WKU's Bailey Zappe Breaks FBS Single-Season Passing Yards, Passing TD Records

Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe broke the NCAA FBS records for the most passing yards and most passing touchdowns in a single season during the Hilltoppers' Boca Raton Bowl matchup with Appalachian State on Saturday.

Zappe broke the yards record, which was previously held by Texas Tech's B.J. Symons, in the second quarter:

He followed it up with the new touchdown mark in the third quarter, passing LSU's Joe Burrow:

The 22-year-old Texas native arrived to WKU as a graduate transfer ahead of the 2021 season after four years at Houston Baptist, an FCS program.

Zappe proved a perfect fit for the Hilltoppers' fast-paced offensive attack. He entered the bowl game having completed 69.2 percent of his throws for 5,545 yards with 56 touchdowns and 11 interceptions across 13 games. He added three rushing scores.

Western Kentucky's offensive scheme is a variation of the Air Raid created by the program's first-year offensive coordinator, Zach Kittley, who's accepted the role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech for next season.

Zappe told ESPN's David M. Hale ahead of the bowl game he expects the reworked system to catch on elsewhere in the years ahead.

"There's a misconception of the Air Raid," he said. "This is not that. [Kittley] has made his own wrinkles, and I'm sure 10 years from now, we'll be talking about coach Kittley's Air Raid tree."

The quarterback's success following the transfer has helped bolster his NFL outlook heading toward the 2022 draft. He's a bit undersized at 6'1'', but his arm talent makes him a potential middle-to-late-round selection come April.

He'll head to the next level with a resume that includes the 2021 Conference USA Player of the Year Award and now a place in college football's record book.