East Carolina's Justin Hardy sets FBS record for career receptions Saturday against Tulane

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina receiver Justin Hardy has set the record for most career receptions in bowl subdivision history.

The fifth-year senior needed four catches during Saturday's game against Tulane. He broke that record on an 8-yard catch from Shane Carden for a first down with about 5 minutes left in the second quarter.

That pushed him past the previous record of 349 set by Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles in 2011.

The record capped a remarkable climb for Hardy, who had just one Division II scholarship offer in high school before ending up at East Carolina as a preferred walk-on. He spent his first year on the scout team before earning a scholarship a year later and quickly earning a lead role in the pass-heavy offense.

The 6-foot, 188-pound Hardy entered the year needing 84 catches to break the record, well within reach considering he had 88 catches as a sophomore and 114 as a junior.

He entered this game with 80 catches for 1,002 yards and seven touchdowns, ranking third nationally in receptions per game (8.9) and eighth in average yards receiving (111.3).