Bowl/Post-Season Rushing Leaders

Penn State’s All-time Bowl & Post-Season Rushing Yards/Touchdown Leaders—

The Career Post-Season Rushing Yards Leaders List—

“Post-Season” rushing totals for Penn State RBs/QBs on these lists include stats from all Bowl games, Big Ten Championship games, and CFP non-bowl Playoff games.

  1. Nick Singleton (6 games)—536 yards on 66 rushes, 7 TDs (8.12 yards per carry)

  2. Kaytron Allen (6 games)—498 yards on 82 rushes, 4 TDs (6.07 yards per carry)

  3. Saquon Barkley (4 games)—483 yards on 79 rushes, 5 TDs (6.11 yards per carry)

  4. Curt Warner (4 games)—474 yards on 76 rushes, 5 TDs (6.24 yards per carry)

  5. Matt Suhey (4 games)—276 yards on 51 rushes, 2 TDs (5.41 yards per carry)

  6. Charlie Pittman (3 games)—265 yards on 54 rushes, 1 TD (4.91 yards per carry)

  7. Evan Royster (4 games)—262 yards on 52 rushes, 1 TD (5.04 yards per carry)

  8. Ki-Jana Carter (3 games)—256 yards on 43 rushes, 5 TDs (5.95 yards per carry)

  9. Journey Brown (2 games)—206 yards on 17 rushes, 2 TDs (12.12 yards per carry)

    Note: Trace McSorley QB (5 games)—159 yards on 50 rushes, 2 TDs (Best among QBs)

The Career Bowl Rushing Yards Leaders List—

  • Curt Warner (4 games)—474 yards on 76 rushes, 5 TDs (6.24 yards per carry)

  • Saquon Barkley (3 games)—400 yards on 60 rushes, 4 TDs (6.67 yards per carry)

  • Nick Singleton (4 games)—341 yards on 42 rushes, 6 TDs (8.12 yards per carry)—opted out of final bowl game

  • Kaytron Allen (4 games)—304 yards on 57 rushes, 1 TD (5.33 yards per carry)—did not play in final bowl game

  • Matt Suhey (4 games)—276 yards on 51 rushes, 2 TDs (5.41 yards per carry)

    Note: Trace McSorley QB (4 games)—179 yards on 44 rushes, 2 TDs (Best among QBs)

The Career CFP Games Rushing Yards Leaders List—

  • Kaytron Allen (3 games)—286 yards on 47 rushes, 2 TDs (6.09 yards per carry)

  • Nick Singleton (3 games)—261 yards on 41 rushes, 5 TDs (6.37 yards per carry)

Best Single Post-Season Rushing Yards/Scoring—

  • Kaytron Allen (4 games in 2024)—410 yards on 61 rushes, 3 TDs (6.72 yards per carry)

  • Nick Singleton (4 games in 2024)—366 yards on 51 rushes, 5 TDs (7.18 yards per carry)

  • Saquon Barkley (2 games in 2016)—277 yards on 44 rushes, 3 TDs (6.30 yards per carry)

  • Journey Brown (1 game in 2019)—202 yards on 16 rushes, 2 TDs (12.63 yards per carry)

Best Single Post-Season All-Purpose Yards/Scoring—

  • Nick Singleton (4 games in 2024)—495 combined yards (rush/receive/return)—366 yds. rushing (51 carries), 83 yds. receiving (8 catches) & 46 yds. on 2 kick returns—5 rushing TDs/1 receiving TD

  • Kaytron Allen (4 games in 2024)—463 combined yards (rush/receive/return)—410 yds. rushing (61 carries), 49 yds. receiving (6 catches), & 4 yds. on 1 kick return—3 rushing TDs/no receiving TDs

  • Saquon Barkley (2 games in 2016)—409 combined yards (rush/receive/return)—277 yds. rushing (44 carries), 75 yds. receiving (7 catches), & 57 yds. on 2 kick returns—3 rushing TDs/2 receiving TDs

Most Post-Season 100-yard Rushing Games—

  • Curt Warner (3)—155 yards vs. Ohio State in 1980 Fiesta Bowl, 145 yards vs. USC in 1982 Fiesta Bowl, & 117 yards vs. Georgia in 1983 Sugar Bowl (National Championship game)

  • Saquon Barkley (2)—194 yards vs. USC in 2017 Rose Bowl & 137 yards vs. Washington in 2017 Fiesta Bowl

  • Nick Singleton (2)—120 yards vs. Utah in 2023 Rose Bowl & 105 yards vs. Oregon in 2024 Big Ten Championship Game

