PINGEL REPLACES NFL LEGEND IN RECORD BOOK

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. -- The play wasn't flashy, spectacular or -- for that matter -- really all that exciting, except for one simple variable.

It made history.

With a 3-yard reception early in the first quarter of Saturday's 56-36 victory over Illinois College, Westminster senior receiver Scott Pingel passed current NFL-legend Jerry Rice on the NCAA all-time receptions list with his 302nd career catch in front of 1,600 spectators at England Field.

"That suits me, I think, perfect," said a grinning Pingel of the record catch. "It's a route I've run a million times. It's a two route and I run two's all the time -- with a lot of adjustments -- so it's fitting."

Pingel, a two-time Division III all-American who entered the contest needing just two receptions to break Rice's 15-year record, finished the day with nine catches for 113 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers brought him within one touchdown reception of Chris Bisaillon's all-time mark of 55 and 123 yards from Scott Hvistendahl's career mark of 4,696 receiving yards.

Westminster's high-powered offense wasted little time getting Pingel in the record books, tying Rice's mark on the game's first offensive snap.

With Pingel isolated on the left sideline in single coverage, Blue Jays' senior all-American quarterback Justin Peery connected with his favorite target for a 15-yard reception.

"Justin called a formation where I was all by myself and I had an option of three routes to run," Pingel said. "I just took it outside. There's got to be so much credit that goes to Justin because he's unreal."

Said Peery, who threw for 369 yards and five touchdowns on 31-of-44 passing: "Anytime we can get Scott one-on-one, I like to go to him. It wasn't so much the record, he was just the man open."

With nearly 100 friends and relatives in attendance from his hometown of Perryville sporting "Great Scott" T-shirts and chanting "one more time," the St. Vincent High graduate got the record-breaker minutes later on a first-and-10 play from the Illinois College 29-yard-line. Pingel simply hauled in the short pass and after getting pulled down by two defenders, he flipped the ball to the referee and walked back to the huddle with a modest pump of his fist.

"(The record was) slightly melodramatic, I guess, but it's probably the route he's caught more than any other so maybe it's somewhat fitting," Peery said. "We were all excited for him and very proud of him. We felt we had a part in one of the neatest things that's ever going to happen in our athletic careers."

The record-breaking ball was removed from the game and will be sent to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Pingel will also receive one of the game balls to keep.

"Hopefully he'll put enough distance to where this record will never be broken," said Westminster coach John Welty. "Scott's such a classy young man. He comes from a great family and it couldn't have happened to a nicer person -- ever."

With the record out of the way, Pingel fittingly ended the drive with a 9-yard reception in the end zone. He added two more scoring catches -- for 30 and 7 yards.