College football duos: Ranking the 32 best dynamic duos in modern history
By Nick Villano
6. Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State had the most talented duo to ever step foot on a football field. The problem is they took production away from each other. Still, right before Barry Sanders set just about every college record in existence, he watched Thurman Thomas do it from the sidelines. It’s the only time that two NFL Hall of Fame running backs played on the same college team.
Thomas’ first season with Sanders on campus was a strange one. He only had 741 yards after suffering a slight tear to his ACL. Sanders was still a freshman and teams did not play talented freshmen in 1986 as they do now.
However, in 1987, he was given more opportunities. Sanders was the main kick returner and he led the country in yards per return. His play on special teams got him more opportunities in the offense. He was able to rush for 603 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns. Then, he added four touchdowns through kick and punt returns.
Meanwhile, Thomas was putting up some of the best stats from a running back up until that point. He put up close to 1,800 total yards and 17 touchdowns. He was breaking all kinds of Oklahoma State records that would only last one year.
Obviously, if Sanders’ 1988 season was considered, this would be much higher on this list. He ran for an NCAA record of 2,628 yards and an NCAA record of 37 rushing touchdowns. It’s a season that will never be matched. However, when Thomas and Sanders were together, they had some magic. They lost two games that season and it was to the No. 1 and No. 2 team in the country. They had something that could have been even better, but it sounded like they weren’t the best of friends.