List of NCAA major college football yearly total offense leaders
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The list of college football yearly total offense leaders identifies the major college leaders for each season from 1937 to the present. It includes yearly leaders in two statistical categories: (1) total offense yards, and (2) total offense yards per game. From 1937 to 1969, the NCAA determined its national total offense individual title based on total yardage. Starting in 1970, the NCAA began making that determination based on total offense yards per game.[1]
Total offense leaders
[edit]Key
† = Winner of that year's Heisman Trophy
Bold = Figure established an NCAA major college record
| Year | Name | Total yards | Name | YPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Byron White[1] (Colorado) |
1,596 | ||
| 1938 | Davey O'Brien[1] (TCU) |
1,847 | ||
| 1939 | Kenny Washington[1] (UCLA) |
1,370 | Tom Harmon[2] (Michigan) |
169.5 |
| 1940 | Johnny Knolla[1][2] (Creighton) |
1,420 | Tom Harmon†[2] (Michigan) |
168.3 |
| 1941 | Bud Schwenk[1][3] (Washington University in St. Louis) |
1,928 | Bud Schwenk[4] | 214.2 |
| 1942 | Frank Sinkwich†[1][5] (Georgia) |
2,187 | ||
| 1943 | R. Hoernschemeyer[1][6] (Indiana) |
1,648 | ||
| 1944 | Bob Fenimore[1][7] (Oklahoma State) |
1,758 | Bob Fenimore[8] | 219.75 |
| 1945 | Bob Fenimore[1][9] (Oklahoma State) |
1,641 | Bob Fenimore[10] | 205.1 |
| 1946 | Travis Tidwell[1] (Auburn) |
1,715 | Travis Tidwell[11][12] | 171.5 |
| 1947 | Fred Enke[1][13] (Arizona) |
1,941 | Fred Enke[14] | 194.1 |
| 1948 | Stan Heath[1][15] (Nevada) |
1,992 | Stan Heath[16] | 221.3 |
| 1949 | Johnny Bright[1] (Drake) |
1,950 | ||
| 1950 | Johnny Bright[1][17] (Drake) |
2,400 | Johnny Bright[18] | 266.7 |
| 1951 | Dick Kazmaier†[1][19] (Princeton) |
1,827 | ||
| 1952 | Ted Marchibroda[1][20] (Detroit) |
1,813 | ||
| 1953 | Paul Larson[1][21] (California) |
1,572 | ||
| 1954 | George Shaw[1][22] (Oregon) |
1,536 | ||
| 1955 | George Welsh[1][23] | 1,348 | ||
| 1956 | John Brodie[1][24] (Stanford) |
1,642 | ||
| 1957 | Bob Newman[1][25] (Washington State) |
1,444 | ||
| 1958 | Dick Bass[1][26] (Pacific) |
1,440 | Randy Duncan[26] (Iowa) |
156.2 |
| 1959 | Dick Norman[1][25] (Stanford) |
2,018 | ||
| 1960 | Billy Kilmer[1][25] (UCLA) |
1,889 | Billy Kilmer[27] | 188.9 |
| 1961 | Dave Hoppman[1][25] (Iowa State) |
1,638 | Dave Hoppman[28] | 163.8 |
| 1962 | Terry Baker†[1][25] (Oregon State) |
2,276 | ||
| 1963 | George Mira[1][25] (Miami [FL]) |
2,318 | George Mira[29] | 231.8 |
| 1964 | Jerry Rhome[1][25] (Tulsa) |
3,128 | Jerry Rhome[30] | 312.8 |
| 1965 | Billy Anderson[1][25] (Tulsa) |
3,343 | Billy Anderson[31] | 334.3 |
| 1966 | Virgil Carter[1][25] (BYU) |
2,545 | ||
| 1967 | Sal Olivas[1][32] (New Mexico State) |
2,184 | ||
| 1968 | Greg Cook[1][25] (Cincinnati) |
3,210 | Greg Cook | 321.0 |
| 1969 | Dennis Shaw[1][25] (San Diego State) |
3,197 | ||
| 1970 | Jim Plunkett[25] (Stanford) |
