Buffalo senior linebacker Khalil Mack -- seen by some analysts as a first-round talent in the 2014 NFL Draft -- had one of the best games of his sterling career Tuesday night and set an NCAA career record in the process.
Mack (6-foot-3, 245 pounds) had eight tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles in the Bulls' 44-7 rout of winless Miami (Ohio). The forced fumbles, all in the first half, gave him 16 for his career; the record of 14 had been shared by five players -- Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan (2007-10), Southern Miss' Cordarro Law (2008-11), Cincinnati's Antwan Peek (2000-02), Arizona State's Terrell Suggs (2000-02) and USC's Kenechi Udeze (2001-03). Kerrigan, Suggs and Udeze were first-round picks, and Mack is expected to be one, as well.
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In addition, Mack now has 72.5 career tackles for loss, 2.5 shy of the NCAA career record in that category held by former Western Michigan defensive end Jason Babin (2000-03), a first-round pick by the Texans in the 2004 draft who now plays for the Jaguars.
"I can't say enough about Khalil and what he has been able to accomplish," Buffalo coach Jeff Quinn said during his postgame news conference.
Mack, ranked ninth on NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt's list of the nation's top 100 seniors, has 82 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles this season.
Buffalo (8-3 overall, 6-1 in the MAC) set a school record for regular-season wins since it joined the FBS ranks in 1999.
Buffalo plays host Nov. 29 to Bowling Green. The MAC East title and a trip to the MAC championship game will be on the line.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
