Ashton Jeanty misses out on Barry Sanders’ rushing record by the barest of margins
21-year-old Florida native Ashton Jeanty finished his final year as a Boise State Broncos with 2601 rushing yards
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Barry Sanders and Ashton Jeanty (via Detroit Free Press and 104.3 The WOW)
In the Fiesta Bowl, The Boise State was all siesta. The No.6 Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Boise State Broncos 31-14 to advance to the semi-final of the College Football Playoff. The Broncos could not take the lead, struggling to establish their running game after falling into a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter.
Ashton Jeanty, the explosive running back of the Boise State Broncos had a season-low performance against the Nittany Lions. The Lions who had a defensive extravaganza limited Jeanty to 104 yards on 30 carries. The 2024 Heisman runner-up also fumbled twice in the game.
The loss also meant that Ashton Jeanty fell short of breaking Barry Sanders‘ single-season NCAA rushing record. In the 1988 season, Barry Sanders, a renowned athlete enshrined in both the Pro Football HOF and College Football HOF, amassed an impressive 2,628 rushing yards and scored 37 touchdowns in 11 games while playing for Oklahoma State University.
Jeanty needed just 132 yards in the quarter-final game to surpass Sanders’s record. However, the Nittany Lions limited him to 104, meaning Jeanty fell just 28 yards short. Ashton Jeanty now sits second in the single-season rushing yards list ahead of UCF’s Kevin Smith (2,567 yards rushing in 2007) and then Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon (2,587 in 2014).
Penn State coach James Franklin revealed that there was a highly motivated group of players in their armory ready to take away Jeanty’s shot at breaking Sanders’ record.
Deion Sanders shares classy message with Ashton Jeanty following Boise State’s loss to PSU
After Penn State Nittany Lions eliminated Boise State from the College Football Playoffs on December 31, Deion Sanders shared a thoughtful message with Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty.
Sanders paired his message with a graphic showcasing a black-and-white photo of Jeanty alongside a quote from the running back following Boise State’s Mountain West championship victory earlier in December.
Proud of you young man. Your future is as bright as it gets. Keep God 1st which I know u will. Dismiss the fools that are negative on every day that ends with a ‘Y.’ You are HIM my man. Got [sic] has u covered.
Deion Sanders wrote on X
Proud of you young man. Your future is as bright as it gets. Keep God 1st which I know u will. Dismiss the fools that are negative on every day that ends with a “Y”. You are HIM my man. Got has u covered. Ashton Jeanty pic.twitter.com/LQrfsAfXOd
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) January 1, 2025
In the postgame interview, the fan-favorite running back expressed gratitude for the season, describing it as a blessing and attributing his and his teammates’ successes to God’s favor throughout the year. While acknowledging the disappointment of not achieving their ultimate goal, he highlighted the special accomplishments of many players on the team. The Thursday loss marked Ashton Jeanty’s last game as a Bronco since he admitted his desire to declare for the NFL Draft.
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Mohammed Bazim
(425 Articles Published)