Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty missed out on Barry Sanders’ historic NCAA single-season rushing record (2,628) by just 28 yards, despite the NFL legend rooting for him to break it.
Jeanty and the Broncos were eliminated from the College Football Playoffs by Penn State after losing 31-14 against the Nittany Lions on Tuesday, in a brutal night for the Heisman Trophy runner-up. After missing out on the prestigious award to two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter, his collegiate career ended in disappointment.
For Jeanty, beating Penn State was always his priority over setting the single-season record, but he needed just 132 yards on Tuesday after averaging 192 yards per game in 2024. However, he finished the game with 104 yards off 30 carries, as he struggled to dominate the Nittany Lions defense.
Sanders’ record set in 1988 still stands, but the football legend has been rooting for Jeanty ever since his tally came under threat. Even before Tuesday’s decisive game, Sanders wished Jeanty all the best on social media.
When replying to a stat line from his record-breaking season, Sanders wrote on X: “That was some year, but let’s root for @AshtonJeanty2 to get it done in his bowl game.” Before the game between Boise State and Penn State began, he posted: “Got my popcorn ready @AshtonJeanty2 – Good Luck!”
Jeanty replied “thank you” while also adding an emoji of a goat – letting Sanders know exactly where he ranks him among other running backs. Ahead of Tuesday’s Fiesta Bowl, Jeanty described how much it meant to have the record holder supporting him.
“It’s pretty cool to have support from the person who has the record right now and, obviously, is considered (one of the best, if not the best), to ever play the position,” Jeanty said during his pre-game news conference. “Obviously, I told him thank you for his support. It’s just great to have the support of a legend.
“Obviously, I want to break the record, weve just got to keep the main thing, and that’s just winning against Penn State. And I feel like if we take care of what we need to take care of, then that will come with it, just like everything else. Just like all the other awards and all the other stats, they’ll come with it.”
Jeanty was also shown major respect by Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin, who called the Broncos running back a “beast” when assessing his main asset – yards after contact. “The most impressive stat is the yards after contact,” Franklin said.
“Hes got more yards after contact than most of the elite backs in college football have in general overall. Hes a beast.” Ahead of Tuesday’s bowl game, 1,889 of Jeantys 2,497 yards came after the first contact.
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