Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty is on pace for a potentially historic year. With the 2024 season’s second half underway, Jeanty is chasing a title that has become a distinct possibility: Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA rushing record of 2,628 yards, set during his 1988 run to the Heisman Trophy.
Also in play for Jeanty is Sanders’ NCAA single-season rushing touchdown record (37).
Breaking one or both of those records is entirely plausible. Jeanty trails Sanders’ 238.9 yards per game set in ’88, but the Broncos’ unanimous Midseason All-American may have more opportunities. Sanders’ rushing record did not include the postseason (11 games), and Boise State is a favorite to make both the Mountain West Championship Game and perhaps the College Football Playoff, potentially giving Jeanty anywhere between 14 and 17 chances in all to surpass Sanders’ record.
Still, the challenge is enormous: 1) Defenses have and will continue to game plan to stop Jeanty (and yet he is averaging a mesmerizing 9.9 ypc, effectively a first down per touch). 2). Staying healthy over the course of the season will be paramount (Jeanty ranks top 10 in attempts per game).
The closest any player has come to reaching Sanders’ rushing title is former Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, who hit 2,587 yards in 14 games during the 2014 season.
As Jeanty eyes Sanders’ rushing and touchdown records, we will be tracking his progress each week, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back after every game.
