By ERIC OLSON
Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson is back, and he’s better than ever.
The fifth-year senior has had career games two weeks in a row, following his 424-yard passing day against Tennessee with 491 yards and a school record-tying six touchdowns in a 48-27 win at Maryland on Saturday.
Johnson is the only quarterback in the nation averaging better than 400 yards a game, and he’s doing it after coming back from a hip injury in the 2014 opener that knocked him out for the season.
The Falcons amassed 692 total yards against Maryland, the most in Dino Babers’ three seasons as coach, and are fourth nationally at 624.5 a game.
Johnson is completing 61 percent of his passes in the up-tempo offense that has gotten off a nation-leading 95 plays a game and has some people calling Bowling Green “the Baylor of the MAC.”
Some other notable statistical achievements over the weekend:
ABOUT THOSE BEARS: Speaking of Baylor, the Bears keep piling up huge numbers with Seth Russell having taken over for Bryce Petty. Their 754 yards a game leads the nation and is 111 more than the next closest team, Texas Tech. Russell was intercepted three times and fumbled once against FCS Lamar on Saturday, but the Bears still won 66-31 and he had his second straight 300-yard game.
PILING UP POINTS: Mississippi’s 149 points through two weeks are the most in a two-game span in program history, and the Rebels are the first SEC team to hit 70 in back-to-back games since Florida in 1994. The scoring won’t come so easily this Saturday; the Rebels visit Alabama.
BOOM GOES WILLIAMS: Kentucky’s Boom Williams is averaging 10.1 yards a carry through two games, the best among rushers who have more than 20 attempts. Williams ran 14 times for 107 yards (7.6 average) in the Wildcats’ win at South Carolina on Saturday. He carried 10 times for 135 yards (13.5 average) in the opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, breaking a 75-yarder for a touchdown on that game’s first play from scrimmage.
RUNNING IT UP ON RIVAL: The publicist for Division III Thomas More (Ky.) describes Hanover (Ind.) as a “natural rival,” and it’s apparent the two schools aren’t overly fond of each other. Thomas More set a school scoring record while pasting the Panthers 84-7. Thomas More led 55-0 at half and 77-0 after three quarters.
EXTRA POINTS: Iowa has played 58 consecutive games without a missed or blocked PAT, the longest streak in the nation. The Hawkeyes have converted 176 straight PATs during the streak. … Texas scored 42 points but ran just 38 offensive plays in a win over Rice. The Longhorns had 327 yards on punt, kickoff, interception and fumble returns. … Old Dominion’s Ray Lawry maintained the national rushing lead at 219 yards a game. … Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead is 2-0 for the first time since 2006 thanks to a 30-28 win over Concordia-St. Paul on a 15-yard TD pass from Jake Hodge to Cory Ambrose with no time left.