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Who are the best YPC rushers all-time for BYU Football?

We recently interviewed former BYU Football Running Back Matt Hadley (@versace_matt2) on Cougars Sports with Ben Criddle. During our discussion we talked about his potential as a running back at BYU had he played the position his entire time as a Cougar (also played LB).

 

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Let’s pull up Hadley’s stats while at the RB position:

Career (2012, 2015-2018)

Carries – 71

Yards Gained – 390

Yards Lost – 11

Net Yards – 379

Yards Per Carry (YPC) – 5.3

Long – 40 yards

Touchdowns – 6

 

While some of those numbers might not jump off the page, there is one, in particular, that did in my mind and it got me thinking.

5.3.

5.3 Yards Per Carry.

 

If Matt Hadley was running for a first down every couple times he touched the ball on average he would be up there with the great RBs in BYU history, right?

Let’s see where he sits all-time (minimum 50 carries):

Rank	Name	Year(s)	Carries	Yards Gained	Yards Lost	Net Yards	YPC
1	Eddie Stinnett	1982-1983	101	765	23	742	7.3
2	Vai Sikahema	1980-1981, 1983-1985	112	755	10	745	6.7
3	Homer Jones	1979-1980	107	732	23	709	6.6
4	Tom Tuipulotu	1983-1986	91	596	7	589	6.5
5	Francis Bernard	2015-2016	52	346	12	334	6.4
6	Dustin Johnson	1995-1997	68	441	14	427	6.3
7	David Foote	2010-2012	63	415	18	397	6.3
8	Casey Tiumalu	1982-1983	244	1,530	26	1,504	6.2
9	Scott Pettis	1980-1982	149	951	52	899	6
10	KJ Hall	2016-2017	65	393	3	390	6
11	Luke Staley	1999-2002	419	2,644	151	2,493	5.9
12	Stacey Corley	1987-1990	138	869	48	821	5.9
13	Robert Parker	1984-1986	129	818	62	756	5.9
14	Eric Lane	1979-1980	190	1,072	10	1,062	5.6
15	Mike Salido	1986-1988, 1990	177	1,049	64	985	5.6
16	Reynaldo Brathwaite	2003	145	891	79	812	5.6
17	Reno Mahe	1998, 2001-2002	128	776	57	719	5.6
18	Peter Tuipulotu	1987-1991	277	1,570	42	1,528	5.5
19	Scott Phillips	1977-1980	212	1,244	86	1,157	5.5
20	Steve Campora	1956-1958	94	266	7	521	5.5
21	Lopini Katoa	2018	77	437	10	427	5.5
22	Kelly Smith	1982-1985	74	446	38	408	5.5
23	Jamaal Williams	2012-2014, 2016	726	3,998	97	3,901	5.4
24	Ronney Jenkins	1996, 1998	380	2,179	139	2,040	5.4
25	Steve Stratton	1971-1973	215	1,176	16	1,160	5.4
26	Taysom Hill	2012-2016	534	3,336	517	2,819	5.3
27	Bruce Hansen	1980-1981, 1985-1986	135	725	15	710	5.3
28	Riley Burt	2015, 2017-2018	96	534	21	513	5.3
29	Matt Hadley	2012, 2015-2018	71	390	11	379	5.3
30	Jamal Willis	1991-1994	576	3,169	199	2,970	5.2
31	Pete Van Valkenburg	1969-1972	456	2,529	137	2,392	5.2
32	Kalin Hall	1992-1993	251	1,399	90	1,309	5.2
33	Nate Carter	2013-2015	84	459	20	439	5.2
34	Tefua Bloomfield	1994-1995	66	352	12	340	5.2
35	Brian McKenzie	1996-1997	385	2,021	67	1,954	5.1
36	JJ DiLuigi	2008-2011	352	1,858	61	1,797	5.1
37	Algernon Brown	2013-2016	259	1,349	39	1,310	5.1
38	Steve Carlsen	1977, 1979-1980	53	277	5	272	5.1
39	Harvey Unga	2006-2009	696	3,547	92	3,455	5
40	Curtis Brown	2002, 2004-2006	641	3,372	151	3,221	5
41	Weldon Jackson	1956-1958	292	185	39	1,449	5
42	Squally Canada	2015-2018	286	1,478	40	1,438	5
43	Adam Hinē	2012-2015	142	747	43	704	5
44	Waymon Hamilton	1980-1983	218	1,113	49	1,064	4.9
45	Paul Lasike	2012-2014	171	856	13	843	4.9
46	Eric Mortensen	1988-1991	91	473	31	442	4.9
47	Mark Giles	1973-1975	53	346	85	261	4.9
48	Marcus Whalen	2000, 2002-2003	264	1,359	93	1,266	4.8
49	Brian McDonald	2000-2001	148	741	35	706	4.8
50	Phil Brady	1962-1964	128			609	4.8
51	Jack Gifford	1958-1960	106			508	4.8
52	Wayne Bower	1970-1973	98	494	35	460	4.7
53	Ken Call	1967-1968	51	250	12	238	4.7
54	Ron Wakley	1967-1969	137	640	13	627	4.6
55	Alan Robinson	1962-1964	108			497	4.6
56	Paul Allen	1959-1961	60			275	4.6
57	Lakei Heimuli	1983-1986	605	2,850	140	2,710	4.5
58	Eldon Fortie	1960-1962	364			1,624	4.5
59	Fred Whittingham	1984, 1987-1989	351	1,704	124	1,580	4.5
60	Fui Vakapuna	2003, 2006-2008	249	1,235	118	1,117	4.5
61	Nyle McFarlane	1958-1959	181			811	4.5
62	Bill Ring	1977-1978	174	822	40	782	4.5
