QB recovering from 101 passes

Coach · November 1, 2004

He threw 101 passes for 507 yards with no sacks? Talk about dink and dunking down the field.

Arm-weary QB recovering from record-breaking game
By ERIC OLSON, AP Sports Writer
November 1, 2004
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Dana College quarterback Tom Lensch felt like he was pitching for the high school baseball team again.
In the hours after throwing a record 101 passes Saturday in a 60-35 loss to Hastings College, he wrapped his weary left arm in ice and started popping ibuprofen.
``When I was pitching, I probably threw 100 pitches every game,'' Lensch said. ``It's a lot harder to do it when you play football. It kind of got to me.''
The previous all-division college record for passes in a game was 92 by Paul Gray of Hanover, Ind., against Georgetown, Ky., in 1991.
Lensch completed 56 passes for 507 yards and two touchdowns, with three interceptions, and remarkably was not sacked. He is averaging 59 attempts and 308 yards passing this season for Dana College, a 500-student NAIA school in Blair, Neb.
``I really didn't expect 101 passes; I was thinking I was around 80,'' Lensch said. ``Hastings was playing a prevent defense and wouldn't let anyone beat them deep. We took it underneath the zone and moved the ball up and down the field.''
Coach Bill Danenhauer said breaking the record provided valuable publicity for the school, which has struggled to win football games. The Vikings have won just nine since 2000, and are 1-8 this season.
``I haven't been brought down to earth yet,'' Lensch said. ``I'm still caught up in the moment right now. I'll start to settle down and get ready for Northwestern (Iowa) and see if we can beat the No. 1 pass defense this week. I'll sit down after the season and think about it a little more.''
Lensch has completed 265 of 527 passes for 2,772 yards, with 14 touchdowns and 19 interceptions this season.
``I guess I'm going to have to put him on a pitch count from now on,'' Danenhauer said.