Top 5 Rushing Performances of the 2016-2017 Bowl Season

Over the course of the 2016-2017 bowl season, we tracked the best rushing performances. Click ahead to read more about the best postseason performances.

40 games have come and gone, with only the College Football Playoff national championship left to contest. Over the course of the 2016-2017 postseason, we have seen some outstanding rushing performances by backs across the country. Runners from schools big and small have put up big numbers on the ground over the course of the past three weeks.

We have been tracking the top rushing games throughout the postseason, highlighting every time that a running back has gone over 100 yards in a bowl. But not all triple-digit games are the same, so now is the time to take a look at the top five rushing performances of this year’s bowl games. Click ahead to read more about the studs of the backfield that had the biggest output in their postseason contests.

Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs against USC Trojans defensive back Adoree’ Jackson (2) during the third quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Saquon Barkley

Penn State

One of the best rushing performances of the 2016-2017 postseason was also one of the last. Under cloudy skies in Pasadena, Penn State running back Saquon Barkley racked up almost 200 yards against USC. Though the Nittany Lions ultimately fell by three points to the Trojans, Barkley’s big game was a big reason why the Big Ten champions nearly came close in a 52-49 thriller at the Rose Bowl.

Barkley ended the game with 194 rushing yards on 25 carries. His first touchdown came a few minutes into the second quarter, putting Penn State on the scoreboard at a time when they were down 13-0. His second touchdown, a 79-yard romp that gave the Nittany Lions their first lead of the game, showcased Barkley’s cutting ability to its fullest:

Dodging defenders left and right, Barkley put his team up by a point with the biggest run by either team all game. And while this particular list takes into account only rushing stats, Barkley also added five catches for 55 yards and another touchdown. In one of the biggest games of the season, Barkley proved up to the challenge against a strong Trojans defense.

Dec 21, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Brigham Young Cougars running back Jamaal Williams (21) runs in for a touchdown during the second half against the Wyoming Cowboys at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Jamaal Williams

BYU

Against MWC Mountain champion Wyoming, Jamaal Williams illustrated why we called him one of the nation’s most overlooked running backs in a feature interview earlier this year. On a wet day at the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, Williams burst for 210 yards on 26 carries to lead the Cougars to a 24-21 victory in the showdown between former rivals. The BYU running back showed off both his speed as well as his powerful rushing style that churned out yards after contact:

Williams’ 36-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter put BYU up 24-7. The points proved pivotal to preserving a Cougars victory, as Wyoming tried in vain to engineer a late comeback that came up three points short. In his last game in a BYU uniform, the senior improved his NFL Draft stock with the huge performance against the Cowboys and helped his team reach nine wins for the second straight season.

Dec 28, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Utah Utes running back Joe Williams (28) carries the ball during the third quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Levi’s Stadium. The Utah Utes won 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Williams

Utah

Early in the 2016 season, Joe Williams retired from college football. At the time he cited the wear and tear of the game and his desire to complete a sociology degree as the reasons for leaving the game. Injuries in the Utes backfield led Williams to return to the team in October, and he finished the regular season with over 1100 yards despite missing four games. His return was a key reason why Utah contended for the Pac-12 South through most of the 2016 regular season.

He kept his momentum going against Indiana in the Foster Farms Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, rushing for 222 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. In a tight contest at Indiana, his biggest run came near the end of the game as he put the Utes in position for a game-winning field goal:

That elusive run paved the way for the winning kick, but Williams was a key cog in the Utes offense all game. Averaging over eight yards per carry against the Hoosiers, Williams was instrumental in Utah’s narrow victory. His lone touchdown run came in the first quarter after an Indiana fumble, and he added a 56-yard catch after another Hoosiers fumble in the red zone.

Dec 28, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats running back Justin Jackson (21) stiff arms Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Mike Caprara (30) during 2nd half of The Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Northwestern defeats Pittsburgh 31-24. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Jackson

Northwestern

Against giant-killer Pittsburgh in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankees Stadium, Justin Jackson was a workhorse that racked up nearly half of Northwestern’s total yardage in a 31-24 victory. After running for 1300 yards in the regular season, Jackson added 224 more to his season total on 32 carries against the Panthers. He had three touchdown runs over the course of the game. The first showcased his endurance, as he piled up 96 of Northwestern’s 99 yards on their first scoring drive and took it in from eight yards out.

But the run that was perhaps his most impressive came on the second touchdown. From 16 yards out, Jackson somehow kept his balance as he tumbled toward the goal line and managed to stay upright long enough to punch the ball into the endzone for a 14-3 Wildcats lead:

His last touchdown came midway through the third quarter to regain a Northwestern lead, as he took the ball on third and seven and burst 40 yards for his third rushing TD of the game. Jackson added nine yards on two catches to compete a winning season for the Wildcats. In the process he outshone Pitt running back James Connor and set himself up as a back to watch in 2017.

Dec 20, 2016; Boca Raton, FL, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers running back Anthony Wales (20) runs the ball against the Memphis Tigers during the first half at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Wales

Western Kentucky

Earlier in December, Anthony Wales racked up 209 yards and four touchdowns to lead Western Kentucky to a Conference USA championship over Louisiana Tech. Throughout the season, Wales provided balance on the ground for a WKU team that traditionally gets its yardage through the air. This bowl season, he continued that momentum to rush for more yards than any other back this bowl season. Wales gashed Memphis for 245 yards and three scores in the Hilltoppers’ 51-31 victory in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Wales punished the Tigers all game long with runs long and short. All three of his touchdowns came in goal-to-go situations. The first, from two yards out, put WKU up 28-17 before halftime. The second, a three-yard scamper, extended the Hilltoppers’ lead to 41-17 in the third quarter. On the last, Wales beat the Memphis defense to the edge from a yard out for the last points of the contest:

The senior capped his college career with one last huge rushing performance. In addition to his 245 rushing yards, Wales added 84 receiving yards on four catches to go over 300 total yards from scrimmage. In the process, Western Kentucky earned its third straight bowl victory. He helped his draft stock immensely with what turned out to be the biggest rushing performance of the 2016-2017 bowl season.

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