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No surprise here -- Matt Johnson has broken the MAC single-season passing record in the second drive of the MAC Championship game. After passing Tyler Sheehan to break the school record against Toledo not too long ago, Johnson now passes Miami alum Ben Roethlisberger to have one of the best seasons from a MAC quarterback ever.
MAC Single-Season Passing Leaders
1. Matt Johnson (4,514*, 2015) *-game still in progress
2. Ben Roethlisberger (4,486, 2003)
3. Byron Leftwich (4,268, 2002)
4. Keith Wenning (4,148, 2013)
5. Tyler Sheehan (4,051, 2009)
Averaging a little over 370 yards per game this season, it seemed like the redshirt-senior Johnson's biggest passing performance of the season was against Maryland in the second game of the season when he has 491 yards through the air with six touchdowns. That was the follow up of a 424-yard performance against Tennessee. The redshirt-senior started the season with four straight games with at least 400 passing yards, six for the season.
Why stop there? After tying the school and conference record with 41 passing touchdowns for the season, Johnson's touchdown pass to Derek Lee in the second quarter of the championship game puts him atop of the record books again.
MAC Single-Season Passing Touchdown leaders
1. Matt Johnson (42, 2015)
2. Omar Jacobs (41, 2004)
3. Chad Pennington (39, 1997)
4. Byron Leftwich (38, 2001)
5. Chad Pennington & Ben Roethlisberger (37, 1999 & 2003)
Johnson had an impressive campaign in the early goings of the season with 13 passing scores in non-conference play. Against Massachusetts, Akron and Kent State in October, Johnson had three straight games with five TD in each, and had 12 for the month of November where he had two of his worst games statistically against Western Michigan and Toledo.
Leading up to the MAC Championship, Johnson collected First Team All-MAC honors and was named the player of the year after earning the Vern Leadership Award on Wednesday.