Here are Penn State’s all-time rushing touchdown leaders heading into 2022. How long until Nick Singleton makes this list?
Penn State has a long list of successful running backs to its credit in both college and the NFL. So many names that college fans know and love are in the Penn State record books.
To round out our recap of the Penn State rushing records we look at the guys who always wanted to end a drive with six points. The guys who could be the work horse type back and finish things off in the endzone, the top rushing touchdown leaders of all-time.
There will be a lot of familiar names like [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] who lead the list but also players like [autotag]Franco Harris[/autotag], [autotag]Curt Warner[/autotag], and potential hall of famer [autotag]Ki-Jana Carter[/autotag]. All of these players left lasting impacts and will be remembered for the foreseeable future at Penn State for their accomplishments.
For now, lets see who made it to the end zone the most with the blue and white on them.
Who is Penn State’s all-time leading rusher? It may not be who first think of.
Penn State has had a large amount of notable running backs step foot on Beaver Stadium’s grass, including several college hall of fame players. Of those notable men, none of them are actually the all-time leading rusher in the program’s history.
Names like [autotag]Larry Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag], and [autotag]Curt Warner[/autotag] are names you expect to see but none of them lead the list. Leading the list is a running back who was more than reliable during his tenure. Speaking of reliability, Penn State has strayed away from the run game but recent recruiting points to that aspect of the game making a grand return.
For the time being, while [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] decides what he wants to do with the offense, we can just hope that [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] joins this list one day. Until then, take some time to jump in the way-back machine in Penn State history.
Penn State bowl history: Joe Paterno’s final bowl, Urban Meyer’s final game at Florida in the 2011 Outback Bowl
By the time the 2010 season came around, Penn State had developed quite a pleasant history against SEC teams in the Outback Bowl. In three previous appearances, Penn State destroyed Auburn in 1996, spoiled the college finale of Tim Couch in a win over Kentucky in 1999, and pulled away with a big scoop-n-score for a win against Tennessee in 2007. But the 2011 Outback Bowl saw a different result against one of the teams Penn State has never recorded a win against, the Florida Gators.
The 2011 Outback Bowl was hyped for a coaching showdown between Joe Paterno, the all-time wins leader and all-time bowl wins leader with a pair of national championships to his name, and Urban Meyer, also owner of a pair of national championship rings during his time with the Florida Gators. Meyer had announced his retirement from being the head coach of the Gators at the conclusion of the 2010 regular season, setting up his final game with Florida to come against Paterno’s Nittany Lions in the Outback Bowl.
Penn State hoped to send Meyer into his brief retirement with a loss, but the Gators took control of the game in the fourth quarter when it mattered the most and Florida turned a 24-20 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter into a 37-24 victory. Penn State was in a position to potentially take the Outback Bowl, but Ahmad Black returned a Matt McGloin interception 80 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the game.
It was a long afternoon for McGloin as the Florida defense intercepted Penn State’s starting quarterback five times. Yet, in spite of the plethora of interceptions, Penn State had opportunities to keep things close and get away with a win against the Gators.
Penn State held a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a McGloin touchdown pass to Derek Moye from five yards out midway through the first quarter. But miscues helped Florida take the lead in the second quarter. A 16-yard touchdown run by Omarius Hines came just two plays after McGloin was intercepted on a drive that had Penn State pinned by their own goal. Florida took over at the 15-yard line. After the teams exchanged punts on the next two possessions, Florida’s special teams blocked a punt by Penn State and returned for a touchdown to give Florida a 14-7 advantage.
But Penn State did respond to that rough sequence. Penn State went 72 yards on five plays, highlighted by a McGloin 44-yard pass to Derek Moye, and Michael Zordich capped the drive with a game-tying touchdown with 4:09 remaining to play in the second quarter. The Penn State defense forced a quick three-and-out on Florida’s ensuing possession, and Gators punter Chas Henry shanked the punt for just 14 yards to the Florida 37-yard line. That gave Penn State a chance to take a 17-14 lead into halftime with a Collin Wagner field goal from 20 yards out after Penn State was stopped inside the 10-yard line after a big 30-yard gain by Evan Royster on the first play of the series.
Quarterback Matt McGloin of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs for a touchdown against the Florida Gators on January 1, 2011, in the 25th Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
McGloin gave Penn State a 24-17 lead late in the third quarter with a two-yard run after the defense had forced a turnover on downs at the Florida 36-yard line. But it was all downhill for McGloin and the Penn State offense from there. Florida took the lead for good on a Mike Gillislee run on the goal line after a costly pass interference penalty was called on Penn State’s Malcolm Willis on a 3rd and 11 play from the 15-yard line.
As history would eventually show, this was Meyer’s final game at Florida but not his coaching career. Meyer would spend the 2011 season in the broadcast booth for ABC and ESPN before he would return to the sidelines as the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he would capture another national championship in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Little did we know at the time, but this was also the final bowl game coached by Paterno. Paterno was back on the sidelines for the 2011 season, where he would eventually climb to the Division 1 record for most all-time victories. Of course, Paterno’s career came to a shocking end amid controversy stemming from the fallout of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
The legacies of Paterno and Meyer have taken their bruises in more recent years, but it made for one terrific coaching storyline in the 2011 Outback Bowl. Unfortunately for Penn State, the Nittany Lions were on the losing end for the first time in the Outback Bowl.
Where does Saquon Barkley rank among Penn State’s all-time leading rushers, including Franco Harris, Lydell Mitchell, and Ki-Jana Carter?
Maybe Penn State doesn’t have as strong a case to be made for Running Back U as some other programs, but the Nittany Lions have had their fair share of some of the best running backs in the game. From Lydell Mitchell to Franco Harris to Ki-Jana Carter and to Saquon Barkley, Penn State running backs have provided plenty of memories to fans over the years.
But who tops the list when it comes to Penn State’s all-time leading rushers list? Perhaps one of the more unassuming names to come through Happy Valley, Evan Royster. Royster may not have had the talent and skills of some of the others to suit up for the Nittany Lions over time, but his hard work and reliable performance stood the test of time. And having the opportunity to break into the offense early on and play his full four years of eligibility helped him continue to climb the ranks of Penn State’s all-time leading rushers.
With three 1,000-yard seasons, it has proven to be difficult to catch Royster, but his mark may not be untouchable. Saquon Barkley came close to catching Royster and would have easily surpassed him had Barkley remained at Penn State for one more season of eligibility instead of heading to the NFL. But as things stand now, Royster should feel pretty comfortable atop the leaderboard for a little while longer before anyone makes a run at his school record.
Here is a look at Penn State’s top 20 all-time leading rushers.