63	LeGrand Young	1955, 1958-1959	140			624	4.5
64	Casey Wingard	1977-1978	115	555	38	517	4.5
65	Howard Ringwood	1957-1959	112			509	4.5
66	John Ogden	1964-1966	535	1,617	11	2,376	4.4
67	Matt Bellini	1987-1990	214	998	67	931	4.4
68	Michael Alisa	2008, 2011-2014	175	811	35	776	4.4
69	Scott Farmer	1954-1956	101	122	5	441	4.4
70	Mark Terranova	1973-1977	94	454	40	414	4.4
71	Jeff Blanc	1973-1976	625	2,766	103	2,663	4.3
72	Hema Heimuli	1992-1995	329	1,521	95	1,426	4.3
73	Josh Quezada	2010-2011	185	843	40	803	4.3
74	Kalani Sitake	1994, 1997-2000	86	400	27	373	4.3
75	Ron Jacobson	1956, 1959-1960	66	189	9	283	4.3
76	Fahu Tahi	1999, 2003-2005	326	1,432	74	1,358	4.2
77	Chris Reading	1968-1970	95	403	8	395	4.2
78	Dick Felt	1952-1954	91			379	4.2
79	Ula Tolutau	2017	72	308	5	303	4.2
80	Scott Charlton	1988-1991	53	243	23	220	4.2
81	Mark Atuaia	1991, 1994-1996	301	1,309	62	1,247	4.1
82	Perry Rodrigue	1966-1967	97	421	23	398	4.1
83	Don James	1953-1954	75			306	4.1
84	Bryan Kariya	2008-2011	278	1,141	40	1,101	4
85	Steve Young	1981-1983	269	1,601	517	1,084	4
86	Roger Gourley	1975-1977	145	613	32	581	4
87	Dave Lowry	1974-1976	137	587	35	552	4
88	Todd Christensen	1974-1977	270	1,089	23	1,066	3.9
89	Raynor Pearce	1955-1957	180	171	18	701	3.9
90	Wally Hawkins	1965-1968	134	533	15	518	3.9
91	Will Snowden	1997-2000	69	286	16	270	3.9
92	Virgil Carter	1964-1966	323	1,114	277	1,225	3.8
93	Kip Jackson	1968-1970	312	1,232	54	1,180	3.8
94	Riley Nelson	2009-2012	226	1,151	293	858	3.8
95	Manase Tonga	2005-2007, 2009	178	716	38	678	3.8
96	Steve Ogden	1964-1966	104	254	6	393	3.8
97	John Malarsie	1961-1963	89			326	3.7
98	Ned Stearns	1996, 1999-2001	55	222	19	203	3.7
99	Charlie Ah You	1972-1975	213	821	55	766	3.6
100	Dave Swanson	1965, 1968-1969	166	612	7	605	3.6
101	Tom Ripee	1967-1968	135	494	10	484	3.6
102	Tom Stolworthy	1960	62			225	3.6
103	Doran Merkley	1961-1963	223			789	3.5
104	Keith Hubbs	1957-1959	138			485	3.5
105	Randy Litchfield	1973, 1976	62	323	108	215	3.5
106	Dalton Overstreet	1954-1955	52			182	3.5
107	Dave Coon	1970-1973	249	1,015	130	839	3.4
108	Brandon Doman	1998-2001	185	956	330	626	3.4
109	Mike O’Brien	1969, 1985-1988	121	440	29	411	3.4
110	Phil Oyler	1953-1955	118			398	3.4
111	Dan Taylor	1960, 1972-1973	68	268	36	232	3.4
112	Eddie Nichols	1969-1970	116	385	6	379	3.3
113	Kent Oborn	1964-1966	75	153	13	247	3.3
114	Dave McLaren	1954-1955	58			192	3.3
115	Joe McGinn	1957-1959	54			165	3.1
116	Burt Bullock	1956-1959	74	94	10	223	3
117	Terry Sanford	1967-1968	104	556	253	303	2.9
118	Zach Wilson	2018	75	379	158	221	2.9
119	Bruce Samples	1960-1961	58			170	2.9
120	Bill Nelson	1961-1963	118			327	2.8
121	Dion Frazier	1960-1961, 1963	110			292	2.7
122	Bill Wright	1960-1962	97			264	2.7
123	Gary Dunn	1958-1959	83			226	2.7
124	Bud Belnap	1958-1960	107			280	2.6
125	Dave Terry	1970-1973	164	619	234	385	2.3
126	Carroll Johnston	1955-1957	71	82	43	146	2.1
127	Doug Wardell	1962-1964	90			184	2
128	Christian Stewart	2013-2014	83	321	163	158	1.9
129	Bob Jensen	1985-1987	136	618	391	227	1.7
130	Brian Gunderson	1970-1972	69	227	112	115	1.7
131	Max Hall	2007-2009	189	624	420	204	1.1
132	Jim McMahon	1977-1978, 1980-1981	265	935	748	187	0.7
133	Rick Jones	1968-1970	147	518	426	92	0.6
134	John Beck	2003-2006	267	735	696	39	0.1
135	Marc Wilson	1975-1979	246	724	759	-35	-0.1
136	Bill August	1971-1972	99	256	278	-22	-0.2
137	Charlie Peterson	1995, 1999-2001	60	190	201	-11	-0.2
138	Marc Lyons	1966-1969	169	526	571	-45	-0.3
139	Robbie Bosco	1982-1985	162	478	579	-101	-0.6
140	Steve Lindsley	1984-1986	100	301	392	-91	-0.9
141	Tanner Mangum	2015-2018	119	280	400	-120	-1
142	Steve Sarkisian	1995-1996	164	352	563	-211	-1.3
143	Sean Covey	1986-1989	109	231	375	-144	-1.3
144	Ty Detmer	1988-1991	265	739	1,105	-366	-1.4
145	Kevin Feterik	1996-1999	248	531	873	-342	-1.4
146	Matt Berry	2002-2005	92	195	333	-138	-1.5
147	Gary Sheide	1973-1974	102	192	364	-172	-1.7
148	Bret Engemann	1999-2000, 2002	62	119	243	-124	-2
149	Gifford Nielsen	1974-1977	163	281	723	-442	-2.7
150	John Walsh	1991-1994	179	162	816	-654	-3.7

