By the numbers: Top 10 single-game rushing records in Penn State Nittany Lions history

When it comes to single-game rushing production, nobody set the bar as high at Penn State as Larry Johnson. Johnson, the school’s only 2,000-yard rusher in program history, torched overmatched opponents on his hot streak in 2002. As a result, Johnson owns the top four all-time single-game rushing totals in Penn State history.

For a school with as many talented running backs as Penn State has had over the years, Johnson’s 2002 season stands out, and his big-game performances will be difficult for any future running back at Penn State to catch due to the nature of the offense in today’s game. Penn State has evolved with the flow of the game to rely more on big plays through the air as opposed to grinding out yards on the ground. This is evident by contrasting this list of the top 10 single-game rushing performances with the list of top 10 single-game passing records.

Since Johnson’s 2,000-yard season in 2002, there have been just six games with a Penn State running back going for at least 200 yards on the ground. Saquon Barkley’s magical 211-yard performance against Iowa in 2017 remains the high mark on the ground for Penn State running backs since Johnson’s 2002 season.

Here is a look at those top 10 individual rushing performances in Penn State history, with Johnson taking the top four spots all to himself. As a bonus, we’ll actually make this a top 11 because Larry Johnson tied one of his high marks, so we’ll give both one spot and slide in one more at the beginning of this list.

Ki-Jana Carter, 227 yards vs. Michigan State (1994)