Tavon Austin (Photo credit: Football Schedule)

Prior to the St. Louis Rams’ game against Indianapolis on November 10, Rams’ rookie receiver Tavon Austin had 31 receptions for 207 yards and two receiving touchdowns, both scored in the Rams Week #2 loss to Atlanta. Not many fans knew of the West Virginia University product outside of the Rams faithful. With his game against the Colts, however, Austin made a name for himself and put it aside some of the top players in the history of the league.

Austin had three touchdowns against the Colts, two coming on pass receptions of 57 and 81 yards. He also scored on a 98-yard punt return. He became the second rookie this season to score three TDs in a game (Detroit rookie tight end Joseph Fauria had three TD receptions earlier this year.)

There’s a couple of other reasons why Austin’s game was so unique. First, he became the 10th player in NFL history to have 130 or more yards receiving with only two catches. Austin’s two TD pass receptions were his only catches in the game. He finished the game with two catches for 138 yards. Here are the players with 130-plus yards receiving with only two catches in a game.

Tavon Austin, St. Louis, 11/10/2013: Two catches, 138 yards
Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis, 10/3/2011: Two catches, 146 yards
Calvin Johnson, Detroit, 10/19/2008: Two catches, 154 yards
Johnnie Morton, Detroit, 10/4/1998: Two catches, 138 yards
Willie Gault, LA Raiders, 11/5/1989: Two catches, 147 yards
James Scott, Chicago, 10/10/1977: Two catches, 142 yards
Roger Carr, Baltimore, 11/9/1975: Two catches, 136 yards
Isaac Curtis, Cincinnati, 12.16/1973: Two catches, 144 yards
Lance Rentzel, Dallas, 11/1/1970: Two catches, 142 yards
Homer Jones, NY Giants, 9/11/1966: Two catches, 173 yards

In addition, with Austin’s two TD receptions and one punt return for TD, he became the sixth player in NFL history to have two or more TD receptions and a punt return score in the same game. The last player to accomplish this was Dez Bryant in 2010 when he was a rookie for the Cowboys. Here’s a look at those players with two or more pass receptions for TD and a punt return for TD in the same game.

Bob Hayes, Dallas, 11/23/1967
Walter Stanley, Green Bay, 11/27/1986
Az Zahir-Hakim, St. Louis, 10/3/1999 (he had three TD receptions and a punt return for TD)
Tim Dwight, Atlanta, 1/3/2000
Dez Bryant, Dallas, 10/25/2010
Tavon Austin, St. Louis, 11/10/2013

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