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Penn State Football: Ranking the top backfield duos in Nittany Lions history

By Alec Whitaker

STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 26: Quarterback Todd Blackledge #14 of the Penn State University Nittany Lions looks to pass as running backs Curt Warner #25 and Jon Williams #44 block during a college football game against the University of Pittsburgh Panthers at Beaver Stadium on November 26, 1982 in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State defeated Pitt 19-10. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 26: Quarterback Todd Blackledge #14 of the Penn State University Nittany Lions looks to pass as running backs Curt Warner #25 and Jon Williams #44 block during a college football game against the University of Pittsburgh Panthers at Beaver Stadium on November 26, 1982 in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State defeated Pitt 19-10. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /
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Penn State Football alum Lydell Mitchell #26 of the Baltimore Colts  (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

HM. QB John Hufnagel and RB Lydell Mitchell (1971)

The combo of John Hufnagel and Lydell Mitchell deserve an honorable mention on this list. They spent only one season together as full-time starters, but they made the most of it.

Penn State Football  went 11-1 with these two leading the way, winning the Cotton Bowl against Texas in 1971-72.

That year, Hufnagel completed 63.2% of his passes for 1,185 yards with ten touchdowns and six interceptions. He added 346 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns in 1971. Hufnagel performed better in 1972, throwing for 2,039 yards and 15 touchdowns to eight interceptions. This was good enough for sixth in the Heisman voting that year, Mitchell was already gone to the NFL though.

As for Mitchell, 1971 was a special season for him. He ran the ball 254 times for 1,567 yards and 26 touchdowns. He caught 16 passes for 154 yards and three scores as well. He would finish fifth in the Heisman voting in 1971 and became a second-round pick in the 1972 draft.

Mitchell had one of the more successful NFL careers for Penn State running backs, rushing for 6,534 yards and 30 touchdowns, while adding 3,203 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns in nine seasons. Despite being a running back, Mitchell led the NFL in receptions twice throughout his career.

Had these two spent more time together, they likely would’ve cracked this list, it’s clear they were very successful together.

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