown to interception ratio and had the third highest yards per attempt in 2005.
2. Junior Brian Johnson, Utah – 159.7 – Johnson’s rush to stardom was curtailed by a knee injury that also opened the door for Brett Ratliff to deliver some late-season heroics and create a mini-quarterback controversy in Salt Lake City. At the time of the injury, he was No. 4 nationally in total offense, and playing nothing like a teenager in his first year as a starter.
3. Senior Drew Stanton, Michigan State – 145.2 – Stanton is a bit of an enigma, flashing an unstoppable combination of run/pass skills in one set of downs and then throwing a bad pick to end the next series. Regardless, he’s well-positioned to become the highest drafted Spartan quarterback since Tony Banks was chosen in the second round in 1996.
Record-Setters of Tomorrow
Soph. Rudy Carpenter, Arizona State – 175.0 – Carpenter led the nation in passing efficiency a year ago, but began the season on the sidelines. In just six games as the replacement for injured Sam Keller, he lit up the Pac-10 for 15 touchdowns and more than 2,000 yards, and has sustained that momentum this spring. Even if Keller regains his job, Carpenter will still have two more years to bolster his rating.
Junior Colt Brennan, Hawaii – 155.5 – This time last year, Brennan had plenty of anxiety and nary a scholarship offer. After walking on at Hawaii, he’s got that scholy and a big upside after winning the starting job last summer and proceeding to throw for 35 touchdowns and 4,301. Imagine what he’ll do once he’s fully digested the offensive system.
edit - receiving records are in post #10.
cfbnews.Records
Smash This! ... The Records[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=+1]
Passing, Rushing
The main NCAA records and who's in the hunt to break them[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial,
sans serif]
By Richard Cirminiello
[/FONT]Records, it goes, are made to be broken, particularly in this era of souped-up offenses, endless overtimes, longer seasons and career numbers that now include bowl games. And as long as records are compiled, there will be athletes working to shatter them and fans monitoring their pursuit. College football doesn’t have signature records, such as home runs in baseball or rushing yards in the NFL, but that shouldn’t stop us from putting some of the key career benchmarks under the microscope. All but touchdown receptions will be safely protected in armored vehicles in 2006, but a new wave of overachievers have already laid their statistical foundations, and will be looking to change that trend in 2007 and 2008.
*The NCAA record book has only been compiling individual defensive records, such as sacks and tackles, since 2000. Those will be looked at in the future. COMING NEXT ... Receiving records. COMING WEDNESDAY ... All-Purpose, Scoring
Rushing Yards
1. Ron Dayne, Wisconsin – 6,397 (1996-99)
2. Ricky Williams, Texas – 6,279 (1995-98)
3. Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh – 6,082 (1973-76)
4. DeAngelo Williams, Memphis – 6,026 (2002-05)
5. Charles White, USC – 5,598 (1976-79)
6. Travis Prentice, Miami (OH) – 5,596 (1996-99)
7. Cedric Benson, Texas – 5,540 (2001-04)
8. LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU – 5,263 (1997-00)
9. Hershel Walker, Georgia – 5,259 (1980-1982)
10. Archie Griffin, Ohio State – 5,177 (1972-75)
Dayne’s Record: It’s safe in 2006, but will be within striking distance if Adrian Peterson decides to return to Oklahoma in 2007. Using today’s guidelines, which include bowl games, Dayne actually rushed for 7,125 yards if you count the bowl games, something the NCAA record books have to address in the near future.
Active Leaders
1. Senior Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois – 3,236 – Wolfe is easily one of the best stories in all of college football. Lightly recruited out of high school and unable to earn a carry his first two years in DeKalb, he erupted early in 2004 and has bolted for more than 200 yards in six of his last 17 games. Had he been given a chance one year earlier, there’s no telling how close Wolfe would be to Dayne today.
2. Junior Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma – 3,033 – Injuries and minimal support from his offensive mates ushered in a sophomore slump for Peterson, the game’s most talented running back. That he debuted with 1,925 yards in 2004 means he’s still averaging more than 1,500 yards a season and is eminently capable of catching Dayne if he returns to school in 2007.
3. Senior Robert Merrill, TCU – 2,771 – For three years, Merrill has gotten the tough yards for the Frogs and been an integral part of the program’s success. Rarely flashy and always unselfish, he’s spent his entire career sharing the limelight and the carries with Lonta Hobbs, and most recently, Aaron Brown.
Record-Setters of Tomorrow
Soph. Tyrell Sutton, Northwestern – 1,474 – Sutton’s 1,474-yard debut was good enough for eighth nationally in rushing and eighth all-time for yards by a freshman. Almost half of his output was gained in three 200-yard games, and too often, Northwestern deficits forced him to become more of a receiver and less of a runner.
Soph. Steve Slaton, West Virginia – 1,128 – Jason Gwaltney was West Virginia’s headline freshman back last year, but it was Slaton who emerged as the team’s offensive superstar. Playing extensively in just eight games, he displayed a great burst of speed that propelled the first-year player to 1,000 yards and a very bright future.