3,189 | Pat Sullivan[1] (Auburn) |
285.6 |
| 1971 | Don Bunce[25] (Stanford) |
2,805 | Gary Huff[1] (Florida State) |
241.2 |
| 1972 | Don Strock[25] (Virginia Tech) |
3,170 | Don Strock[1] | 288.2 |
| 1973 | Jesse Freitas[25] (San Diego State) |
2,901 | Jesse Freitas[1] | 263.7 |
| 1974 | Gene Swick[25] (Toledo) |
2,450 | Steve Joachim[1] (Temple) |
222.7 |
| 1975 | Gene Swick[25] (Toledo) |
2,706 | Gene Swick[1] | 246.0 |
| 1976 | Tommy Kramer[25] (Rice) |
3,272 | Tommy Kramer[1] | 297.5 |
| 1977 | Doug Williams[25] (Grambling) |
3,249 | Doug Williams[1] | 293.5 |
| 1978 | Mike Ford[25] (SMU) |
2,957 | Mike Ford[1] | 268.8 |
| 1979 | Marc Wilson[25] (BYU) |
3,580 | Marc Wilson[1] | 325.5 |
| 1980 | Jim McMahon[25] (BYU) |
4,627 | Jim McMahon[1] | 385.6 |
| 1981 | Sam King[25] (UNLV) |
3,562 | Jim McMahon[1] | 345.8 |
| 1982 | Todd Dillon[25] (Long Beach State) |
3,587 | Todd Dillon[1] | 326.1 |
| 1983 | Steve Young[25] (BYU) |
4,346 | Steve Young[1] | 395.1 |
| 1984 | Doug Flutie†[25] (Boston College) |
4,013 | Robbie Bosco[1] | 327.7 |
| 1985 | Robbie Bosco[25] (BYU) |
4,141 | Jim Everett[1] (Purdue) |
326.3 |
| 1986 | Mike Perez[25] (San Jose State) |
3,250 | Mike Perez[1] | 329.9 |
| 1987 | Todd Santos[25] (San Diego State) |
3,688 | Todd Santos[1] | 307.3 |
| 1988 | Scott Mitchell[25] (Utah) |
4,299 | Scott Mitchell[1] | 390.8 |
| 1989 | Andre Ware†[25] (Houston) |
4,661 | Andre Ware[1] | 423.7 |
| 1990 | David Klingler[25] (Houston) |
5,221 | David Klingler[1] | 474.6 |
| 1991 | Ty Detmer[25] (BYU) |
4,001 | Ty Detmer[1] | 333.4 |
| 1992 | Jimmy Klingler[25] (Houston) |
3,768 | Jimmy Klingler[1] | 342.5 |
| 1993 | Chris Vargas[25] (Nevada) |
4,332 | Chris Vargas[1] | 393.8 |
| 1994 | Stoney Case[25] (New Mexico) |
3,649 | Mike Maxwell[1] (Nevada) |
318.0 |
| 1995 | Cody Ledbetter[25] (New Mexico State) |
3,724 | Mike Maxwell[1] (Nevada) |
402.6 |
| 1996 | Josh Wallwork[25] (Wyoming) |
4,209 | Josh Wallwork[1] | 350.8 |
| 1997 | Tim Rattay[25] (Louisiana Tech) |
3,968 | Tim Rattay[1] | 360.7 |
| 1998 | Tim Rattay[25] | 4,865 | Tim Rattay[1] | 403.3 |
| 1999 | Drew Brees[25] (Purdue) |
4,086 | Tim Rattay[1] | 381.0 |
| 2000 | Drew Brees[25] (Purdue) |
4,189 | Drew Brees[1] | 358.1 |
| 2001 | David Carr[25] (Fresno State) |
4,906 | Rex Grossman[1] (Florida) |
354.9 |
| 2002 | Kliff Kingsbury[25] (Texas Tech) |
4,903 | Byron Leftwich[1] (Marshall) |
355.6 |
| 2003 | B. J. Symons[25] (Texas Tech) |
5,976 | B. J. Symons[1] | 459.7 |
| 2004 | Sonny Cumbie[25] (Texas Tech) |
4,575 | Sonny Cumbie[1] | 381.3 |
| 2005 | Colt Brennan[25] (Hawaii) |
4,455 | Colt Brennan[1] | 371.3 |
| 2006 | Colt Brennan[25] | 5,915 | Colt Brennan[1] | 422.5 |
| 2007 | Graham Harrell[25] (Texas Tech) |
5,614 | Graham Harrell[1] | 431.8 |
| 2008 | Case Keenum (Houston) |
5,241 | Case Keenum[1] | 403.2 |
| 2009 | Case Keenum[25] | 5,829 | Case Keenum[1] | 416.4 |
| 2010 | Bryant Moniz (Hawaii) |
5,142 | Bryant Moniz[1] | 367.3 |
| 2011 | Case Keenum[25] (Houston) |
