Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Ranking the 10 best wide receiver single seasons in college football history

By David Creekmur

(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 12
Next
NEW YORK, NY-NOVEMBER 24: Howard Twilley, wide receiver of the Miami Dolphins and 1965 runner up Heisman Trophy voting from Tulsa University, during the Star-Spangled Banner on November 24, 1974, vs. the New York Jets at Shea Stadium. The New York Jets defeated the Dolphins 17 to 14.
NEW YORK, NY-NOVEMBER 24: Howard Twilley, wide receiver of the Miami Dolphins and 1965 runner up Heisman Trophy voting from Tulsa University, during the Star-Spangled Banner on November 24, 1974, vs. the New York Jets at Shea Stadium. The New York Jets defeated the Dolphins 17 to 14. /

10. Howard Twilley, Tulsa (1965)

Want to know who the single-season receiving yards leader was until 1995? It was Tulsa Golden Hurricane receiver, Howard Twilley.

Twilley accomplished several rare feats during the 1965 season. First, he became the first receiver in college football history to top 1,700 yards. Secondly, he became the first receiver to ever reach 16 touchdowns in a season. Next, he was the only receiver to finish in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting, finishing second to running back Mike Garrett of USC. Not only that, but Twilley was the first receiver to even finish in the top two of the Heisman voting, seven years before Nebraska’s Johnny Rodgers finally broke through to win it in 1972.

As for the stats, Twilley pulled in an amazing 134 passes for 1,779 yards along with 16 touchdowns. This came on the heels of a nearly 1,200-yard season the year before.

The consensus All-American Twilley certainly deserves to be on this list for setting so many records at the time and staying No. 1 in receiving yards for 30 years. Considering he played during an era that was not exactly known for lighting it up through the air, this is especially impressive.

Home/College Football News