Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty came up just shy of Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards in the Broncos’ 31-14 loss to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl. With his 104-yard performance, Jeanty ends his run at history just 28 yards shy of Sanders’ still-insurmountable total.
Of course, even if Jeanty had broken Sanders’ record, it’s worth noting that he would have had 14 games to do so; Sanders set the high-water mark in 11 games during his 1988 run to the Heisman Trophy.
Still, there’s plenty for Jeanty to be proud of with the totality of his efforts now clear. His 2,601 yards are second all time and set a Mountain West record. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting and won the Doak Walker Award for most outstanding running back. He finishes with 100 yards rushing in every game this season and six 200-yard performances. His 29 rushing touchdowns rank second nationally, behind Army quarterback Bryson Daily (32), and he had eight rushing touchdowns cover at least 60 yards.
Perhaps most astonishingly, Jeanty had 1,889 yards after contact entering the Fiesta Bowl, representing more yards than any other player in the FBS had on the ground all season.
