The all-time college football rushing yards record has stood for 36 years now. His miraculous Heisman Trophy-winning season in 1988 is the guiding light for a running back’s season, reaching 2,628 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns for Oklahoma State that season.
Only two running backs have come close since 1988, but if all goes to plan, Boise State Broncos RB Ashton Jeanty could actually topple the record.
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Ashton Jeanty Closes In On Barry Sanders’ All-Time Rushing Record
Jeanty, who blitzed opposing defenses to start the 2024 season, put forth a dominant display week in and week out this season. He was routinely featured on Heisman watchlists and weekend highlight reels.
Doing so behind a talented Boise State offensive line, Jeanty proved to be completely unstoppable, helping lead the Broncos to an 11-1 record in the regular season and a berth in the Mountain West Championship Game.
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He also found himself just 340 yards short of Sanders’ all-time rushing record entering the MWC Championship. After rushing for 209 yards against UNLV, Jeanty found himself even closer to history.
Following Boise State’s Mountain West Championship — here are the top-five single-season rushing yard totals in history:
- Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State — 2,628 (1988)
- Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin — 2,587 (2014)
- Kevin Smith, UCF — 2,567 (2007)
- Ashton Jeanty, Boise State — 2,497 (2024)
- Marcus Allen, USC — 2,342 (1981)
With the Mountain West Championship Game on his schedule, Jeanty and the Broncos simply needed a win to punch their ticket to the College Football Playoffs and guarantee at least one more game for Jeanty’s all-time great statistical season. They did that with an exclamation mark against UNLV and now will have at least one more game for Jeanty to reach Sanders.
Given the fact that Jeanty averages over 190 yards per game this season, he’s on track to do just that this season. Finishing the game with
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In the first half alone, Jeanty reached 151 yards — thanks in large part to his fifth 70-yard touchdown run of the season — and entered the second half hungry for more. He tied LaDainain Tomlinson for most 70-or-more-yard touchdown runs in a single season with his fifth against UNLV in the second quarter of the Mountain West Championship Game.
But more importantly, Boise State went into the halftime break of the Mountain West Championship Game up 21-0 and looking incredibly solid to add at least a playoff game to Jeanty’s resume. In the end, a 21-7 performance was emphasized by Jeanty’s eighth 200-yard performance of the season, setting him up for a trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
But more importantly, his 209 rushing yards pushed him to within just 131 of Sanders’ single-season rushing record. And once again, he averages over 190 yards per game this season, meaning Sanders’ total should be well within reach.
With 151 yards in the first half, Jeanty had already encroached on history, overtaking the great Marcus Allen in the process.
Jeanty will go down as an all-time great, that’s for sure, but if he can pass Sanders, that’s something entirely different in and of itself. If Jeanty is able to surpass Sanders’ all-time rushing record like the law of averages states he should be able to, then we’re talking about Jeanty’s 2024 campaign possibly being the greatest rushing season in history.
And that’s something worth watching as the Broncos advance to the College Football Playoffs.
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