Soph. Darren McFadden, Arkansas – 1,113 – Most observers came to the same conclusion after watching McFadden in action last year; he’s got the right combination of speed and power to be the best Arkansas back in a long time. Fellow sophomore is way too talented to keep off the field, and will cut into McFadden’s reps for as long as they’re both in Fayetteville.
Junior Jamario Thomas, North Texas – 2,162 – You’ve probably forgotten about Thomas because he was banged up last year and only got 89 carries. He’ll reacquaint himself in September. And playing in the Sun Belt, Thomas is very capable of spending the next two years assaulting the record books and approaching 6,000 career yards.
Passing Yards
1. Timmy Chang, Hawaii – 17,072 (2000-04)
2. Ty Detmer, BYU – 15,031 (1988-91)
3. Philip Rivers, NC State – 13,484 (2000-03)
4. Tim Rattay, Louisiana Tech – 12,746 (1997-99)
5. Luke McCown, Louisiana Tech – 12,666 (2000-03)
6. Chris Redman, Louisville – 12,541 (1996-99)
7. Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech – 12,429 (1999-02)
8. Byron Leftwich, Marshall – 11,903 (1998-02)
9. David Greene, Georgia – 11,528 (2001-04)
10. Gino Guidugli, Cincinnati – 11,453 (2001-04)
Chang’s Record: Until a four-year starter at either Texas Tech or Hawaii comes along, Chang’s record for passing yards will be untouchable. And even then, any disruption due to an injury or poor performance would be tough to overcome. Chang’s 12% cushion over second place is the largest of any major career record.
Active Leaders
1. Senior Kevin Kolb, Houston – 9,151 – Since wowing everyone his freshman year, Kolb has been a bit of a disappointment, throwing only 30 touchdown passes and interceptions. A career-high 3,279 yards in 2006 would make him the most prolific passer to ever play college ball in Texas.
2. Senior Brady Quinn, Notre Dame – 8,336 – Even in his second year with Charlie Weis, it’d be hard to imagine Quinn any better than he was a year ago when he threw for almost 4,000 yards and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of more than 4:1. Barring injury, he’s going to finish somewhere in the No. 8 to No. 10 range in all-time passing yards.
3. Senior Chris Leak, Florida – 8,271 – It’s an interesting year in which three quarterbacks have a realistic shot of trading places with one of the Top 10 chuckers in college football history. To be in the hunt this fall, Leak needs 3,182 yards, which, ironically, is 15 less than his personal best achieved in 2004.
Record-Setters of Tomorrow
Soph. Drew Weatherford, Florida State – 3,208 – It’s been more than a few years, but the ‘Noles may finally have a quarterback they can build an offense around. Yes, Weatherford threw too many interceptions in 2005 and showed his age frequently, but the bigger picture showed him mature as the season wore on, a trend the coaching staff hopes will continue this fall.
Junior Colt Brennan, Hawaii – 4,301 – Once Brennan got cooking last year, he was virtually unstoppable, deftly picking apart sub-standard defenses for more than 300 yards in nine of his last ten games. Hawaii plays 13 times this year—eight at home—making 5,000 yards a realistic target in 2006.
Soph. Graham Harrell , Texas Tech – 422 – Whether it’s Harrell or redshirt freshman Chris Todd at the controls this fall, someone’s going to amass the robust passing yards inherent to all Tech quarterbacks since Mike Leach has been on the sidelines. If that assignment goes uninterrupted for the next three or four years, either quarterback will be a Top 10 lock at the end of his amateur career.
[FONT=verdana, arial,
sans serif][SIZE=-1]<TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=2 width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- PRECISIONCLICK.COM 2006 (C) --><!-- Ad Format: Medium Rectangle --><SCRIPT language=javascript><!--var d=new Date();var ccb=(d.getTime()%8673806982)+Math.random();document.write('<scr'+'ipt language="javascript" src="http://servedby.precisionclick.com/midas/?src=pub&site=406&adfmt=5&ccb='+ccb+'"></scr'+'ipt>');//--></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=javascript src="http://servedby.precisionclick.com/midas/?src=pub&site=406&adfmt=5&ccb=2155901032.950239"></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT><IFRAME marginWidth=0 src="" frameBorder=0 width=300 scrolling=no height=250></iframe></IFRAME></IFRAME></NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[/SIZE][/FONT]
Touchdown Passes
1. Ty Detmer, BYU – 121 (1988-91)
2. Timmy Chang, Hawaii – 117 (2000-04)
3. Tim Rattay, Louisiana Tech – 115 (1997-99)
4. Danny Wuerffel, Florida – 114 (1993-96)
5. Chad Pennington, Marshall – 100 (1997-99)
6. Matt Leinart, USC – 99 (2002-05)
7. Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech – 95 (1999-02)
8. Philip Rivers, NC State – 95 (2000-03)
9. David Klingler, Houston – 91 (1988-91)
10. Peyton Manning, Tennessee – 89 (1994-97)
(tie) Byron Leftwich, Marshall – 89 (1998-02)
Detmer’s Record: Off limits in 2006, but in 2007, Colt Brennan could become the second Hawaii quarterback in three years to make Detmer sweat it out. In 2004, Timmy Chang fell four scores shy of a mark that has stood for 14 years and would be even more out of reach if, as is the case today, his four bowl games counted in his career numbers.