 

29th! 29th out of 150 rushers seen totin the rock in a Cougar uni! That’s pretty impressive and the numbers say as much. It makes me wonder what could have been had Hadley been at RB when he returned from a mission in 2015. The RB depth in 2015 included the following:

• Algernon Brown
• Adam Hine
• Nate Carter
• Francis Bernard

I know Cougar fans love to play the “what if” game as well. Matt Hadley alluded to the “what if” about what his BYU career could have been at Running Back in the interview below:

 

 

I also think we need to factor in style of offense when looking at these rushing leaders. Guys like Eddite Stinnett and Vai Sikahema took advantage of the trap draw. Guys like Taysom Hill & Jamaal Williams played with the Go Fast, Go Hard offense.  But it was amazing to see where the greats stacked up against one another.

 

Other Rushers of Note:

5 – Francis Bernard 6.4 YPC (transferred)

10 – KJ Hall 6 YPC (retired)

11 – Luke Staley 5.9 YPC (left early for NFL)

21 – Lopini Katoa 5.5 YPC (currently projected as BYU’s RB1 for 2019)

23 – Jamaal Williams 5.4 (BYU’s All-Time Leading Rusher)

26 – Taysom Hill 5.3 (BYU’s All-Time QB Rushing Leader)

28 – Riley Burt 5.3 YPC (transferred)

39 – Harvey Unga 5 YPC (previous All-Time Leading Rusher)

40 – Curtis Brown 5 YPC (previous All-Time Leading Rusher)

42 – Squally Canada 5 YPC (2018 Starting Running Back)

74 – Kalani Sitake 4.3 YPC (BYU Football Head Coach)

85 – Steve Young 4 YPC (BYU great & NFL Hall of Famer)

118 – Zach Wilson 2.9 YPC (Current Starting QB)

 

There are some pretty awesome names on that list.

What do you think of the list? Who stands out to you? Would Matt Hadley’s career have looked like had he be given the opportunity to run the ball his whole time in a Cougar blue? Let me know what you think! Tweet at me @CriddleBenjamin using #ESPN960.