(Note: This is also Part IV in a series celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the 1998 National Champion Tennessee Volunteers)
Since the SEC went to its 12-team divisional format in 1992, there have been many great players who've shined on fall Saturdays and gone on to make NFL dollars on Sundays.
However, no matter how much football may seem to change and progress, the SEC has stayed true to the roots of successful football—a strong running game—while inventing new ways to gain yardage.
While there have been some individual standouts over the last fifteen years, like Shaun Alexander, the same idea that many NFL and collegiate teams are falling back on now has been alive and well in the SEC for years: It takes a village to run the football.
More often than not, it hasn't been just one superstar who's gained fame, but a stable of runners who've led their teams to championships in the SEC and on the national level.
That tradition has produced success even without name recognition (for instance, Alabama's attack of Tyler Watts, Ahmaad Galloway, and Santonio Beard produced almost 250 yards per game in 2001) and also bodes well for the present, as even Knowshon Moreno won't get 30 carries a game this season—he'll share the load like everyone else.
As we remember the 10th Anniversary of Tennessee's potent run game from their 1998 National Championship, and to continue to move along the final two months 'til football season, here's a look at the Volunteers and nine other successful running games in the modern era of SEC Football.
These rankings combine collegiate productivity, team success, the NFL Draft, and what the players have done on Sundays to enhance their Saturday legacies. These are the ten best SEC tandems, ground games, and rushing attacks since 1992.
TOP 10 SEC RUSHING OFFENSES (1992-2007)
10. '07 Florida - Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Kestahn Moore
Highlighting the "inventing new ways" idea, the Gators won the National Championship in 2006 with a version of it, and then unleashed the full spread option in all its glory last season. While Florida didn't make it back to the BCS or win the SEC East, they did pick up a ton of yards, score a ton of points, and help win Tim Tebow the Heisman Trophy.
What's most startling about this offense is that its two top rushers were the quarterback and the wide receiver, going for more than 1,600 yards between them. The idea would follow that if the Gators ever find and/or develop a star tailback to go with this offense—look out.
9. '03 LSU - Justin Vincent, Joseph Addai, Alley Broussard
While the '03 Tigers were primarily known for their defense, it was the play of Addai and freshman Justin Vincent that helped carry the Tigers to the title in 2003. Vincent cracked the 1,000-yard mark and added 117 and a touchdown against Oklahoma to win the National Championship.
Their fates have gone different ways since—Addai, who was really upstaged by Vincent as the season wore on, finished his career strong at LSU and went on to great success as Edgerrin James' replacement in Indianapolis, winning the Super Bowl in his rookie season.
Vincent and Broussard both saw injuries and more young talent derail their careers—Broussard would transfer and Vincent saw his numbers continually decline. But at least for this one season, these three combined with incredible defense to help carry the Tigers home.
8. '96 Florida - Fred Taylor, Terry Jackson, Elijah Williams
While most will forever remember the Gators' 96 National Championship team for Danny Wuerffel and the enormous talent at wide receiver, it was those strengths that allowed for plenty of running room for these guys.
Taylor and Jackson were especially good at both catching passes and turning out huge runs when least expected, including backbreaking gains in the Sugar Bowl against Florida State. Without their efforts, the Gator offense is nothing more than passing yards, and they never win all those games and championships.
Fred Taylor, who had greater individual success the following season in Gainesville, is still playing on Sundays down in Jacksonville. He cracked 10,000 career yards last season and could very easily make the Hall of Fame.
7. '02 Arkansas - Cedric Cobbs & Fred Talley
The precursor to McFadden and Jones, Cobbs and Talley had a rockier history but still produced an SEC West title for the Razorbacks in 2002.
Cobbs had more name recognition going into the '02 season, but some off the field troubles shifted the spotlight to Talley, who finished with 1,119 yards, including a midseason stretch where he dropped 241 on Auburn, 182 on Kentucky, and then 136 on Ole Miss.
While neither was really able to catch on in the NFL and may end up being much overshadowed by the '07 duo in Fayetteville, these guys left their mark on Arkansas football.
6. '96 LSU - Kevin Faulk & Rondell Mealey
Kevin Faulk was the face of LSU football almost his entire career and finished second on the SEC's all-time rushing list, behind only Herschel Walker. His all-purpose totals, just shy of 7,000 yards in four years, put him atop the SEC's all-time list.
Mealey was the other option who outgained Faulk on few occasions but provided a nice change of pace. Although LSU did upend No. 1 Florida the following year, Faulk was an All-American in '96, so we went with this year.
