Eureka College Quarterback Sam Durley Throws for 736 Yards

Eurkea College quarterback Sam Durley threw for 736 yards and five touchdowns in his team's 62-55 comeback win. (Eureka.edu)

The first weekend of college football is usually full of offensive explosions. While #19 Oklahoma State did demolish Savannah State 84-0, there was one more impressive offensive display Saturday. It unexpectedly took place in a NCAA Division III game in Galesburg, Illinois between the Eureka College Red Devils and the Knox College Prairie Fire.

Eureka quarterback Sam Durley completed 34 of 52 passes for 736 yards and five touchdowns. His incredible performance broke a NCAA single-game all-levels record for passing yards in a single game, topping the 731 yards thrown by Menlo College quarterback Zamir Amin in 2000. When asked about his yardage, Durley seemed genuinely surprised. He told reporters, "I thought maybe high 300s. We were so focused on driving down the field and getting the win. They told me afterward, and I was pretty speechless. It's definitely something that's pretty cool."

Durley spread the wealth fairly equally. The Red Devils had six players catch passes. Five of them had at least 79 receiving yards. Durley did have two top receivers he targeted most. Jordan Kindred had 13 catches for 235 yards. Amazingly, Kindred is a basketball player who was playing organized football for the very first time. Durley's other top target was his roommate, Jake Bane. Bane had seven receptions for 207 yards.

With the fourth quarter winding to a close, Eureka actually trailed Knox 55-45. Durley calmly kept the air attack going, but it was the Red Devils defense that stepped up and came up with the stops when they were needed most. With 1:44 minute left in the fourth quarter, Durley found Bane for a 13-yard touchdown completion to tie the game game up 55-55. The Eureka defense came up with the stop they needed and gave the ball back to their offense with just over a minute to play in the fourth quarter. Durley drove the Red Devils 72 yards in just five plays and 51 seconds. With 20 seconds left in the game, Eureka took the 62-55 lead when Durley and Bane connected for another 13-yard touchdown strike. The Red Devils defense held on for the win.

Eureka's comeback win was impressive in and of itself. Durley's performance was truly incredible. That type of dominance and consistency is unheard of to say the least. The fact that Kindred had 235 receiving yards in his first organized football game is unbelievable as well. It will be interesting to see how Durley and the Red Devils offensive responds when they play next Saturday. They will face a much tougher task when they travel to Duluth, Minnesota to take on St. Scholastica, the defending Upper Midwest Athletic Conference champion. What is without a doubt is that this is day that Durley and everyone else at Eureka College will never forget.