NORFOLK, Va. -- Taylor Heinicke threw for a Division I-record 730 yards on Saturday as Old Dominion rallied to beat New Hampshire 64-61 in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams.
Heinicke set school records for completions (55), attempts (79), and passing yards (730) as New Hampshire (2-2), an FCS school, dominated the CAA's top-ranked defense throughout the first three quarters, taking a 54-38 lead into the fourth.
Former Houston quarterback David Klingler held the previous D-I record, throwing for 716 yards against Arizona State on Dec. 2, 1990.
The former FCS record was held by Weber State's Jamie Martin, who threw for 624 yards against Idaho State in 1991.
Division I includes both FBS and FCS schools.
Heinicke, though, is no Sam Durley.
Durley, of Division III Eureka (Ill.) College, set the NCAA single-game mark with 736 passing yards in his team's 62-55 come-from-behind win against Knox earlier this year.
How good was Heinicke?
According to ESPN Stats and Information, nine FBS teams (including reclassifiers) had played at least twice entering Saturday and still had not racked up Heinicke's 730 yards: Tulane, Massachusetts, Southern Miss, Temple, Hawaii, Kent State, Navy, Texas State and UAB.
On Saturday, Heinicke threw five touchdown passes, including two to Nick Mayers, and Angus Harper scored on a 2-yard run, capping a 23-0 scoring run for the Monarchs. Mayers hauled in 12 passes for 271 yards.
The Wildcats rallied, tying the game at 61-61 behind a 45-yard pass from Andy Vailas, but Heinicke led the Monarchs on an 11-play, 74-yard drive that ended with Jared Brown's game-winning 25-yard field goal.
Old Dominion (3-0) has outscored opponents 132-24 in the second half this season.
Heinicke, a sophomore from Atlanta, has thrown for 1,921 and 19 touchdowns for Old Dominion (4-0).
Vailas led New Hampshire with five passing touchdowns.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
