In the history of NCAA football, no quarterback has accomplished what redshirt senior quarterback Jordan Lynch did Saturday: setting the NCAA record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a game.

In the Huskies’ 38-17 victory over Central Michigan, Lynch set the record by rushing for 316 total yards. The previous record holder was NIU’s own Stacey Robinson, who set the record in 1990 when he rushed for 308 yards against Fresno State.

Not only did Lynch secure his name in the NCAA record books, his 316 rushing yards rank him fourth in NIU history for most rushing yards in a single game. Lynch finished 37 yards short of former running back Garrett Wolfe’s school record of 353 yards against Ball State in 2006.

In Lynch’s record-setting performance on the ground, he ran the ball 32 times for an average of 9.9 yards per carry. Lynch got into the end zone on three occasions: on a 5-yard touchdown in the second quarter, a 1-yard touchdown plunge in the third quarter and a 3-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter. For his performance, Lynch was also named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week. Lynch did most of his damage in the second half as he shredded the Chippewas’ defense for 232 yards on 18 carries.

“Lynch and the blocking [were huge],” said Central Michigan coach Dan Enos. “He’s a great player. I’m not taking anything from Jordan Lynch, but you don’t just go up there and rush for 300 yards and nobody blocks.”

In the second half, Lynch broke free for three gains of more than 40 yards. He recorded two 40-yard dashes as well as a 49-yard rush. During one of those 40-yard gains, Lynch lost his shoe and ran for more than 30 yards without it. Of course, no rushing record is earned individually, as the Huskies’ offensive line and tight ends created huge holes for Lynch to run through all day.

“The offensive line was getting to the second and third level,” Lynch said. “They were getting a great push. It could have been anyone rushing the ball in that game. The holes were so wide open. It was nothing I did.”

Lynch now leads all quarterbacks in rushing with 932 yards on the ground as well as seven rushing touchdowns. He is also the fourth leading rusher in the NCAA.