5,666 | Case Keenum | 404.7 |
| 2012 | Johnny Manziel†[25] (Texas A&M) |
5,116 | Johnny Manziel[1] | 393.5 |
| 2013 | Derek Carr[25] (Fresno State) |
5,200 | Derek Carr[1] | 399.9 |
| 2014 | Marcus Mariota†[25] (Oregon) |
5,224 | Connor Halliday[1] (Washington State) |
415.8 |
| 2015 | Deshaun Watson[25] (Clemson) |
5,209 | Patrick Mahomes[1] (Texas Tech) |
393.0 |
| 2016 | Patrick Mahomes[25] (Texas Tech) |
5,307 | Patrick Mahomes[1] (Texas Tech) |
410.5 |
| 2017 | Lamar Jackson[25] (Louisville) |
5,261 | Lamar Jackson[1] (Louisville) |
404.7 |
| 2018 | Kyler Murray†[25] (Oklahoma) |
5,362 | Kyler Murray[1] (Oklahoma) |
383.0 |
| 2019 | Joe Burrow†[25] (LSU) |
6,039 | Joe Burrow[1] (LSU) |
402.6 |
| 2020 | Mac Jones[25] (Alabama) |
4,514 | Matt Corral[25] (Ole Miss) |
384.3 |
| 2021 | Bailey Zappe[25] (Western Kentucky) |
5,984 | Bailey Zappe[25] (Western Kentucky) |
427.4 |
| 2022 | Drake Maye[25] (North Carolina) |
5,019 | Michael Penix Jr.[25] (Washington) |
364.1 |
| 2023 | Jayden Daniels†[25] (LSU) |
4,946 | Jayden Daniels†[25] (LSU) |
412.2 |
Pre-1937 unofficial data
[edit]Before 1937 the NCAA did not compile official statistics. This chart reflects unofficial total offense statistics compiled by historians mostly from newspaper accounts. Prior to 1913, total offense leaders will be almost exclusively due to rushing yards, and prior to 1906 there was no forward pass.
| Year | Name | Total yards | Name | YPG | 1936 | Sammy Baugh (TCU) |
1,324 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Sammy Baugh (TCU) |
1,435 | |||||||
| 1934 | Dixie Howell (Alabama) |
1,437 | Dixie Howell | 143.7 | |||||
| 1933 | |||||||||
| 1932 | Pug Lund (Minnesota) |
1,203 | |||||||
| 1931 | |||||||||
| 1930 | Marchy Schwartz (Notre Dame) |
1,246 | |||||||
| 1929 | Lloyd Brazil[33] (Detroit) |
||||||||
| 1928 | Ken Strong[34] (NYU) |
3,000 | Ken Strong | 300 | |||||
| 1927 | Bill Spears (Vanderbilt) |
2,001 | Bill Spears | 181.9 | |||||
| 1926 | Gibby Welch[35][36] (Pittsburgh) |
1,964 or 1,172 | |||||||
| 1925 | Swede Oberlander (Dartmouth) |
1,147 | |||||||
| 1924 | Red Grange (Illinois) |
1,176 | Red Grange | 147 | |||||
| 1923 | |||||||||
| 1922 | |||||||||
| 1921 | Aubrey Devine (Iowa) |
2,211 | Aubrey Devine | 315.9 | |||||
| 1920 | Jimmy Leech (VMI) |
1,771 | Jimmy Leech | 196.8 | |||||
| 1919 | George Gipp (Notre Dame) |
1,456 | George Gipp | 161.8 | |||||
| 1918 | |||||||||
| 1917 | |||||||||
| 1916 | |||||||||
| 1915 | |||||||||
| 1914 | |||||||||
| 1913 | |||||||||
| 1912 | Jim Thorpe (Carlisle) |
1,972 | Jim Thorpe | 140.9 | |||||
| 1911 | Jim Thorpe (Carlisle) |
914 | |||||||
| 1910 | |||||||||
| 1909 | |||||||||
| 1908 | Jim Thorpe (Carlisle) |
993 | |||||||
| 1907 | |||||||||
| 1906 | |||||||||
| 1905 | |||||||||
| 1904 | Willie Heston (Michigan) |
686 | |||||||
| 1903 | |||||||||
| 1902 | |||||||||
| 1901 | Willie Heston (Michigan) |
684 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. 2015. pp. 50–51.
