Madison, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Melvin Gordon stiff-armed defenders, skipped past would-be tacklers, broke through wide-open holes and raced around sealed corners to rush for more yards than anyone in FBS history.

A record performance that culminated in a steady snowfall heated up the junior running back's chances to win college football's most prestigious individual honor.

Gordon bolstered his Heisman Trophy candidacy with a record 408 yards rushing and No. 22 Wisconsin ran away with a 59-24 win over No. 11 Nebraska in a key Big Ten West showdown on Saturday.

Gordon, already the nation's leading rusher entering play, ripped off seven runs of at least 26 yards and broke future NFL great LaDainian Tomlinson's FBS record for rushing yards in a game.

Tomlinson, who gained 406 yards for TCU against UTEP on Nov. 20, 1999, congratulated Gordon in a tweet.

Gordon also broke the old Wisconsin record of 339 yards set by all-time NCAA rushing leader Ron Dayne against Hawaii on Nov. 30, 1996.

He and the Badgers (8-2, 5-1 Big Ten) both overcame ball security issues in the first half to score 56 straight points after trailing 17-3, picking up their fifth consecutive win.

Nebraska (8-2, 4-2) and senior running back Ameer Abdullah, whose own Heisman bid is probably over, had a three-game winning streak snapped despite having a bye week to get ready for Gordon and the Badgers.

Wisconsin took a one-game lead over Nebraska and Minnesota in the Big Ten West division with two regular-season games remaining against Iowa and Minnesota, which fell to Ohio State on Saturday.

Gordon set the record with a 26-yard touchdown run in the snow on the final play of the third quarter. His 408 yards came on 25 carries for an average of 16.32 yards per touch. His four touchdowns gave him an FBS-high 25 this year.

The performance also included runs of 68, 62, 44, 43, 42 and 39 yards, helping Wisconsin rush for 581 yards as a team.