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Scarlet Sunrise: C.J. Stroud sets NFL rookie single-game passing record in dramatic win

IMG_7408by: Andy Backstrom11/06/23andybackstrom
C.J. Stroud by Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Former Ohio State, and current Houston Texans, quarterback C.J. Stroud celebrates during a 39-37 comeback win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

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C.J. Stroud sets NFL rookie single-game passing record in dramatic win

C.J. Stroud is the talk of the NFL right now. The former Ohio State superstar made the transition from college to pro look seamless, Sunday afternoon more than ever.

Stroud set the NFL rookie single-game passing yards record in a thrilling, come-from-behind win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He threw for 470 passing yards — surpassing Andrew Luck’s previous mark of 433 yards — not to mention his five passing touchdowns, which notably tied the single-game rookie record.

With 46 seconds and two timeouts left and the Texans trailing, 37-33, Stroud got a chance to orchestrate a 75-yard, game-winning drive. He did just that.

Stroud lifted Houston over Tampa Bay in six plays, the last featuring a 15-yard touchdown strike to rookie wideout Tank Dell.

Stroud’s 470 passing yards are also the most by an NFL quarterback in any game this season. He’s posted 2,270 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns and just one interception this year while registering a 102.9 passer rating and surprisingly leading the Texans to a 4-4 start.

What’s more, earlier this season, Stroud rewrote the NFL record for the most pass attempts without an interception to start a career.

He’s thriving, as was the case when he was at Ohio State, where he became a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and the highest-drafted quarterback in school history.

Ohio State stays put in Week 11 AP Top 25

Ohio State is still the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings — at least until Tuesday, anyway — and the Buckeyes are once again holding steady at No. 3 in the AP Top 25.

The top-nine teams didn’t budge in the poll.

The biggest losers this week were Oklahoma, now No. 17 after falling to No. 15 Oklahoma State in the final annual matchup of the Bedlam Series; Notre Dame, now No. 22 with a 10-spot plummet and a 31-23 defeat to Clemson; and USC, which lost a shootout to Washington and now is out of the Top 25 for the first time under head coach Lincoln Riley.

Lettermen Row has the entire Week 11 AP Top 25 Poll (Nov. 5) here. But below is the top five:

1. Georgia (49 first-place votes)
2. Michigan (9)
3. Ohio State (3)
4. Florida State (2)
5. Washington

Second-half Buckeyes strike again, still searching for first-half spark

Of the seven games Ohio State has had against Power Five opponents/Notre Dame, six have seen the Buckeyes score more points in the second half than the first half.

“This team finds a way. They don’t panic,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said. “They keep swinging, they keep fighting. We’ve been at halftime of these games, and we’ve said we want to play better in the second half this year. That was a huge part of our offseason. And you’re seeing that.

“I keep saying we could play better in the first half so that we don’t have to be in these situations. But the No. 1 goal is to win games. And we’re going to continue to do that.”

That was the case yet again over the weekend, as Ohio State recovered from a 9-7 halftime deficit at Rutgers, starting with a 93-yard pick-six caused by safety Josh Proctor and scored by cornerback Jordan Hancock.

The Buckeyes ended up outscoring the Scarlet Knights, 28-7, in the second half of a 35-16 victory.

For the full story on Ohio State’s continued tale of two halves, go here.

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