Cincinnati's Kiel ties school record with 6 TDs in debut

Journeyman quarterback Gunner Kiel had a really, really good college football debut for Cincinnati on Friday.

The sophomore from Columbus, Ohio, threw for six touchdowns on 25 completions and amassed 442 total yards in the Bearcats 58-34 win over Toledo.

The record-setting night saw Kiel break the American Athletic Conference's record for most touchdown passes in a game and he did so in his collegiate debut. Of course, it helps the conference only began play last year, but it's an impressive feat nonetheless.

Kiel had already tossed four of those six touchdowns before the end of the first half, where he completed 16-of-19 passes for 294 yards.

It was enough to also tie former Bearcats pivot Tony Pike for the most touchdown passes in a game in school history. Pike did it in 2009 against Illinois.

He even added an impressive 24-yard rush that likely made coach Tommy Tuberville cringe when Kiel charged an imposing defender, rather than slide.

Kiel is a hot topic among college football geeks given the long road he took to get to Cincinnati. He first committed to Indiana in July 2011 after receiving scholarship offers from nearly every school in the country. Just after Christmas 2011, Kiel changed his mind and committed to LSU.

The love affair in Baton Rouge didn't last too long either, as Kiel jumped ship to enroll early at Notre Dame, drawing the ire of LSU coach Les Miles, who questioned the QB's integrity.

Kiel lost out on the starting quarterback job at Notre Dame when Everett Golson was named the starter, and redshirted the 2012 season.

Eventually, he landed at Cincinatti and the Bearcats are sure glad he did.