Both were drafted, and Faulk has enjoyed one of the longest tenures with the same team since draft day in recent memory, playing nine years with the New England Patriots as a solid all-purpose option and picking up three Super Bowl rings along the way.
The '03 group from LSU has the rings, but I'd be much more afraid of this duo in their prime.
5. '92 Georgia - Garrison Hearst & Terrell Davis
Though Hearst did most of the work here, Davis is worth mentioning for what he would later become. Hearst, on probably Georgia's best team of the '90s, was a Heisman Trophy candidate and scored a whopping 21 touchdowns in 1992 to lead the nation.
He cemented his name as the second-best running back in school history over his three-year tenure, which isn't bad considering Herschel Walker is first. In '92, he won the Doak Walker Award and was drafted third overall the following April.
Davis had a rocky collegiate career but outshined Hearst in the pros, playing for the Denver Broncos and winning two rings, notching a 2,000-yard season in 1998 and an MVP award. He may very well get into the Hall of Fame.
However, Hearst was no slouch, twice coming back from injury to produce plenty of great years in San Francisco.
4. '93 Tennessee - Heath Shuler, Charlie Garner, James Stewart, Aaron Hayden
Statistically speaking, this is still the most explosive offense in Tennessee football history. Behind Shuler's arm and legs, and the season that left him second in Heisman voting and the third pick on draft day, the Vols ran to a 9-1-1 record before losing to Penn State in the Citrus Bowl.
No matter which tailback was in the game, he was productive—the Vols finished the season averaging six yards per carry, led by Garner's 1,161 yards.
All three tailbacks would go on to play in the NFL. Garner had success in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Oakland with a trip to the 2000 Pro Bowl, finishing his career with more than 7,000 yards.
Stewart was a starter for years in Jacksonville and then in Detroit, and Hayden saw significant action in his two seasons with San Diego.
3. '07 Arkansas - Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, Peyton Hillis
Time will tell with these guys, especially as McFadden and Jones progress in the NFL. Their jaw-dropping numbers from '07 didn't translate into as many wins as the year before.
Still, you can't deny the strength of this offense in McFadden (1,830 yards) and Jones (1,162 yards), who are the best duo in SEC history on paper. Along the way, they produced several highlight reel runs, and both contributed to knocking off LSU when they were No. 1 in the nation.
If McFadden and/or Jones can produce the types of NFL careers that others on this list have enjoyed, they could eventually be remembered as the best running attack in SEC history.
2. '98 Tennessee - Tee Martin, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Travis Stephens, Shawn Bryson
Unlike the other National Championship teams on the list to this point, the Vols relied more on rushing offense, especially early in the season when Martin was learning the ropes. Plus, they had to deal with injuries—Jamal Lewis ripped off nearly 500 yards in three games and the first quarter at Auburn before tearing his ACL and being sidelined for the season.
Right on cue, Henry and Stephens stepped in, completely untested, and went to work. Henry finished just shy of 1,000 yards despite playing only six games as the starter, while Stephens gave the Vols a quicker burst.
Shawn Bryson was an excellent change of pace at fullback, and both he and Martin produced season-saving runs—Martin's 55-yard scramble at Syracuse, Bryson's 63-yard TD against Florida—along the way.
Even without Bryson, you could argue the backfield was even stronger the following year, but Vol fans like to remember Jamal Lewis before the second half of 1999, when most agree that he stopped running as hard to protect himself from further injury.
But it's down the line where this group really shines—Travis Henry became the all-time leading rusher in Tennessee history in 2000, then Travis Stephens turned in the greatest single-season performance in school history in 2001.
None of these duos have produced the combined level of collegiate and professional excellence the way Lewis and Henry have.
Jamal Lewis has a Super Bowl ring from 2000, a 2,000-yard season and 295-yard game together with an Offensive Player of the Year award from 2003, and more than 9,000 yards in just seven seasons of play.
Travis Henry has compiled more than 6,000 yards in his career and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2002, and led the league in rushing before getting injured last season. No SEC tandem has produced that level of NFL success combined with such high collegiate success, both in yardage and in championships.
Without their combined efforts, and with no warning or experience for Henry (and Stephens), the Vols flounder instead of flourish in 1998.
1. '04 Auburn - Jason Campbell, Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown
(And let's not forget that if you go back in time, you can add Brandon Jacobs to this list.)
When I think of great running offenses in the SEC, my mind immediately goes here. McFadden and Jones may have better numbers, and Lewis and Henry have had more time in the NFL to produce success there.
But to me, there's been no better running attack than these guys.
