Barry Sanders' record withstood Ashton Jeanty. Why Oklahoma State faithful was relieved
Scott WrightThe Oklahoman
STILLWATER — Watching television with his wife, Chris Stanley kept sneaking a look at his phone to keep track of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty’s yardage total in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
Larry Reece paced his living room as he watched the game unfold.
And many other Oklahoma State football fans were keeping an eye, directly or indirectly, on what was happening Tuesday night in Phoenix.
Barry Sanders single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards, set in his magical 1988 season at Oklahoma State, was in peril as Jeanty inched closer and closer to the mark.
But as Penn State took firm control of the game, Boise State was forced to throw the ball more, and Jeanty’s season ended with 2,601 yards — a remarkable year, but still not one that truly compares to what Sanders did.
“I think Ashton Jeanty is a great running back,” said Reece, OSU’s senior associate athletic director for development, as well as the public address announcer for many sporting events. “Barry’s record is something we take a lot of pride in. We all believe that Barry Sanders is the greatest running back to ever do it. You’re never gonna convince me otherwise.
“It’s still just as important to our people that Barry stay on top. We’re an OSU family, and we’re always gonna fight for our family members.”
And now that Boise State’s season is over with a 12-2 record, Oklahoma State folks can once again celebrate Sanders’ supremacy.
“To Barry, it probably doesn’t mean a whole lot, just knowing how humble he is,” said Stanley, one of the blockers from the 1988 Cowboys affectionately known as the War Pigs. “To me, it means a lot, just to know I was part of it.
“That’s the closest anybody has ever really challenged it, so you wake up the next morning and you’re kinda happy that you’re still relevant in college football history.”
Sanders averaged 7.64 yards per carry and 238.9 yards per game in his Heisman Trophy season, while Jeanty came in at 6.95 per carry and 185.8 per game, playing three more games than Sanders gets credit for.
And that, of course, remains a sticking point for people like Reece and the War Pigs.
“A thousand yards is the benchmark for a dadgum good year for a running back, so this kid having 2,600 yards, that’s a hell of a year,” said Jason Kidder, another of the War Pigs. “But they need to put a footnote — Barry’s stats don’t even count the bowl game. That’s another 222 yards. I don’t think it’s fair they don’t count his bowl game.”
With his 222-yard, five-touchdown performance against Wyoming in the Holiday Bowl, Sanders’ total is 2,850 yards. In 1988, bowl statistics didn’t count toward season totals, and though that rule has changed, the NCAA has chosen not to retroactively add in bowl stats for past players like Sanders.
Yet with the potential for conference championships and multiple playoff games, a player today could play 16 games in a season. If a back like Jeanty gets that opportunity, even Sanders’ total of 2,850 could be topped someday.
“With the potential for a 16-game season, it probably will,” Reece said. “But in a 12-game season, nobody’s ever breaking that record.
“His bowl game should be counted, but we’re just proud that Barry is one of us, and the greatest of all time.”
