Going into his senior year, Sam Ehlinger was looking up at one name in the school’s record books for the most part. Ehlinger grew up watching Colt McCoy and as his supposed final year draws to a close he is inching towards Texas history. One record that might be too far out of reach is the all-time passing leader in Longhorns history.
McCoy set the mark 13,253 yards in his four years as the signal caller. The original benchmark was set by Major Applewhite at 8,353 yards. Colt also broke Major’s record of touchdown passes. The record now sets at 112 total. Both records are out of reach for Ehlinger without a monster run the rest of the way. He would likely need the Big 12 Championship and a run to the National Championship game to match him.
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Ehlinger became only the second quarterback to 10,000 yards in school history this season. He sits at 10,520 with four games left in the regular season. It could easily be six if the Longhorns run the table and get into the Big 12 Championship game and their eventual bowl game. His current pace would put him at 11,620 yards total. That doesn’t include any postseason games. He would still be 1,633 yards short of the mark.
As of right now, Colt McCoy owns the mark for the most total touchdowns in Texas Longhorns history. Ehlinger is hot on his trails and could snatch that mark from him by season’s end. His current pace would put Sam at 138 total touchdowns and six more than McCoy’s mark. That would be one of many records that Colt still owns.
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The other would be his touchdowns in a single season. During the 2008 season McCoy was responsible for 45 touchdowns. He threw for 34 touchdowns and ran for 11 more during the Longhorns 12-1 season. Ehlinger is on pace to match the mark in three less games. Ehlinger is averaging 4.5 touchdowns per game this year. That puts him at 45 with a potential of two more games to play. Just one storyline to observe the rest of the way.
