RB Respect Month Vol. 2, Day 13: Tony Dorsett shreds Penn State (1976)

For those reading on e-mail: click 'view in browser' to see the full contents of today's post

Welcome to day 13 of Running Back Respect Month™! Yesterday, Larry Johnson only needed the first half to run for 279 yards and break the 2,000 yard barrier against Michigan State in 2002. Here's where we're at today, and how the rest of the month looks:

If you're not subscribed to the site already, hit the button below to get your first month for $3!

Today: Tony Dorsett vs. Penn State (1976)

The 1976 Heisman race was never a question of "Who's going to win?" It was more, "How much will Tony Dorsett win by?"

Pitt's senior running back entered the season on a crash-course with history. Through his first three years, Dorsett amassed 4,134 yards rushing, 37 total touchdowns, and a fourth-place Heisman finish in 1975. In case you're wondering, those 4,134 yards are more than guys like Adrian Peterson, Ezekiel Elliott, Emmitt Smith, Christian McCaffrey and Steve Slaton put up in their college careers. Dorsett was set to smash every major rushing record, including the all-time yardage mark that Ohio State's Archie Griffin had just left with the season prior. It was clear by the end of Pitt's 1976 season-opener that the 1,043-yard gap between Dorsett and Griffin wouldn't last long when he went for 303 against Notre Dame. By week seven, the record was his:

His 180-yard day vs. the Midshipmen would be his lowest output for the rest of the year. Over last four regular season games, Dorsett broke the 200 mark three times, including a 224-yard, two-touchdown effort against Penn State. The performance not only locked up the Heisman for Dorsett, but secured Pitt's opportunity for a national championship in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia:

Predictably, he won the Heisman by a landslide. To that point, only OJ Simpson in 1968 (80.64) held a higher percentage of points available than Dorsett's 74.97.