STAT WATCH: SMU's Quinn continues hot streak with 17 catches
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 21: Trey Quinn #18 of SMU catches the ball as Carter Jacobs #20 of the Cincinnati Bearcats reaches for the tackle at Nippert Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
SMU has completed 94 passes over the last three games. Trey Quinn has been on the receiving end of 49.
The transfer from LSU tied his career high with 17 catches against Cincinnati on Saturday, including an incredible fourth-and-26 conversion on a 28-yard pass from Ben Hicks to keep the Mustangs alive in overtime in a 31-28 win.
The game was his third straight with 15 or more receptions, making him the first player since at least 2000 to accomplish the feat, according to ESPN. The 17 receptions matched the national season high he set two weeks ago against Houston. Last week he caught 15 balls against Connecticut.
The junior from Lake Charles, Louisiana, has become the biggest threat in coach Chad Morris and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock's spread offense. His 71 receptions in seven games are most in the country, five ahead of Syracuse's Steve Ishmael, and his 110.4 yards per game rank fifth.
Quinn started seven games as a freshman at LSU in 2014 and was second on the team with 17 receptions. His playing time decreased in 2015, prompting him to transfer.
The Mustangs picked up a receiver who was one of the nation's most highly sought coming out of high school in 2014. He set a national career record with 6,566 receiving yards in four years at Barbe High, and he holds a number of Louisiana records.
Other notable statistical feats over the weekend:
___
FIRST QUARTER SHUTOUTS
Penn State, against Michigan, once again held an opponent scoreless in the first quarter. The Nittany Lions are the only Bowl Subdivision team to not allow a score in the first quarter. They're outscoring opponents 90-0 over the first 15 minutes.
MAC SACK ATTACK
The three players at the top of the national sack chart all come from the Mid-American Conference. Anthony Winbush of Ball State averages 1.36 per game, Joe Ostman of Central Michigan averages 1.25 and Sutton Smith of Northern Illinois averages 1.21. Ostman matched the national season high with four sacks against Ball State on Saturday, and the Chippewas finished with eight.
LONG AND HAPPY RETURNS
Three of the nation's five longest punt returns occurred Saturday, all for touchdowns. Virginia Tech's Greg Stroman went 91 yards against North Carolina, TCU's KaVontae Turpin went 90 yards against Kansas and Missouri's Richaud Floyd went 85 yards against Idaho.
De'Vion Warren of Arkansas became the ninth player this season to return a kickoff 100 yards, doing it against Auburn.
THE 200 CLUB
Only two players hit the 200-yard rushing mark. LSU's Derrius Guice, who has battled an ankle problem much of the season, ran 22 times for a career-high 276 yards against Mississippi. He totaled 98 yards on his first six carries while becoming the first player in Southeastern Conference history to rush for 250-plus yards in three games over a career.
Pittsburgh's Darrin Hall rushed for career highs of 254 yards and three touchdowns against Duke and broke a century-old school record with his 92-yard touchdown run.
TACKLE MACHINE
Nevada safety Asauni Rufus set a career high with 24 tackles in a 45-42 loss to Air Force. Rufus was one tackle short of the school record. Linebacker Austin Paulhus also posted a career high with 21 tackles, third-most all-time for Nevada. The Wolfpack totaled 128 tackles in the game.
___
More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25