Tag: Lydell Mitchell

Top 10 Penn State bowl game individual rushing performances

Here is a look at the top 10 individual rushing performances in Penn State bowl history.

As we count down the days until Penn State kicks off against Ole Miss in the 2023 Peach Bowl, it’s fun to look back on some Nittany Lions’ bowl game history. Two standout backs, [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag], are expected to play in the bowl game this year so perhaps more memorable performances are on deck.

Penn State has had its share of quality running backs throughout its storied history, none more famous than [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] and [autotag]Franco Harris[/autotag]. Harris was a big and powerful runner who led the Nittany Lions to an undefeated season in 1971 as an All-American. He would go on to win four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Barkley broke several Penn State rushing records during his time in Happy Valley and showed the innate ability to break off highlight plays. He was one of if not the most electrifying players in Penn State history

Do either of these two backs make the list of top-10 rushing performances in Penn State bowl game history?

Saquon Barkley leads Penn State in rushing touchdowns, where does everyone else fall?

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.

A surprising name leads Penn State’s all-time leading rushers

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 well-represented on ESPN’s top 100 RBs of all-time list

ESPN ranked the top 100 running backs of the past 60 years in college football. Here’s who is included from Penn State.

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Penn State football has produced some terrific running backs over the years, including some pro football hall of fame players and backs who would go on to be considered franchise running backs at the next level. But where do Penn State’s best running backs of all time compare in the history of the sport of college football? ESPN’s recent ranking of the top 100 running backs of all time provided a possible answer.

Bill Connelly of ESPN ranked the top 100 running backs over the past 60 years of the history of college football, taking the list back to the point in time when players began to have more specialized positions and running backs really took off as the main cog in any team’s offense. And, as noted by Connelly, running backs were the main bread and butter for successful teams at a time before big passing games became the norm. A running back won the Heisman Trophy 17 out of 24 times between 1965 and 1988, including Penn State’s own [autotag]John Cappelletti[/autotag] in 1973. Cappelletti made the list at No. 40 overall and is the highest-ranked Nittany Lion to appear on the ranking.

Penn State had a handful of other running backs included in Connelly’s top 100 ranking of running backs. Larry Johnson, as the school’s only 2,000-yard rusher, earned a ranking of No. 45 in Connelly’s list. [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] (68), [autotag]Lydell Mitchell[/autotag] (69), and [autotag]Ki-Jana Carter[/autotag] (70) were lumped together in a group of notable standouts. This trio would probably sit well together on a Mount Rushmore of Penn State running backs as they each stand out in different points in time for the program. Mitchell was one of the most successful backs in program history in the earlier days of Joe Paterno’s career. Carter was a dominant running back at the beginning of the Big Ten era for Penn State. And Barkley is the latest star player that took the position to new heights as an athlete in today’s more modern approach to the game.

Perhaps one notable exemption from this list is [autotag]Franco Harris[/autotag]. Harris is a Pro Football Hall of Fame member and a four-time Super Bowl champion and nine-time Pro Bowl running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But this list is strictly based on success at the college level of the game, and what happened in the NFL is not taken into account. And considering Harris spent much of his time in Happy Valley blocking for Mitchell, that all makes sense.

Check out the full ranking of running backs from ESPN here (a paid subscription is required).

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Penn State’s all-time leading rushers in Nittany Lions history

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.

All data is credited to College Football Reference. This list will be updated accordingly.

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