In his first extended playing time, rookie DeMarco Murray ran for a franchise-record 253 yards, including an early 91-yard touchdown that got the Cowboys started toward a 34-7 victory on Sunday against St. Louis.
Murray – a third-round pick bumped up in the rotation because of an injury to starter Felix Jones – topped the best single-game performances by NFL rushing king Emmitt Smith and fellow Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett. It’s also the ninth highest total in NFL history, and the most rushing yards by anyone in the NFL this season.
Murray’s TD was the second-longest in team history, topped only by an NFL-record 99-yarder by Dorsett in January 1983.
The Rams, who fell to 0-6 and came in with the NFL’s worst defense against the run, allowing 163 yards per game.
For the local fans, it was a terrific start to a baseball-football doubleheader between teams from Dallas-Fort Worth and St. Louis. Game 4 of the World Series began just down the street less than an hour after this game ended.
The first quarter ended in a 6-yard touchdown run by Steven Jackson that got St. Louis within 14-7. The other ended with a fourth-and-goal from the 1 that was stuffed in the final minutes.
Jackson finished with 70 yards, 46 coming on the touchdown drive.
Brandon Lloyd caught six passes for 74 yards in his St. Louis debut. He was acquired from Denver earlier this week.