Active Leaders
1. Senior Chris Leak, Florida – 65 – Leak is poised to finish his Gator career as one of the ten most prolific passers in college football history. However, if he leaves Gainesville without a Heisman or an SEC title, will the one-time uber recruit be considered by some to be a minor disappointment?
2. Senior Jordan Palmer, UTEP – 62 – Palmer might climb into some very elite company before he’s through, but his 62 touchdowns isn’t the only big number on his UTEP resume. He’s also been picked off 50 times, which is way more than any other active quarterback.
3. Senior Brady Quinn, Notre Dame – 58 – Quinn came on like gangbusters in 2005, rewriting the Notre Dame record books and scripting the best season for an Irish quarterback in school history. The Top 10 is within reach, depending
Record-Setters of Tomorrow
Junior Chad Henne, Michigan – 48 – After two very solid seasons, Henne’s already No. 3 in school history in touchdown passes, tied with Rich Leach and trailing John Navarre and Elvis Grbac. With 25 connections this year, he’ll pass Navarre, and assuming he plays four seasons, has a very good chance of displacing Peyton Manning and Byron Leftwich from the Top 10.
Junior Colt Brennan, Hawaii – 35 – Despite having just a couple of months to prepare for the job, the Colorado transfer proved to be a nice fit for the Hawaii offense. His receivers are young and dynamic, and even if he just averages last year’s total over the next two seasons, he’ll pass Chad Pennington and move into the No. 5 spot. If he spins one of those B.J. Symons-type years, Detmer becomes vulnerable.
Soph. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech – 3 – Premature? No way. It’s been a long time since a Red Raider quarterback had more than one year to pile up huge passing numbers in this offense. Harrell could have three, and he’s also Mike Leach’s most heralded recruit in Lubbock. If Chris Todd wins the job this summer, even better. He’s just a redshirt freshman.
Passing Efficiency Rating
1. Ryan Dinwiddie, Boise State – 168.9 (2000-03)
2. Alex Smith, Utah – 164.4 (2002-04)
3. Danny Wuerffel, Florida – 163.6 (1993-96)
4. Brian Brohm, Louisville – 163.5 (2004-present)
5. Ty Detmer, BYU – 162.7 (1988-91)
6. Steve Sarkisian, BYU – 162.0 (1993-96)
7. Matt Leinart, USC – 159.5 (2002-05)
8. Bruce Gradkowski, Toledo – 157.3 (2002-05)
9. Billy Blanton, San Diego State – 157.1 (1993-96)
10. Jim McMahon, BYU – 156.9 (1977-81)
Dinwiddie’s Record: For three years, Dinwiddie was near-perfect, throwing 82 touchdowns to just 21 interceptions, while carving up opposing defenses like a surgeon. He hasn’t shut the door on the competition, however, such as Utah’s Alex Smith or USC’s Matt Leinart, who put up fights the last two years. The biggest challenge will come from Louisville’s Brian Brohm, who is one flawless year from taking over the top spot.
Active Leaders (Minimum 15 games played)
1. Junior Brian Brohm, Louisville – 163.5 – Assuming last year’s season-ending knee injury doesn’t cause any setbacks, Brohm is the right quarterback in the right offense to hang with Dinwiddie’s rating for the next two years. He makes minimal mistakes, has a high touchdown to interception ratio and had the third highest yards per attempt in 2005.
2. Junior Brian Johnson, Utah – 159.7 – Johnson’s rush to stardom was curtailed by a knee injury that also opened the door for Brett Ratliff to deliver some late-season heroics and create a mini-quarterback controversy in Salt Lake City. At the time of the injury, he was No. 4 nationally in total offense, and playing nothing like a teenager in his first year as a starter.
3. Senior Drew Stanton, Michigan State – 145.2 – Stanton is a bit of an enigma, flashing an unstoppable combination of run/pass skills in one set of downs and then throwing a bad pick to end the next series. Regardless, he’s well-positioned to become the highest drafted Spartan quarterback since Tony Banks was chosen in the second round in 1996.
Record-Setters of Tomorrow
Soph. Rudy Carpenter, Arizona State – 175.0 – Carpenter led the nation in passing efficiency a year ago, but began the season on the sidelines. In just six games as the replacement for injured Sam Keller, he lit up the Pac-10 for 15 touchdowns and more than 2,000 yards, and has sustained that momentum this spring. Even if Keller regains his job, Carpenter will still have two more years to bolster his rating.
Junior Colt Brennan, Hawaii – 155.5 – This time last year, Brennan had plenty of anxiety and nary a scholarship offer. After walking on at Hawaii, he’s got that scholy and a big upside after winning the starting job last summer and proceeding to throw for 35 touchdowns and 4,301. Imagine what he’ll do once he’s fully digested the offensive system.
Last edited:
