Matt Barkley: 19/20, 298 yards, 6 TDs
vs Colorado, 10/20/12
vs Colorado, 10/20/12
Barkley was nearly perfect for USC, dehumanizing the Colorado Buffaloes - allegedly a Pac-12 team - by hanging 50 points on them, all while throwing only one incompletion against six touchdown passes and 298 yards.
Geno Smith: 45/51, 656 yards, 8 TDs, 31 yards rushing
vs Baylor, 9/29/12
This one got out of hand quick, but Geno Smith was able to march up and down the field more times than Baylor for a 70-63 victory. In the process, he piled up 687 total yards, 8 touchdowns through the air, and ended with a ridiculous completion percentage for such a high number of attempts.
Derek Carr: 42/46, 550 yards, 7 TDs, 2 punts, 71 yards
vs Murray State, 10/13/12
2012 featured two quarterbacks named Derek Carr in Division One. This one, at FCS Tennessee-Martin, had a laser-sharp game against Murray State, throwing 7 touchdown passes against only four incompletions and zero interceptions, enough for a 66-59 win on the road.
Taylor Heinicke: 55/79, 730 yards, 5 TDs, 61 yards rushing, 1 TD
vs New Hampshire, 9/22/12
Old Dominion unleashed a sleeping giant in 2012. Against New Hampshire, QB Taylor Heinicke put the team on his back, completing 55 passes on his way to piling up nearly 800 yards of total offense, 6 total touchdowns, a pair of successful two-point conversions, and a 55-yard punt, smashing yardage records on the way to a 64-61 victory.
Zach Zulli: 46/61, 581 yards, 9 TDs, 41-yard punt
vs Kutztown, 10/13/12
Shippensburg QB Zach Zulli put a whipping on Kutztown, throwing for NINE touchdown passes and zero interceptions in the D-2 matchup.
Sam Durley: 34/52, 736 yards, 5 TDs
vs. Knox, 9/1/12
vs. Knox, 9/1/12
D-III QB Sam Durley exploded in Eureka's first game of the season, throwing for an NCAA-record 736 yards against Knox. Amazingly, he'd need every one of them; his game-winning touchdown pass came with just 21 seconds left.