STAT WATCH: Shedeur Sanders' passing numbers best for FBS first-timer, and he's just getting started

Updated Sep. 5, 2023 8:20 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Shedeur Sanders’ statistical superlatives. Say that three times fast.

Those four words might start rolling off the tongue easily if he keeps putting up numbers like he did against TCU.

His school-record 510 passing yards were the most by a player in his first Football Bowl Subdivision game since at least 1996, eclipsing the previous high of 450 by California's Jared Goff against Northwestern in 2013.

His 38 completions, on 47 attempts, are tied for the national season high through Week 1.

His four touchdown passes were more than Colorado threw for as a team on the road in six games in 2022 (three).

Travis Hunter was as impressive as his teammate, maybe moreso, in his FBS debut. The two-way player was on the field for more than 120 plays from scrimmage and was the first player in at least 20 years to intercept a pass and have 100 yards in receptions in the same game.

Dylan Edwards, the first CU true freshman running back to start an opener since 1991, became the fourth true freshman nationally to score four touchdowns in his first game. He caught three TDs and ran for one.

JORDAN RULES

Florida State's Jordan Travis threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 45-24 win over then-No. 5 LSU. That made him the first player in 10 years to do that against a top-10 opponent.

GETTING THE POINTS

Oregon scored the sixth-most points by an FBS team since 2000 in its 81-7 rout of Portland State. The previous team to amass so many points was TCU, which beat Texas Tech 82-27 in 2014.

The 74-point differential was the largest since Oklahoma beat Western Carolina 76-0 in 2021.

20 PLENTY? NOT AGAINST POKES

Oklahoma State's 27-13 win over Central Arkansas of the Football Championship Subdivision marked the 82nd straight game the Cowboys have won when holding their opponent to fewers than 20 points.

The streak began in 2003 and is the longest in the Bowl Subdivision since at least 1980.

ALL THE WAY, TWICE

Eastern Michigan became the first team in two years to return two kickoffs for touchdowns. Jaylon Jackson ran one back 84 yards and Fordham transfer Hamze El-Zayat took one 96 in the Eagles' 33-23 win over Howard.

South Florida was the previous team to run back two kicks for scores, doing it against Houston in 2021.

NO LACK OF SACKS

North Carolina's nine sacks against South Carolina were its most since at least 2000. The Tar Heels' previous high sack total was seven against Syracuse in 2020. The Gamecocks had never allowed so many sacks since at least 2000.

IOWA'S PASSING FANCY

Cade McNamara's 36-yard touchdown pass against Utah State made him the first Iowa quarterback since Chuck Long in 1983 to have his first completion of the season go for a score.

McNamara's TD pass also was the first to come on Iowa's first possession of a season since Matt Rodgers connected with Danan Hughes against Hawaii in 1991.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll