Video: Matt Miller sets national passing record with 787 yards, 10 TDs in first start

Video: Matt Miller throws for 787 yards, 10 TDs
DuBois (Pa.) quarterback puts up unreal numbers in wild 107-90 loss.

Funny how life can change in a day. Or three hours and 45 minutes.

Matt Miller, a promising and talented sophomore quarterback from DuBois (Pa.), had patiently waited to get into an athletic contest of any kind after a torn left anterior cruciate ligament the summer before his freshman year curtailed him.

He tweaked the knee this summer, so coach Frank Varischetti, for precautionary measures, kept him out of a Week 1 game vs. Miffin County.

"It's hard to sit and watch," said Miller, also a terrific basketball and baseball player according to the school's Athletic Director Mike Erickson. "But I knew all the hard work that went into rehabbing. I could wait a little longer."

He was understandably "jittery" taking his first snap on Friday against visiting Meadville (Pa.). But when he completed a 47-yard touchdown pass to Braden Paulinellie, "I sort of settled in."

Settled in? That's an understatement of record-breaking proportions.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder went out and set a national NFHS record by throwing for 787 yards in a record 107-90 loss. Miller completed 31 of 55 passes, including 10 touchdown passes of 47, 14, 67, 10, 60, 57, 15, 16, 65 and 33 yards.

For good measure, he ran in a 6-yard touchdown as well. Miller wasn't the only individual record-breaker in the game. Meadville junior running back Journey Brown shattered a state record by more than 200 yards by rushing 30 times for 722 yards and 10 touchdowns. It ranks No. 2 on the NFHS national list.

And Miller's teammate Colin Read broke the state receiving yards record by hauling in nine passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns. The old record was 320.

"It was truly remarkable," Miller told us Saturday morning. "Someone told me after the game I'd broken the state record. Five minutes after that someone told me I'd broken the national record. I had chills go down my spine thinking about it. I still do."

The spine-tingling night still lingers. Miller has done at least six national or regional television or radio interviews and interest from the college ranks is beginning to mount.

Erickson said that before Friday's game, "I really didn't know what sport is his best. He's really good at the other two also. We'll see how he does there. … He obviously had a great game and made quite an impression. He throws a great ball. He made some beautiful ones on Friday. … It was nice to see after his injury. He wasn't scared out there, but he was barely hit. The line did a great job and gave him lots of protection."

Asked what he can do for an encore, Miller said, "Breaking records is great, but really all I'm focused on is getting us some wins."