- ^ a b c Gail Fowler (December 5, 1940). "Johnny Knolla Ground-Gaining Champ of 1940". The Decatur Review. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Schwenk Leads On The Ground". The High Point (NC) Enterprise. December 4, 1941. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Schwenk Gains 1,928 Yards in 9 Games; Sinkwich Leading Rusher". The Gettysburg Times. December 4, 1941. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com. (confirming that Schwenk's 1,928 yards were gained in only nine games)
- ^ "Total Offense Mark Broken By Sinkwich". Dixon Evening Telegraph. December 3, 1942. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Notre Dame Shatters Colorado Mark in Offense". The Portsmouth, N.H. Herald. December 4, 1943. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Oklahoma Aggies Point With Pride To Best Record In School History". The Big Spring (TX) Daily Herald. December 28, 1944. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Aggies Storm Into Dallas For Big Fray". Herald and News (Oregon). December 28, 1944. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.(Fenimore's 1,758 yards were accumulated in only eight games)
- ^ "Davis Sets All-Time Ball-Toting Record". The Amarillo Daily News. December 29, 1945. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Fenimore Smashes Previous Aggie Ball-Toting Records". Miami (OK) Daily News-Record. November 29, 1945. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com. (Fenimore's 1,641 yards were gained in eight games)
- ^ "Auburn Freshman Tidwell Emerges As Ground-Gaining King of '46 Gridiron". The Gallup Independent. December 11, 1946. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.(Tidwell's 1,715 yards were gained in 10 games)
- ^ "Bobby Layne Got Plenty Yardage For Longhorns". The Paris News. December 3, 1946. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com. (total offense runner-up Layne also appeared in 10 games)
- ^ "Enke Close To All-Time Mark". Tucson Daily Citizen. December 12, 1947. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Enke Close To All-Time Mark". Tucson Daily Citizen. December 12, 1947. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com. (Enke's 1,941 yards second highest in history, tallied in 10 games)
- ^ "Passin' Stan Wins Honors In Total Offense: Nevada's Heath Leads Nation's Top Gridders With 1992 Yards". Pottstown (PA) Mercury. December 10, 1948. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Heath, Wendt Dominate Offenses". The Austin American. December 10, 1948. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com. (Heath's 1,992 yards gained in only nine games)
- ^ "Drake Back Pigskin's Top Gainer; Don Heinrich Third; Bright Totals 2400 Yards". The Statesman, Salem, Oregon. December 11, 1950. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bright 1st, Ford 5th in Nation's Total Offense". Abilene Reporter-News. December 11, 1950. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com. (showing that Bright's 2,400 yards of total offense were accumulated in only nine games)
- ^ "Kazmaier U.S. Top Gainer". Brooklyn Eagle. December 9, 1951. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ted Marchibroda Tops Nation In Total Offense". The Pantagraph. December 11, 1952. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Experiment Clicks At California As Paul Larson Wins Offense Race". Nevada State Journal. December 6, 1953. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Shaw Beats Larson In Total Offense". Corpus Christi Times. December 9, 1954. p. 18B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Welsh, Luppino Win Offense Titles". Corpus Christi Times. December 7, 1955 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Brodie Wins Total Offense and NCAA Passing Titles". The Daily Sun (San Bernardino). December 14, 1956. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo "Year-by-Year Leaders and Records for Total Yards". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ^ a b "Dick Bass Dominates Statistics". Tucson Daily Citizen. December 10, 1958 – via Newspapers.com. (Bass was first player since 1937 to win football's triple crown in scoring, rushing and total offense; Duncan gained 1,406 yards in nine games, one less than Bass, to lead in yards per game)
- ^ "Uclan Averages 188.9 Yards a Game: Kilmer Officially Gains Crown in Total Offense". The Sun (San Bernardino). December 14, 1960. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miller 2nd In Passing, Total Offense In Nation". The Daily Telegram (WI). November 29, 1961. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wins Total Offense Title: Mira's Bid To Overtake Leader Falls Two Passes, Yards Short". Tucson Daily Citizen. December 17, 1963. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com. (Mira's yardage gained in 10 games)
- ^ "Rhome Set 16 New Marks; Morton 2nd Best Passer". Independent-Journal. December 8, 1964. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com. (confirming Rhome gained his 3,128 yards in 10 games in 1964)
- ^ "Tulsa Star Sets Five Grid Marks". The Daily Telegram. December 9, 1965. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com. (confirming Anderson gained his 3,343 yards in 10 games in 1965)
- ^ "Sal Olivas Leads In Total Offense". Las Cruces Sun-News. November 29, 1967. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Red Cagle had 1403
- ^ http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv01/CFHSNv01n5b.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ Roberts, Jerry (December 29, 2015). Pass Receiving in Early Pro Football: A History to the 1960s. ISBN 9780786499465.
- ^ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2001football_finest.pdf [bare URL PDF]
