Tulsa romps past Bowling Green, 63-7

MOBILE, Ala. -- Paul Smith and the nation’s top-rated offense turned a little charity into a lot of history in the GMAC Bowl.

Smith had his NCAA-record 14th consecutive 300-yard passing game, and Tulsa converted four fumble recoveries into first-half touchdowns on the way to a 63-7 rout of Bowling Green on Sunday night.

With all that help, the Golden Hurricane (10-4) ran up a 35-0 halftime lead and capped Coach Todd Graham’s first season by reaching 10 wins for the first time since 1991. Tulsa had never managed more than 31 points in 14 previous bowl games.

Smith passed for 312 yards and five touchdowns, the last with 3:22 left in the blowout. He broke the record of 13 300-yard games in a row he shared with Brigham Young’s Ty Detmer.

He and Tarrion Adams joined Houston’s David Klingler and Chuck Weatherspoon as the NCAA’s only 5,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing tandem.

Tulsa outgained Bowling Green, 562-229, in total yards.

Bowling Green (8-5) lost three fumbles in its own territory in the first quarter and never recovered.

Taking matters from awful to worse, quarterback Tyler Sheehan was helped off the field with a left ankle injury with 24 seconds left in the first half. Sheehan passed for 141 yards and ran for another 21.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Golden Hurricane became the first team in NCAA history to have a 5,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and three 1,000-yard receivers.