25 college football records that will never be broken
A perfect storm, including Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Andre Ware operating in one of the most explosive offenses ever unleashed to the college football world and an opponent coming off a two-year Death Penalty that resulted in a gutted roster, converged to create one of the most impressive (and slightly embarrassing) performances in college football history.
On Oct. 21, 1989, No. 16 Houston – with a 4-1 record, fresh off a 17-13 loss to Texas A&M – hosted SMU at the Astrodome. It was a bloodbath.
As Thomas Bonk of the Los Angeles Times described it:
"Having to play Ware and Houston was the second time SMU has received the death penalty. The once-proud Mustangs are playing their first season of football since the NCAA forbid them from fielding a team for two years–the death penalty–for recruiting violations. Seventeen of SMU’s 22 starters are freshmen. The last time freshmen played so prominent a role, there were four of them and they were singers. Was this a mismatch? Well, the Fat Lady sang the national anthem. Houston Coach Jack Pardee actually seemed to try to keep the score down. He pulled Ware at the half, pulled his first-string defense in the first quarter and used three walk-on receivers. Pardee also let the clock run out when the Cougars had the ball on SMU’s 17. Mustang Coach Forrest Gregg was not amused. “For someone to try to build their stats and build their reputation against a bunch of freshmen . . . I hope they really feel proud of their accomplishments,” Gregg said. “I don’t really appreciate that. There is not a whole lot I can do about it, but it is just an experience you remember.”"
When the dust settled, Houston had amassed an unbelievable 1,021 total yards of offense in a 95-21 victory – incredible given the fact the Cougars broke the record of 883 Nebraska piled up in a game against New Mexico State in 1982.
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