Not only did Auburn have a great defense, and not only did Jason Campbell turn into a great quarterback seemingly overnight, but these guys simply punished you. Ronnie Brown ran straight at and then through you, while Caddy remains one of the few guys who actually lived up to all of his recruiting hype and dazzled the way everyone thought he would.
In 2004, they led Auburn to an undefeated season—Caddy going for 1,165 yards and Brown for 913.
Considering the numbers, the undefeated season, and their relative NFL success in only three seasons (both drafted in the top five, with Jason Campbell also taken in the first round), they are more deserving of the top spot than any other SEC ground game in the last fifteen years.
Among the SEC's eight National Champions and/or undefeated teams in the last 15 years, '92 Alabama and '03 LSU are known primarily for defense, '93 Auburn for being on probation, '96 Florida for passing offense, '98 Tennessee for defense with Peerless Price the lasting image, and '06 Florida and '07 LSU for defense and killing Ohio State.
But this '04 Auburn team immediately brings to mind these two guys...and for that, and all of these reasons, Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown stand at the top.
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3 months ago
This is a great read, good work
3 months ago
5 star read
3 months ago
Nice article. Your number one my first thought when I read the title.
3 months ago
Great article!
3 months ago
Your research is terrible. Top 10 rushing offenses and the #1 rushing offense is rated #3. Pitiful. Jason Campbell and Tee Martin were not running QBs so mentioning them is pointless. Speaking of QBs, the SEC's all-time rushing leader at QB is Matt Jones and he's not mentioned with Cobbs and Talley at #7. Adding Matt Jones automatically bumps that group into the top 3.
Auburn's Brown/Williams couldn't hold a candle to Arkansas's Jones/McFadden. In their best year, B&W came up 800 yards shy of the duo in Fayetteville. Furthermore, Dmac and Felix the Cat put up virtually identical numbers two years in a row. Caddy and Ronnie never stepped on the field together until Borges showed up and then only for one year.
Tennessee, pleeeeeeeeease. Stephens never sees the field if Lewis doesn't get hurt. For that matter, Henry wouldn't have rushed for 500 yards if Lewis hadn't been hurt. Nevertheless, the combo of Lewis, Henry, & Stephens still didn't even come close to matching Jones/McFadden.
I'm an Arkansas fan, and I can't stand ultra-conservative, boring Houston Nutt, but I can still give credit where it is due. Houston knows how to run the ball, and at Arkansas, he did it better than every other SEC team for 10 years. Nuff said.
from 3 months ago
You're right, I should've mentioned Matt Jones. But even adding him wouldn't move that group up the list for me.
The list is based on more than just statistics - I mentioned that '07 Arkansas was the best on paper, and that's true. However, the combined productivity and on field team success of Brown and Caddy in 2004 is still better than what McFadden and Jones accomplished in 06 or 07. And throwing in the NFL factor puts them at another disadvantage, but again, I mentioned that if they find Sunday success they could supplant the Auburn backfield in my mind.
And while Arkansas routinely led the conference in rushing, if it doesn't translate into wins the way other rushing attacks did, they don't rank as high to me.
Jason Campbell wasn't a running quarterback, but could and did make some big runs along the way, so I included him. Tee Martin ran for almost 300 yards in 1998, so he definitely qualifies to me.
98 Tennessee ran for more than 2500 yards with a ground game that carried the offense and went undefeated with two future NFL Pro Bowl tailbacks, Henry having never played a meaningful down to that point. All of that makes them a more favorable option, right now, than last year's Arkansas tandem.
from 3 months ago
Tee Martin won a NC and Jason Campbell went undefeated. Like it or not, winning games ALWAYS helps your case in any subjective ranking. It's hard to argue against a team that wins. That's why Heisman winners never come from bad teams.
Plus if DMac/Jones were shut down (like AU did in 2007) then the Hogs had nothing on offense. Their offense was worse than ours, which was pretty bad. So, they had no choice but to ride those guys. Most people are going to be impressed with a great RB when he is a part of a great team rather than when the team can do nothing else but run him.
Having said that, I see your point and it's a good one. I've said that DMac is the best TB in the SEC since Bo Jackson. And that is saying something. He would have won the Heisman if he had done the same on a better team.
3 months ago
I agree. how can any combo be put before Dmac and Felix. THEY HAD THE BEST stats of 2 RB's and they DID it 2 years in a row more than anyone else. and this was on a TEAM that also had the WORST Passing Attack our of all the Mentioned teams. noone ever EVER EVER put 8+ guys in the box vs any of the mention combo except VS arkansas. Dmac and felix ran for more yards, more tds, more YPC, dont even forget the other stats of kick off returns,
and like the above stated HOW THE HELL DO YOU NOT MENTION MATT JONES THE ALL TIME LEADING QB Rusher? he playd with cobbs and talley... are you that dumb to look over that? wow. you contradict your own blog you IDIOT ( REFERRING TO THE AUTHER) This is the BEST Rushing Offenses blog right?
