The Texas Longhorns are still a couple weeks away from their Alamo Bowl matchup with the Utah Utes but there are a few ways that a big game from the junior quarterback could put him in the Texas record books. Sam Ehlinger currently holds the 3rd place spot for passing yards in a single season and is looking to pass Colt McCoy to become the all-time leader for yards in a season for a Texas Longhorn quarterback.
With a big game he could not only match or surpass McCoy in passing yards but touchdowns as well. Colt McCoy holds the record with 3,859 yards that he set during the 2008 season. Also his 34 passing touchdowns were also set that year. Ehlinger currently sits 397 yards behind McCoy’s mark for most passing yards in a season. He also needs five touchdown passes to match the other mark held by McCoy.
Getting to that mark might not be as far fetched as some might think, now the five touchdown passes might be as Ehlinger hasn’t yet hit that mark in his career but what better time than now to pull of that accolade. If Sam does, he will match a mark set by McCoy, James Brown and Chris Simms that would give him the 2nd best game in Longhorns history. McCoy also owns that record with six. The yards mark is something that Ehlinger has hit already this season with games against Kansas (399) and LSU (401).
Should he hit those numbers to have the single-best season as a Texas signal caller, Ehlinger could be well on his way at challenging McCoy for the career mark. Sam at this point is 4,584 yards behind McCoy but a good performance could be a step towards chasing history. This year alone Ehlinger passed Vince Young, Chris Simms and Major Applewhite on the all-time list to get to second.
This season hasn’t been what many expected but watching Sam Ehlinger chase after records held by the likes of Vince Young, Major Applewhite and Colt McCoy has given the Texas faithful something to cheer for.