NEW ORLEANS — LSU quarterback Joe Burrow broke the NCAA FBS single-season records for touchdown passes and touchdowns responsible for in his team’s 42-25 win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday.
Burrow initially tied the records of 58 touchdown passes and 63 touchdowns responsible for, set by Hawai’i’s Colt Brennan in 2006, with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Thaddeus Moss with 10 seconds left in the second quarter. He hit Moss again in the third quarter for a 4-yard score to take sole possession of both marks.
In the fourth quarter, Burrow found Terrace Marshall Jr. for a 24-yard score to give him 60 touchdown passes on the season.
Burrow finished the game 31-of-49 passing for 463 yards and five touchdowns, a CFP National Championship record.
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“It’s years of hard work paying off,” Burrow told ESPN’s Maria Taylor after the game. “This is an incredible moment for our program, for Baton Rouge, for Louisiana. This is just so special — I’m kind of speechless.”
One of Burrow’s top targets is Biletnikoff Award winner Ja’Marr Chase, who dominated his matchup against Clemson’s best cornerback, A.J. Terrell. Chase finished with 221 yards receiving, the most in a national championship game since the BCS was instituted in 1998.
Chase had several explosive plays, including a 52-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. The LSU record for receiving yards in a bowl is 239, set by Josh Reed in the 2002 Sugar Bowl versus Illinois.
Burrow paid a price for the first Moss TD. Clemson junior linebacker James Skalski came across the line, unblocked, on a blitz and landed a big hit to Burrow’s rib/arm area right after he released the ball.
According to ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi, as Burrow was coming off field, he told teammates, “Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me.”
He returned to the field well before the halftime break ended, which is rare for a starting QB. He rode a stationary bike for three minutes on the sideline, then went through some throws on the field, grimacing slightly as he looked at his hand.
With regard to his battling through the injury, Burrow told Taylor, “There’s no other option. This is the national championship. … I wasn’t going to sit out on the sideline, that’s for sure.”
Burrow pointed to his ring finger after throwing his fifth touchdown pass of the night and later said the team had already been fitted for championship rings. He wears a size 10.5.
Asked what Burrow means to him, LSU coach Ed Orgeron replied, “The world. He’s one of the greatest players in LSU history. He has done so much for the state of Louisiana and LSU. We are so grateful for Joe Burrow.”
This has been a historic season for Burrow.
The Heisman Trophy winner holds school and SEC records for passing touchdowns and passing yards. He’s the only player in SEC history to throw for both 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns and 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in a season.
On top of that, Burrow has school single-season records for completions, total offense, passing yards per game and total offense per game.
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