STAT WATCH: K-State freshman QB Avery Johnson sets FBS season high with 5 touchdowns rushing

By ERIC OLSON
AP College Football Writer

Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson had a night to remember in his first Big 12 game.

The true freshman rushed for five touchdowns against Texas Tech on Saturday, the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision since Israel Abanikanda of Pittsburgh had six against Virginia Tech on Oct. 8, 2022.

Johnson, who ran 12 times for 91 yards, tied the school record for TDs rushing set by Jonathan Beasley in 2000 and tied by Collin Klein in 2011.

Johnson entered the game late in the first quarter and ran for TDs of 2, 5, 30, 11 and 3 yards in a 38-21 win in Lubbock, Texas. Johnson shared snaps with the starter, Will Howard, in the first half and took all the snaps in the second half.

X MARKS THE SPOT

Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts filled up the statistics sheet against Southern California like few defensive players.

He became the second player since at least 2000, according to Sportradar, to have two interceptions, a fumble return for a touchdown and a forced fumble. He also had seven tackles and a pass breakup in the 48-20 win.

The last player with two picks, fumble return TD and forced fumble was Kent State’s Demetrius Monday, who did it in a 10-7 loss to Minnesota on Sept. 19, 2015.

ALL THE WAY

Houston has had a 100-yard kick return three straight years after Matthew Golden went the distance in the first quarter of the 41-39 win over West Virginia. Golden is the only player in the country with two kick returns for a TD this season. He had a 98-yarder against TCU on Sept. 16.

There have been four 100-yard kick returns in the FBS this season.

TOP RECEIVING GAME

Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor had 294 yards on 13 catches — all in the second half and overtime — in the Cardinal’s 46-43 double-overtime win over Colorado.

The yards receiving total was the highest in the FBS since Jaxon Smith-Njigba of Ohio State had 347 on 15 catches against Utah in the 2022 Rose Bowl.

BAGGING SOME SACKS

Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. of Virginia Tech matched the national season high for sacks with four against Wake Forest. He has seven for the season, tied for fifth nationally.

Kyle Kennard of Georgia Tech had the first four-sack game of the season, also against Wake Forest, on Sept. 23.

300 AND COUNTING

Garrett Cora of Division III Franklin (Indiana) set the NCAA all-division single-game season high for rushing yards with 318 and four touchdowns in a 35-21 win over Defiance (Ohio).

Cora has gone over 100 yards in four of his team’s six games, including a 265-yard performance against Bluffton (Ohio) on Sept. 30, and he’s second in Division III with 157.8 per game.

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty had the top FBS rushing performance of the week with 212 yards on 31 carries in a 31-30 loss to Colorado State. It was the 13th 200-yard game in the FBS this season, and second by Jeanty.

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