Kansas had a rough go in Week 8. They managed to get 21 total yards of offense in a nationally-televised 43-0 loss to #4-ranked TCU. Ya, you read that right, 21 yards of total offense. That broke a record for fewest in Big 12 history. To put things into perspective, here’s a few stats. They ended the day with -25 rushing yards. The Jayhawks only reached their own 40-yard line once. They finished the day with only 4 first downs, 2 coming off penalties. Their social media team got a little excited when they were able to get a first down on their own:
Bender finds Ben Johnson on third down and KU picks up the first! pic.twitter.com/ijg6CBZFQH
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) October 22, 2017
They gained a measly 0.4 yards per play. It was so bad that the Fox broadcast crew wondered if a 67-yard punt by Cole Moos was perhaps the Jayhawks best play of the game. Yawn!
You might think that 21 yards is the fewest gained in a single game in FBS history, it’s not. Not even close. Here’s the real record, along with 6 other awesome FBS records…
Fewest Yards Gained in a Single Game
Minus 47 Yards — Syracuse vs. Penn St., Oct. 18, 1947
Kansas’s 21-yard total offense performance actually looks impressive to the (-)47-yard performance by Syracuse in 1947. Although they gained 60 yards through the air, the Orange lost 107 yards trying to rush that game. In total they lost -0.95 yards per play.
Fewest Yards Gained by a Winning Team in a Single Game
10 Yards — NC State vs. Virginia, Sept. 30, 1944
In comparison, North Carolina State only managed 10 yards gained in a 13-0 win over Virginia in September of 1944. Something tells me this wasn’t a very fun game to watch…
Longest Rush by a Freshman in First Game of Career
98 Yards — Jerald Sowell, Tulane vs. Alabama, Sept. 4, 1993
Sowell’s 4th quarter monster-run is one for the record books. It’s even more impressive considering that #2-ranked Alabama was fresh off of a National Championship the previous year. Although the Crimson Tide went on to win the game 31-17, the game was probably closer than many would have expected and Sowell’s run helped keep it that way. In total, he rushed for 403 yards that year on 79 attempts in 11 games. Jerald Sowell then went on to play 10 NFL seasons (9 with the New York Jets, 1 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) recording 1 touchdown. The 98-yarder up the middle on that September day in Birmingham is likely one of this Fullback’s most cherished career highlights.
Most Forced Fumbles in a Single Game
4 Forced Fumbles — Nordly “Cap” Capi, Colorado St. vs. New Mexico, Sept. 3, 2011
If I was playing in this game, I’d steer clear of Cap. Coming off the bench to replace the Rams’ starting DE Broderick Sargent after he suffered a season-ending knee injury, Cap put in a performance for the record books. Along with the 4 forced fumbles that game, Cap added 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery to help Colorado State beat New Mexico 14-10. Cap Capi currently plays for the NFL’s New York Giants and has also spent time on the practice rosters of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals over his career.
Fewest Rushes in a Single Game
5 Rushing Attempts — Houston vs. Texas Tech, Nov. 25, 1989 (36 yards)
This is an impressively low number of attempts to run the ball, but what makes this stat even better is the fact that the Houston Cougars still won the game 40-24 against #18-ranked Texas Tech. When you have Heisman-trophy winning QB Andre Ware on your team (the first black QB to ever win the Heisman) you don’t need a running game. Offensive Coach John Jenkins’ run-and-shoot offensive scheme helped Ware break 26 NCAA records that year.
Most Consecutive Passes Had Intercepted
4 Interceptions — Denard Robinson, Michigan vs. Notre Dame, Sept. 22, 2012
This September night in South Bend was a roller coaster of emotions for Michigan QB Denard Robinson. Although Robinson finished out the first half in historic fashion with 4 straight picks thrown, it wasn’t the worst day for him. He also managed to break a more positive record as well. In this game, he surpassed Chad Henne’s record for total offensive yards, becoming the all-time leader at Michigan State. They still lost to the Fighting Irish 13-6 that night. So like we said – roller coaster of emotions for Robinson that night. He was drafted as a RB in the 2013 Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. In total, he has 1,041 yards on 259 attempts with 5 touchdowns over a 5 year career with the Jags. He is currently a free agent.
Most Punts in a Single Game
36 Punts — Charlie Calhoun, Texas Tech vs. Centenary (LA), Nov. 11, 1939
I think it’s safe to say Charlie Calhoun’s leg likely hurt the next day. He punted for a total of 1,318 yards. 20 of his punts were returned, 8 went out of bounds, 6 were downed, 1 was blocked and only 1 went for a touchback. It’s important to mention that the game was played in a heavy downpour in Shreveport, LA.