  • Kaytron Allen (2)—124 yards vs. Oregon in 2024 Big Ten Championship Game & 134 yards vs. Boise State in 2024 Fiesta Bowl/CFP Quarterfinal

Single Post-Season/Bowl Game Rushing Yards Records—

  • Most Rushing Yards in a Bowl—Journey Brown 202 yards vs. Memphis in 2019 Cotton Bowl

  • Most Rushing Yards in a CFP Bowl—Kaytron Allen 134 yards vs. Boise State in 2024 Fiesta Bowl/CFP Quarterfinal

  • Most Rushing Yards in a CFP Game (non-bowl)—Nick Singleton 90 yards vs. SMU in 2024 CFP 1st Round

  • Most Rushing Yards in a Big Ten Championship Game—Kaytron Allen 124 yards vs. Oregon in 2024 at Indianapolis

  • Most Rushing Yards in a Rose Bowl—Saquon Barkley 194 yards vs. USC in 2017

  • Most Rushing Yards in a Fiesta Bowl—Curt Warner 155 yards vs. Ohio State in 1980

  • Most Rushing Yards in a Cotton Bowl—Journey Brown 202 yards vs. Memphis in 2019

  • Most Rushing Yards in a Sugar Bowl—Curt Warner 117 yards vs. Georgia in 1983

  • Most Rushing Yards in an Orange Bowl—Austin Scott 110 yards (5 yds. in OT) vs. Florida State in 2006

  • Most Rushing Yards in a Peach Bowl—Kaytron Allen 51 yards vs. Ole Miss in 2023

  • Most Rushing Yards in a Non-Major Bowl—Blair Thomas 186 yards vs. BYU in 1989 Holiday Bowl (PSU bowl record 35 carries/1st with 30+ in bowl)

Best Post-Season/Bowl Single Game Rushing Yards Performances—

  • 202 yards—Journey Brown vs. Memphis in 2019 Cotton Bowl with 2 TDs (on 16 carries)

  • 194 yards—Saquon Barkley vs. USC in 2017 Rose Bowl with 2 TDs (on 25 carries)

  • 186 yards—Blair Thomas vs. BYU in 1989 Holiday Bowl with 1 TD (on PSU bowl record 35 carries)

  • 158 yards—Tony Hunt vs. Tennessee in 2007 Outback Bowl (no TDs)—on 31 carries

  • 156 yards—Ki-Jana Carter vs. Oregon in 1995 Rose Bowl with 3 TDs (on 21 carries)

  • 155 yards—Curt Warner vs. Ohio State in 1980 Fiesta Bowl with 1 TD (on 18 carries)

PSU Post-Season/Bowl Games with multiple 100-yard Rushers—

  • 1977 Fiesta Bowl vs. Arizona State—Steve Geise TB 26 rushes for 111 yards, 1 TD/1 two-point conversion run & Bob Torrey FB 9 rushes for 107 yards, 0 rushing TDs/1 receiving TD (at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ)

  • 2024 Big Ten Championship vs. Oregon—Kaytron Allen RB 14 rushes for 124 yards, 1 TD & Nick Singleton RB 10 rushes for 105 yards, 0 rushing TDs/1 receiving TD (at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis)

LINK HERE TO RUSHING TOUCHDOWN LEADERS

LINK HERE TO RUSHING YARDS LEADERS

Career Post-Season Rushing TD Leaders—

All stats are “Modified/Complete” including all Bowls/Post-Season games—

  1. Nick Singleton (6 games)—7 Rushing TDs (2 Receiving TDs)—5 Rushing TDs in CFP games/7 Total TDs in Bowls (6 rushing TDs)—PSU Record 9 Total TDs in post-season (scored at least 1 TD in every post-season game)—1st at PSU to score rushing TDs in two Bowls/CFP games in same season (2024 Fiesta Bowl-1/2025 Orange Bowl-3)—also 1 Reception for 2-pt. conversion in 2023 Peach Bowl

  2. Saquon Barkley (4 games)—5 Rushing TDs (2 Receiving TDs)—7 Total TDs in post-season

  3. Ki-Jana Carter (3 games)—5 Rushing TDs (no receiving TDs)

  4. Curt Warner (4 games)—5 Rushing TDs (no Receiving TDs)

  5. Kaytron Allen (6 games)—4 Rushing TDs (no Receiving TDs)—2 Rushing TDs in CFP games

Single Game Running Back Post-Season TD/Scoring Leaders—

  • Ki-Jana Carter—3 Rushing TDs in 1995 Rose Bowl (18 points)

  • Nick Singleton—3 Rushing TDs in 2025 Orange Bowl/CFP Semifinal (18 points)—tied Orange Bowl record

