No. 6: Henderson 2002
Taurean Henderson took no time to make his presence known in the Big 12. As a redshirt freshman in 2002, he broke out of the gates with 1,426 total yards and 13 TDs.
Setting the NCAA record for receptions by a freshman regardless of position with 98, he also set the school record for total yards by a freshman. The fact that 663 of his yards and 6 TDs came via the passing game was an indication of just how impactful that position could be in Leach’s “Air Raid” offense.
Leach saw the running game as a nuisance. That’s why nearly 39% of Henderson’s touches that year came as a result of Kliff Kingsbury‘s right arm.
Thus, it shouldn’t be surprising to see that Henderson had a 100-yard receiving game that year. It was equal to the number of 100-yard rushing games he had.
That receiving performance came against Oklahoma State in Lubbock when he had 101 yards on 7 catches. His 100-yard game on the ground came against N.C. State when he galloped for 144 yards and two TDs in a loss to Phillip Rivers and the Wolfpack.
Two weeks later, he had 107 total yards from scrimmage in a win over Texas A&M. That began a string of 7-straight games over the century mark in a season that was one of the best of the Leach era.