Fresno State Athletics
July 21: Sweeney Becomes NCAA Career Passing King
7/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 21, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State Athletics has had many memorable moments during its history. Each day during the month of July, Gobulldogs.com will highlight a great moment from Fresno State Athletics history.
Kevin Sweeney was ahead of his time.
Fresno State's reputation as "Quarterback U" got its start in the mid 1980s when Sweeney enrolled to play for his father, legendary head coach Jim Sweeney.
Kevin, who was a standout passer at Bullard High School, became in the most prolific passer in NCAA history during a middle of the decade. His career statistics still sit atop the Bulldog passing charts, and over 20 years after his playing career, his name is still sprinkled in the NCAA records books as one of the best passers of all time.
Sweeney's passing prowess started in 1982, when as a true freshman he got some game action before suffering a season ending injury and was awarded a medical redshirt season. As a starter for the next four seasons, Sweeney never threw for fewer than 2,300 yards in a season and tossed 69 touchdowns, a record that stood until David Carr threw 70 by the end of his career in 2001.
In his sophomore season, he threw for 476 yards against Montana State, a Fresno State single-game record, becoming the first player in Bulldog history to throw for more than 400 yards in a game.
In four years, he guided the Dogs to 32 wins, including an undefeated season (11-0-1) in 1985, his junior season. That was his best season, as he threw for a then school-record 3,259 yards and 20 touchdowns, which still ranks as the fourth-best single season in Bulldog history. That year, he led an offense that averaged over 38 points per game and a 51-7 win over Bowling Green in the Cal Bowl at Bulldog Stadium.
By the end of his senior season, he surpassed 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie on the NCAA's all-time passing yardage list with 10,623 yards and became just the second player in NCAA history with more than 10,000 career yards. He still ranks No. 39 on the NCAA's all-time list, just 6 yards behind USC's Heisman winner Matt Leinart.
Sweeney moved on the NFL with stops in Dallas and San Francisco and he paved the way for future passers, who set their sights on breaking his records and achieving success. Mark Barsotti followed Sweeney, who was followed by NFL players Trent Dilfer, Billy Volek, David Carr, Paul Pinegar and Tom Brandstater.
But it has always been Sweeney who set a very high standard. Even though a lot of great quarterbacks have since played for the Dogs, none have thrown for more yards.
Editor's Note: Kevin Sweeney's NCAA record of 10,623 yards is a different figure than Fresno State's career record of 10,808 yards because the NCAA didn't recognize bowl game statistics back then.
Coming tomorrow: Melissa Price becomes the first NCAA women's pole vault champion.
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