Reader Thoughts: Tailback U and a Compelling Stat from the 1990s

After Kyle Boone wrote about how Tailback U is helping Oklahoma State on the recruiting trail, I got an interesting email follow-up from a reader named Tim. He noted the following amazing statistic that I had definitely read before but definitely forgot.

A storyline that I think you might find interesting since I have never seen it on any sports media when they start talking about schools that have had great running backs.

In the 1990 football season, the AFC, NFC and NCAA leading rushers all came from Oklahoma State. Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions led the NFC as well as the NFL in rushing. Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills led the AFC and was second to Barry Sanders on the NFL rushing charts.

Gerald Hudson led the NCAA that season in rushing. Also, in 1990 Hudson had 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in the same game. I’m not sure any other back has done that at least for OSU. As far as I know this has never ever happened at any other school. Check it out. It is amazing that you never hear about this.

This really is pretty amazing Or … it would be. I double-checked the numbers with CFB Reference and realized Hudson actually came up 50 yards shy of the rushing title to Texas A&M’s Darren Lewis that year.

Still, it’s a heck of a stat pull by Tim. And after a quick scan of the media guide, I believe he’s correct about Hudson having the only 100-100 game in OSU history (Chuba had 106-88 against WVU last season) although I may be missing somebody.

After another quick scan of the media guide, I might be into this Gerald Hudson cat. I was five years old at the time so you’ll have to forgive me, but his stats — specifically from 1990 — are spectacular. Only Chuba, Barry, Thurman, Terry Miller and Ernest Anderson have had more yards in a single year.

Anyway, great email from Tim and even getting close to this triumvirate is another arrow in the quiver for OSU as they try and continue the tradition in a post-Chuba era starting in 2021.