Looking Back at Barry Sanders' Historic 1988 Season: Game 2 Against Texas A&M

Originally published at: https://pistolsfiringblog.com/looking-back-at-barry-sanders-historic-1988-season-game-2-against-texas-am/

Jackie Sherrill had some choice words.

So, for those keeping track (aren’t we all), that’s just 178 and just 157 in the first two games. But tack on a 100 yard KO return in game 1 and a 61 yard punt return in game 2 (plus any other receiving or returns yardage he might have had) and we’re at least at 496 total yards in the first 2 games.

Another data point - given his limited touches (18 and 20 carries in games 1 and 2 respectively), his per-carry average was 8.8 yards per carry.

If you didn’t get to see Barry live and in person in 1988, you missed an amazing show. The highlights don’t due him justice.

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I graduated in 87. So I missed the Heisman year in person… until the Holiday Bowl! Glad I made the drive from Sacramento down to San Diego for that.

88 was my junior year. It’s hard to believe just how few of our games were televised. Not one of the road games I recall, was on TV. We wouldn’t go for that now.

That’s part of the inherent infrastructure that built and sustained blue bloods. Today, almost every game is available, even if not in prime time slots.

Has there even been a running back as strong as Barry?