Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty. Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty closing in on Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record

Originally posted on Boise State Broncos on SI
By Bob Lundeberg | Last updated Dec 10, 2024 3:12 PM ET

As No. 3 Boise State (12-1) takes advantage of its first-round College Football Playoff bye, Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty is within reach of an all-time great.

Jeanty, a two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, has 344 carries for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns this season, leading the country in all three categories.

Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders owns the FBS single-season rushing record. In 1988, Sanders ran for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns in 11 games (the NCAA didn’t begin including bowl game statistics until 2002) en route to the Heisman Trophy.

Jeanty needs 132 yards — he averages 192 per game — in the College Football Playoff to break Sanders’ record. Boise State will face either No. 6 Penn State (11-2) or No. 11 SMU (11-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

In his most recent performance, Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a touchdown as Boise State captured its second straight Mountain West Football Championship with a 21-7 win over UNLV. Jeanty ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run against the Rebels, his 12th carry of 50 or more yards this season; no FBS team has more than seven.

Jeanty’s junior season already ranks among the best in college football history.

Here are five other players who had seasons that rival Jeanty’s 2024 production:

1. Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 1988

Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

Including the bowl game victory over Wyoming, Sanders ran for 2,850 yards and 42 touchdowns. His worst game of the season was a 25-carry, 154-yard effort against Missouri that included two touchdowns. Sanders bounced back the following game to run for 320 yards and three TDs against Kansas State.

2. Ricky Williams, Texas, 1998

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Williams had 391 carries for 2,327 yards and 29 touchdowns to close his prolific four-year career with the Longhorns.

3. Marcus Allen, USC, 1981

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Allen topped the 200-yard mark eight times and ran for 2,342 yards and 22 touchdowns on 403 carries.

4. Derrick Henry, Alabama, 2015

In his only season as the lead back, Henry had 395 carries for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns. Henry was the last running back to lift the Heisman Trophy.