Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty missed Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season rushing record (2,628) by 28 yards, despite the NFL icon pulling for him.
On Tuesday, Jeanty and the Broncos lost 31-14 to Penn State in the College Football Playoffs. The Heisman Trophy runner-up had a terrible night. His college career ended in heartbreak after losing the trophy to two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter.
Jeanty always prioritized beating Penn State over achieving the single-season record, but he needed only 132 yards on Tuesday after averaging 192 in 2024. Despite struggling to overpower the Nittany Lions defense, he finished with 104 yards off 30 carries.
Sanders' 1988 record stands, but he's supported Jeanty since it was threatened. Sanders wished Jeanty well on social media before Tuesday's final game.
Jeanty replied "thank you" with a goat emoji, telling Sanders where he puts him among running backs. Jeanty said having the record holder back him meant a lot before Tuesday's Fiesta Bowl.
Jeanty remarked in his pre-game news conference, "It's quite nice to have support from the person who owns the record right now and, clearly, is considered (one of the best, if not the best), to ever play the position Naturally, I thanked him for his help. It's nice to have legend support.
"I want to break the record, but we must focus on beating Penn State. I believe that if we take care of what we need to, everything else will follow. As with all accolades and stats, they'll come."
The Broncos rushing back was branded a "beast" by Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin, who praised his yards after contact. “Yards after contact are the most impressive stat,” Franklin added.
"He has more post-contact yards than most college football best backs. He’s animal." Before Tuesday's bowl game, Jeanty had 2,497 yards, 1,889 of which came after contact.