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

1. QB Kerry Collins and RB Ki-Jana Carter (1993-94)

This elite duo went 22-2 in their two seasons together as the starters in Penn State Football’s backfield.

As every Penn State fan knows, they were robbed of a chance to play for the title in 1994, despite going undefeated and having the best offense in the country, averaging 47 points per game.

Kerry Collins passed for 4,284 yards and 34 touchdowns with 18 interceptions in his two years as the starter. His senior year was his break-out season as he completed 66.7% of his passes for 2,679 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Collins finished his career with negative four yards rushing and no touchdowns, not much of a runner. Collins finished fourth in Heisman voting in 1994 and was the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft.

Ki-Jana Carter ran for 2,565 yards and 30 touchdowns in the two years he spent terrorizing Big Ten defenses with Collins. Like Collins, 1994 was a break-out year for Carter.  He rushed for 1,539 yards with 23 touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per carry. Those numbers placed him second in Heisman voting and made him the first overall pick in the 1995 draft.

This duo should have been given an opportunity to play for the national championship, but they settled for a 22-2 record with Rose Bowl and Cirtus Bowl wins, and the program’s first Big Ten title in 1994. They both finished top five in Heisman voting in 1994 and were both top five picks in the NFL draft, it’s nearly impossible to top this.