Ashton Jeanty Falls Short of Barry Sanders' Single-Season Rushing Record
Ashton Jeanty had one of the best rushing seasons ever, but it wasn’t enough to beat the greatest to ever do it.
On Tuesday, Boise State matched up against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl and looked to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals. However, the Nittany Lions took care of business, winning 31-14.
After finishing as the runner-up to Travis Hunter in the Heisman race, Jeanty had an opportunity to make another statement in his incredible season on the biggest stage. However, Penn State’s defense proved to be too much for him to overcome.
Needing 131 yards to hit Barry Sanders’ record of 2,628 rushing yards, Jeanty only managed 104. While he still became the second player to hit 2,600 rushing yards, his quest for the No. 1 spot fell short.
Jeanty’s quest to overtake Sanders for the best single-season rusher was notable throughout. He finished the year with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also had at least 100 rushing yards in all 14 contests and managed six 200-yard rushing games.
Of course, Jeanty fell 27 yards shy of matching Sanders’ official NCAA record, not his actual rushing total. Oklahoma State also counts Sanders’ bowl game in 1988, which pushes his total to 2,850 yards across 12 games.
Had Sanders had the opportunity to play in the modern era, with 12 regular season games and up to five postseason games, he easily could’ve cracked the 3,000-yard mark. While in practice, Sanders’ numbers are untouchable, it’s hard to overstate how impressive Jeanty’s season was.
To even be mentioned in the same breath as Sanders’ 1988 season is one thing, but to finish within 30 yards of his official record has been an unthinkable feat for over three decades. Jeanty’s season was one of the best we’ve ever seen, but the best will continue to belong to Barry Sanders.
Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.