Arkansas wins. END OF STORY. do i really have to actually copy paste the actually stats for rushing? or will you be smart and admit your goofed up the ranking?
your dont ADD WHAT they do in the NFL. that has no bearing, you dont add a team had a great D....? wth does that have to do with it. man. i hate dumb people who cant be un-bias. yea im a Arkansas fan. like the guy above but come on....
from 3 months ago
John, did you even bother to read John's comment before you wrote yours. He already said he made a mistake and that he should've put Matt Jones in there but i guess you felt like calling him stupid anyways. Nice job.
How are you going to tell the author what does and doesn't have a bearing on HIS opinion as to the best SEC rushing attack?
How those teams did, meaning winn loss record is a very legit fact. IF you can rush for mare yards and TDs than anyone in the history of the SEC but at the same time not having great team success then what's the point? Neither one of those arkansas teams won an SEC title but on the other hand Auburn did and went undefeated in doing so. They also had a great argument for the National Championship.
Mcfadden is obviously a great player but if want to compare stats you could make some good points for brown and williams.
First brown and williams never got the type of rushing attemps that Mcfadden got so obvioulsy Mcfadden is going to have more yards. Comparing their senior season Mcfadden got 86 more carries than Brown and 172 more carries than Brown. However Brown did have a higher ypc average than Mcfadden. One could also point out that Brown was a much better reciever than both Jones and Mcfadden during college.
Overall they were both good RB and statically arkansas was better but if you want to throw in other factors then that's fine.
I probably would have the 07 Arkanas team in the top two at the least though.
3 months ago
i gotta go with these guys also. something tells me your a Auburn fan. just drop it your not gonna get your NC title but making a blog and putting your team as the #1 rushing. because they wasnt lol.
best on paper is what you say? mabe you havent watched a tv in this timespan either. none gave better highlight reels than dmac and felix. actually in the nation the only player i can remember having some of equality is Reggie bush.
you are wanting to add other things into the mix to jusity your rankings?
the other guy was right on. Arkansas has had the 11th or 12th Worst Passing offense almost every year in the SEC. with auburn always around 5th-6th usually in the middle. Darren and Felix and peyton did what noone else in the NCAA could do. they ran Through ENTIRE TEAMS. everyone knew those 3 guys would run the ball and they still could not stop them. and sense you want to add in other things that doesnt even matter. should i add peyton,darren,and felix's all purpose yards also? lets add in darren's recieving yds, and felixes, lets add in peytons use as a TE, lets add in Dmacs passing, Felix's and Dmacs Kickoff returns for Touchdowns.... i mean thats what you just did to jusity auburn right? funny how if you do that with Dmac,peyton,and felix they obliterate any other combo/trio,
and please let me bring up the times where both felix and dmac set out after the 3rd quarter because it happend alot when we didnt need them.
oh and on the mattjones thing. come on you cant tell me you honestly think the matt jones, cobbs, talley trio shouldnt be third? it was the same the rushed passed Entire teams. no other team here did that.
from 3 months ago
"everyone knew those 3 guys would run the ball and they still could not stop them"
I think Auburn stopped them last season. I think Darren had 47 yards. Darren also had trouble Missouri, Florida International, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State.
3 months ago
Actually, I'm a Tennessee fan...which also means my perception of '07 Arkansas is more than a bit tainted by what they did in Knoxville.
Maybe the title is a little misleading, since it's certainly my opinion and based on all the factors I mentioned at the start - which includes wins and losses. Wins and losses matter because winners are remembered - the eight teams on this list that aren't Arkansas lost two games or less. '02 and '07 Arkansas lost five games each.
Those Arkansas teams make this list on stats alone, which were certainly impressive to overcome those five loss seasons...but if the question is "who's the best?", winning games is certainly a factor. '04 Auburn didn't need to run as much as '07 Arkansas because they did have the passing game and the defense, but could have if they wanted to with greater success.
To me, if you asked most SEC football fans if they'd rather have Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown, Jamal Lewis and Travis Henry, or Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, the list would end up in the order it appears on this post. If this were all about numbers, the 2001 Alabama team I mentioned would be ranked incredibly high and people would be complaining about that too.
from 3 months ago
You indicate wins are such an important issue...why is the '06 Razorback team not ahead of the '07 team?