  • Curtis Enis—2 Rushing TDs/1 Receiving TD/1 Reception for 2-pt. conversion in 1997 Fiesta Bowl (20 points—PSU record)

  • Saquon Barkley—2 Rushing TDs/1 Receiving TD in 2017 Rose Bowl (18 points)

Longest Post-Season TD Runs—

  • 92 yards—Saquon Barkley in 2017 Fiesta Bowl

  • 87 yards—Nick Singleton in 2023 Rose Bowl

  • 83 yards—Ki-Jana Carter in 1995 Rose Bowl (PSU 1st offensive play of the game)

  • 79 yards—Saquon Barkley in 2017 Rose Bowl

  • 64 yards—Curt Warner in 1980 Fiesta Bowl (PSU 1st offensive play of the game)

  • 58 yards—Nick Singleton in 2024 Fiesta Bowl/CFP Quarterfinal (PSU CFP overall record)

  • 56 yards—Journey Brown in 2019 Cotton Bowl

    Note: Longest non-scoring run in post-season: 84 yards by Chafie Fields in 1997 Fiesta Bowl—Fields also has 19-yard TD run in 1999 Outback Bowl

    Longest TD run in Big Ten Championship Game: 7 yards by Drew Allar QB in 2024 vs. Oregon—Best by RB: Saquon Barkley 1 yard vs. Wisconsin in 2016 & Kaytron Allen 1 yard vs. Oregon in 2024

    Longest TD run in CFP (non-Bowl): 25 yards by Kaytron Allen RB in 2024 vs. SMU in 1st Round at Beaver Stadium

    First Penn State Rushing TD in a post-season game: Phil Moonves RHB (unconfirmed yardage) in 1931 Unemployment Relief Fund Charity Game vs. Lehigh at Franklin Field, Philadelphia—Moonves is credited with 2 rushing TDs in this game-the 2nd was on a 47-yard run (sometimes reported as 48-yards)—This would be the longest post-season TD run by Penn State until the 1980 Fiesta Bowl vs. Ohio State (Curt Warner 64-yard TD run)

    2-point Conversion Scoring Runs in Post-Season/Bowls (non-OT)—

  • 1969 Orange Bowl vs. Kansas—Bobby Campbell HB (game-winning play)

  • 1977 Fiesta Bowl vs. Arizona State—Steve Geise TB

    Two RBs have also scored post-season 2-point conversions on pass receptions—Curtis Enis in 1997 Fiesta Bowl & Nick Singleton in 2023 Peach Bowl

    Note: 4 additional post-season 2-point conversion run attempts failed

Nittany Notes:

Curt Warner’s 64-yard TD run on PSU’s first play of the game in the 1980 Fiesta Bowl win over Ohio State was the record for the longest TD run in a bowl game until Ki-Jana Carter took one 83-yards to the endzone on PSU’s first play from scrimmage in the 1995 Rose Bowl victory over Oregon.

The 1980 Warner TD was a clinic on teamwork and blocking at the line. It was 1st & 10 at the Penn State 36. The Nittany Lions were in the classic I-formation with Warner at tailback. Curt takes the handoff from Todd Blackledge QB and follows Booker Moore FB straight ahead. The O-line has done its job, and Moore picks up the last unblocked Buckeye coming from the left. Warner cuts inside Moore and bursts into the secondary virtually untouched. At the 45-yard line, Warner cuts right and literally breaks the ankles of two OSU defenders. One of them might have gotten a fingertip on Warner, but he is gone. Warner explodes down the sideline for the final 55 yards for the score. Meantime, Freshman WR Kenny Jackson who was split wide left and might have been the only player fast enough to hang with Warner, sprints across the field to engage the Buckeye safety inside the 20. This permits Warner to suddenly dart back inside and outrun the remaining DBs to the endzone. Penn State leads Ohio State 7-0 just 11 seconds into the game. PSU wins, 31-19 as Warner rushes 18 times for 155 yards and that lone touchdown. The 155 yards breaks the old Penn State bowl record of 146 yards on then PSU bowl record 27 carries set by Lydell Mitchell in the 1972 Cotton Bowl win over Texas.

Interestingly, Curt Warner repeats his “start-of-game heroics” one year later at the 1982 Fiesta Bowl vs. USC. Just 15 seconds into the game, Penn State has the ball following the recovery of a Marcus Allen fumble at the USC 17-yard line. On the first play for the Lions, Curt bursts up the middle and slants left for the 17-yard dash to the endzone. For the second straight year, Warner scores on his and the team’s first touch of the game. The Nittany Lions win this one, 26-10 as Warner rushes 26 times for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

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