1,000 Yard Rusher Watch/Countdown

#51
#51
VOLgirl93 said:
I think if we let him start pounding it up the middle it would be for the best. It doesn't seem like the "read option"? (I think is what it's called) is very effective. JMO
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You see, this is where I get confused by VN. This thread is about our success running the ball this year. If I'm not mistaken the number for team rushing is 211 YD/Gm (based upon info above). The highest since at least 2008. Then I read a post that states the offense we are running has not been conducive to success running the football. I guess stats are not relevant and we will work solely off of what we feel to be true. :peace2:
 
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#53
#53
VOLgirl93 said:
I think if we let him start pounding it up the middle it would be for the best. It doesn't seem like the "read option"? (I think is what it's called) is very effective. JMO
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It would be way more effective if the QB would keep the ball and run with it at least 5 times a game instead of the maybe once in a blue moon
 
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#55
#55
Volosaurus rex said:
Correct. They were the only Tennessee team to average more than 300 YPG rushing and the only Tennessee eleven to rush for more than 3,000 yards, all in only ten regular season games. The 1951 team ran the ball 533 times for 3068 yards and 40 tds. The 1950 team was almost as prolific on the ground, compiling 2710 yards and 31 tds rushing. A strong ground game and tough defense were a formula for championship success back then, just as they were in 1998.
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Eye-popping numbers.

Oregon is doing that this year, and passing for 300+. They are for real, and this type of production can be attained today with the up-tempo offenses.

Not too bad, but Baylor has them one-upped. +300 rushing and +400 passing. :eek:hmy:
 
#56
#56
VolFan4Life87 said:
Sure would like to have another Travis Henry
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I think every guy on that list would be a solid contributor today.

I wish I could find some game film for Beattie "Big Chief" Feathers. He's the guy who really put Tennessee football on the map. Sat by an old guy at an Arkansas game in Neyland back in the 90s who swore up and down that Beattie was the best ever. This guy had seen a lot of football. And to support his case, I think Beattie still has the single season yards per rush NFL record. Was also the first person to rush for over 1000 yards in a season in the NFL.

Edit : Interesting article on Beattie' pro career.

Beattie Feathers: A Forgotten NFL Legend | Bleacher Report

This quote tells you how good he was:

Beattie played on the same teams as George Halas, Red Grange (the famed "Galloping Ghost"), Sid Luckman, and Bronko Nagurski. Yet in 1934, he was considered the star of the team.
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They actually moved Red Grange to wideout because Beattie took his job.
 
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#57
#57
Volosaurus rex said:
Excellent guess, although 1989 was the year of the Cobb-Webb tandem. That squad certainly was one of our most productive rushing teams, with 582 carries for 2701 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground. HINT: much earlier.
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yeah 1989....I was thinking of the 1990 Cotton Bowl, in which we ran almost at will on Arkansas. 1989 was a good year....:good!:
 
#58
#58
Dragon18 said:
You see, this is where I get confused by VN. This thread is about our success running the ball this year. If I'm not mistaken the number for team rushing is 211 YD/Gm (based upon info above). The highest since at least 2008. Then I read a post that states the offense we are running has not been conducive to success running the football. I guess stats are not relevant and we will work solely off of what we feel to be true. :peace2:
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You nailed it, lol. It's almost as if some posters see a play or two on TV that they don't like, and use that to form their entire opinion.
 
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#59
#59
Rifleman said:
I think every guy on that list would be a solid contributor today.

I wish I could find some game film for Beattie "Big Chief" Feathers. He's the guy who really put Tennessee football on the map. Sat by an old guy at an Arkansas game in Neyland back in the 90s who swore up and down that Beattie was the best ever. This guy had seen a lot of football. And to support his case, I think Beattie still has the single season yards per rush NFL record. Was also the first person to rush for over 1000 yards in a season in the NFL.

Edit : Interesting article on Beattie' pro career.

Beattie Feathers: A Forgotten NFL Legend | Bleacher Report

This quote tells you how good he was:



They actually moved Red Grange to wideout because Beattie took his job.
Click to expand...


Beattie held the average-per-carry record for an astonishing 72 years. In 1934, he averaged 8.44 yards on 119 carries for 1,004 yards. In 2006, Michael Vick surpassed that record by the narrowest of margins, averaging 8.45 yards on 123 carries for 1,039 yards (NFL Records).
 
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#60
#60
Rifleman said:
Eye-popping numbers.

Oregon is doing that this year, and passing for 300+. They are for real, and this type of production can be attained today with the up-tempo offenses.

Not too bad, but Baylor has them one-upped. +300 rushing and +400 passing. :eek:hmy:
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Quite true. I would be interested, however, in seeing a strength-of-schedule comparison between the opponents Oregon and Baylor have faced thus far. I am not at all convinced that Baylor can maintain their current pace as they progress through the heart of their conference schedule. They came down from the stratosphere to score a "mere" 35 points against Kansas State.
 