The '06 team won 10 games (including a 10-game winning streak) and ran for 3,200 yards
The '07 team only won 8 games and ran for 3,725 yards
Seems like 2 more wins is much better than 500 yards based on your rules yet the '06 Hogs aren't even included.
Good information to think about and read read, just very inconsistent.
I personally think the '03 LSU team is ranked a little low. They had 3 legitimate stars that could hit you. Most of the teams on here only had two.
from 3 months ago
It's a valid point about '06 Arkansas...I was only including each group once, and simply went with '07 Arkansas because they're more fresh on everyone's mind, although the offensive personnel are really the same outside of Mustain. I think the end of the '06 season taints some of what that group did in the minds of many, which is unfair. Still, even if '06 Arkansas was better and did win the SEC West, their 4 losses would still be more than any of the other teams on this list had.
I think '99 Tennessee was better than '98 Tennessee on paper - Travis Henry and Tee Martin were experienced, and Onterrio "The Original Whizzzinator" Smith was a true freshman alongside Jamal Lewis. But '98 Tennessee is where everyone's mind goes.
I had '03 LSU in the top five when I originally wrote this out, but in doing the research and comparing them to everyone else, the inconsistency between those three guys all season was a factor. Instead of all of them being consistently solid, it seemed like only one at a time was. I don't know this for sure, but I'd bet most LSU fans would rank Faulk/Mealey as the better tandem.
3 months ago
I don't see how winning games makes for the best rushing attack. Put Felix and DMAC on some of any of those other teams and their #1. Professional football success has nothing to do with the talent they had running the ball in college. Although I'm confident McFadden will be the best pro on this list, and Jones will be damn good as well. They are the best running force I've ever seen in the SEC, and thats from a Bama fan.
3 months ago
Will states in his article that the list was based on more than stats. Great list, I like it. Too bad that Auburn squad got screwed by the BCS. Anyway, maybe the new offense at Tennessee will put a few guys on this list- Arian Foster, Montario Hardesty, Lennon Creer, Gerald Jones, even Eric Berry maybe. I hope it works out.
3 months ago
If you just want to go by stats then the 07 Florida team should be much higher. This is how they compare to the 07 Arkansas team.
UF: 2,329 yds, 397 carries, 35 TD
Arkansas: 3,339 yds, 520 carries, 29 TD.
The biggest factor in this whole article is the amount of carries these players got. If UF would've had 520 carries then they would've ended up with 3050 yds. (that's based on the ypc they, off course they could've had a litte more or less in reality)
3 months ago
great article man, i gotta tell you though. that 98 championship, it cut me deep. i'm a noles fan, but either way great article. great read, i enjoyed the entire thing. i would've chosen auburn as my number one also, and i believe they were better than the arkansas duo because they went undefeated, that should end that argument.
3 months ago
Great article, Will and gave you 5 Stars. Big fan of SEC football, don't really have a favorite and had Auburn at one. Like all your picks .
3 months ago
Thanks all for reading, for your opinions and for any kind words.
3 months ago
Arkansas is better than Tennessee.
3 months ago
If i am reading the title right it says top 10 rushing offenses not winning offenses Arkansas wins hands down!!!!!!!!
from 3 months ago
Well John, part of being a top rushing offense is winning games. I pretty sure winning games is more important than stats.
Like the guy above us said, that's why you never see heisman winners coming from bad teams.
3 months ago
Great article, As an Auburn fan of course I agree. Caddy and Ronnie are the best backs I've seen in person in along time. Not to take away from the others mentioned, but those guy's were special. Many think Cadillac Williams was the better back, I think Ronnie Brown was the best overall back. Time will prove this as their NFL career's move along. And yes I saw all of the above play in person, that makes a difference for those of you who have never watch these super talents in person.
Someone who truely know's, should do an unbiased article about the best stadiums in the SEC. Now I would put Arkansas in my top three. Not the biggest or loudest but one of the most fan friendly and clean. Been there five times! I still have a couple to make, or I would give it a shot.
from 3 months ago
Thanks Deric...yeah, the problem with those best stadium lists is half the conference believes their place should be number one, and they've all got good reasons...plus, places like South Carolina are really underrated too. I've never been to Arkansas but I read a lot of good things about it...I've been everywhere in the East Division but only made it down to Tuscaloosa a couple times from the West.
3 months ago
I can't stand Auburn but I immediately thought about Cadillac & Brown when reading the title of the article. Regardless of your opinions & very hateful comments to the author (very classy from the Arkansas fans, kinda like on gamedays) it was a very well-written article & has caused some lively discussion - well done Will.
3 months ago
Good article!
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