Freshman quarterback Nathan Emert broke one more Missouri Southern passing record during the Lions’ 26-22 win over Southwest Baptist University Oct. 23, throwing for 2,726 yards on the season with two games to spare.

His 256-yard game moved him past Matt Cook, whose 2,637-yard passing record has stood for 13 years. He also moved into eighth place in career passing yards and is only 35 completions shy of 10th place in career pass completions in only nine career games.

“It’s very rare for a true freshman starting in college football, let alone excelling the way he has been,” said John Ware, head football coach. “We had to start him out of necessity, and he’s shown that he is more than up to the challenge.”

Southern offensive coordinator Keeth Matheny said Emert’s grasp of the offense has led to his success in the Lions’ system. He ran a similar offense at Shiloh Christian High School in Springdale before joining Southern this year.

“He’s done a tremendous job for us,” Matheny said. “Nathan is extremely poised for any quarterback, let alone a freshman. This record and this season is only the beginning for this young offense. There are many more accolades and accomplishments ahead, but this is a nice start.”

This is the fifth school passing record Emert has broken this season. During the Lions’ Oct. 9 loss to No. 3 Northwest Missouri State University, Emert broke Josh Chapman’s 2002 record for single-season pass completions, which currently stands at 252. He also set records during the game for most passing yards in a game (419), most past completions in a game (35) and most pass attempts in a game (55).

Emert said he credits the record to his offensive teammates.

“I haven’t really thought about it (the record),” Emert said. “It might sound corny, but it’s all about the team. If I didn’t have great receivers to throw to and a great offensive line, I wouldn’t be able to do anything.”