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#61
#61
Volosaurus rex said:
Quite true. I would be interested, however, in seeing a strength-of-schedule comparison between the opponents Oregon and Baylor have faced thus far. I am not at all convinced that Baylor can maintain their current pace as they progress through the heart of their conference schedule. They came down from the stratosphere to score a "mere" 35 points against Kansas State.
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True. True. One stats site I found has SOS ranks like so:

1. Georgia
2. Washington
3. Utah
4. Ole Miss
5. Tennessee
6. Florida
7. Oregon














53. Baylor

Seem about right. But those Big 12 defenses on good teams can be atrocious, so maybe they can keep rolling.
 
#62
#62
When it comes purely to running the ball, the 1971 Oklahoma Sooners were the best I ever saw and they still hold the record at 472.4 YPG. Of course, that was early in the Wishbone era and Oklahoma rarely threw the ball. Indeed, Jack Mildren attempted only 68 passes, completing 32 for 889 yards (13.1 yards per att.) and 10 touchdowns.

Mildren also toted the pigskin 223 times for 1289 yards and 20 touchdowns. Greg Pruitt led the team in rushing, with 1760 yards on 196 carries, for a mindboggling 9.0 yards per carry, and 18 touchdowns. Fullback Leon Crosswhite amassed 744 yards and the next three most productive runners chipped in an additional 1,372 yards and 13 more scores (see 1971 Oklahoma Sooners Stats | College Football at Sports-Reference.com). Amazingly, this team did not win the national championship, finishing second to Nebraska. This was the year in which Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado finished 1-2-3 in the final polls.
 
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#63
#63
Rifleman said:
True. True. One stats site I found has SOS ranks like so:

1. Georgia
2. Washington
3. Utah
4. Ole Miss
5. Tennessee
6. Florida
7. Oregon














53. Baylor

Seem about right. But those Big 12 defenses on good teams can be atrocious, so maybe they can keep rolling.
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That conference is, indeed, notorious for "wave-as-they-go-by" defense and I am sure that Baylor will continue to be highly productive on offense. However, their nonconference schedule, against which they racked up all of those 70-point performances, was absolutely sorry.
 
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#64
#64
Rajion Neal hung tough today against a great defensive front and is now only 307 yards short of 1,000 for the season.

He also passed some big names, like James Berry, on the all time list and is 20th all time.

18. Andy Kozar, 1950-52 1,837
19. Tony Thompson, 1986-90 1,759
20. Rajion Neal, 2010-2013 1,732
21. Haskel Stanback, 1971-73 1,730
22. James Berry, 1978-81 1,721
23. William Howard, 1984-87 1,711
24. Keith Davis, 1985-88 1,704

Marlin Lane also had a great game.

See the original post for tons of stats. Will update the non-Tennessee team stats tomorrow.
 
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#65
#65
Rifleman said:
Rajion Neal hung tough today against a great defensive front and is now only 307 yards short of 1,000 for the season.

He also passed some big names, like James Berry, on the all time list and is 20th all time.

18. Andy Kozar, 1950-52 1,837
19. Tony Thompson, 1986-90 1,759
20. Rajion Neal, 2010-2013 1,732
20. Haskel Stanback, 1971-73 1,730
21. James Berry, 1978-81 1,721
22. William Howard, 1984-87 1,711
23. Keith Davis, 1985-88 1,704

Marlin Lane also had a great game.

See the original post for tons of stats. Will update the non-Tennessee team stats tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Nice. Thanks for updating.
 
#66
#66
The last five rushing defenses we face look like they will get weaker each week.

FBS ranks go from 8th to 107th . . . .

Alabama - 98.3 - 8th
Missouri - 116.6 - 19th
Auburn - 144.4 - 47th
Vanderbilt - 159.7 - 64th
Kentucky - 213.3 - 107th

Assuming Rajion Neal stays healthy, he should get the 62 yards a game he needs to get to a 1,000 yards for the year.

All the stats in the original post have been updated.
 
#67
#67
Virginia Tech
Edmunds
132 yds
6.6 ypc

Kentucky
Sanders
72 yds
5.1 ypc

Arkansas
Collins
77 yds
4.3 ypc

Precedents are set. We are going to run the ball effectively on Bama Saturday.

Sadly, for those teams listed above, we pass the ball better than these teams as well.
 
#68
#68
Those stats really don't do justice this far into the season. Just loom at who we've played thus far. It will be more realistic at end of the year.
 
#69
#69
knoxvols11 said:
Those stats really don't do justice this far into the season. Just loom at who we've played thus far. It will be more realistic at end of the year.
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The first 6 FBS teams we have faced national ranking in rushing defense on average:

43.5

The last 5 FBS teams we will face national ranking in rushing defense on average:

49

I am not convinced that rushing numbers are going to fall off that much. I think we can get 3 200+ yard days in the final 5 games.

We will also have a bowl game to pad the totals a little this year.
 
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