Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon set the FBS single-game rushing record Saturday with 408 yards in the Badgers' game against Nebraska. And he did it in three quarters.
The record had been 406 yards by NFL Media's LaDainian Tomlinson, who broke the record against UTEP in 1999 when he starred for TCU.
Gordon set the mark with a 26-yard TD run on the final play of the third quarter, and he sat out the rest of the game. He did his damage on just 25 carries, averaging an incredible 16.3 yards per rush; he scored four times, but also lost two fumbles.
Nebraska came in 19th in the nation in rushing defense and had been allowing just 123.8 yards per game; the Huskers had held six opponents to fewer than 125 rushing yards.
Gordon has 1,909 yards -- 190.9 yards per game -- and 23 TDs on the season. At that average, if Wisconsin plays 14 games (which would include the Big Ten title game and a bowl, for which they already have qualified), Gordon would finish with 2,673 yards; the NCAA single-season record is 2,628 yards, set by Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders in 1988.
Gordon ran for 49 yards in the first quarter, which ended with Nebraska leading 17-3; he was stopped for a loss of a yard on his first carry. But Gordon -- and the Badgers -- began to turn it on in the second quarter. He ran for 189 yards and a TD in the quarter, which ended with Wisconsin leading 24-17. He then added 170 yards and three scores in the third quarter.
Gordon's TDs covered 62, 1, 6 and 26 yards.
Gordon had five runs of at least 42 yards and six of at least 39.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
