Garrett Gilbert's 7 TDs Aren't Enough to Power SMU Past Rutgers in 3OT

SMU and quarterback Garrett Gilbert failed to knock off Rutgers Saturday in what turned out to be a 55-52 loss in three overtime periods, but it sure was not for lack of effort.

Gilbert threw the ball a ridiculous 70 times, completing 45 of the attempts for 484 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed the ball 11 times and added two touchdowns on the ground.

As ESPN points out, Gilbert broke several SMU records in the jaw-dropping performance:

The outburst from Gilbert should not come as a surprise, given he's thrown for 300 yards or more in four out of five contests this season.

SMU fell behind Rutgers 14-0 after the first quarter and were forced to ignore the running game, rushing just 28 times—11 of which came from Gilbert himself.

Things got interesting in the fourth quarter. SMU entered facing a 35-14 deficit, but SMU rattled off three consecutive touchdowns via Gilbert passes while the defense held the Scarlet Knights to a goose egg to force overtime.

Gilbert scored his two rushing touchdowns in the first two overtime periods as the two teams exchanged touchdowns. Rutgers ended the game by holding Gilbert and Co. to a field goal in the third period, and then Justin Goodwin ran for a 17-yard touchdown to end the game.

SMU falls to 1-4 and 0-1 in the AAC after the loss to the 4-1 Scarlet Knights. The Mustangs senior quarterback is playing at an exceptionally high level, but Gilbert cannot do it all on his own.

However, Gilbert sure tried.

Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling