Mike Hart was never any easy tackle. Especially if you weren't looking low enough.
The decade is over. Has been since January 1st if you’re not a big calendar guy. So it’s time to take a look back at the aughts, or double-Os, or 2000s, or whatever.
For the next two weeks, we’ll be glancing out of our college football car windows at the ‘objects closer than they appear’ and giving you a rundown of the top ten players at every position over the last ten years. Of course, this next part is very, very important to remember.
This has NOTHING to do with the NFL. It’s not about how well they’ve performed in their pro careers thus far or how they projected as prospects for the next level. This is purely about College Football. Nothing else. And oh yeah, guys that played only one season in this decade don’t count (Sorry Ladainian). Basically, anyone from the 2002 NFL Draft on is eligible.
So, without further ado, here are the ten best college running backs of the aughts (yeah, I’m going with aughts). Enjoy, discuss, and please, for the love of all sanity, tell me why I’m wrong by visiting our CONTACT page.
10.) Mike Hart, Michigan
5040 yards, 41 TDs, 4.97, 566 receiving yards, 2 TDs
The guy played in 43 games at one of the most punishing positions in the sport for a team that leaned on him more often than not. And he responded. Despite his lack of height, Hart was the definition of a bowling ball back, and a nose for the end zone. His average is hurt a little bit by the fact that he carried the ball in so many short-yardage situations, but when you look at how successful he was in the clutch, he may deserve a higher ranking. Nothing wrong with being a two-time Doak Walker Award Finalist and a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection.
09.) Willis McGahee, Miami
2067 yards, 31 TDs, 5.92 ypc, 348 receiving yards, 0 TDs
McGahee didn’t play for very long. And it’s not exactly inspiring that his most memorable involves his knee escaping from the back of his leg. But when McGahee was on the field, he was a rare blend of punishing strength and deadly speed. McGahee played in two championship games (winning one), and broke all sorts of Miami records in 2002 with 1753 rushing yards and 28 TDs on the ground. Only three people have put up more scores on the ground in a single season. And you’ve got to admire the guts to gamble on himself and pass on that $2.5M insurance policy to enter the draft. Worked out pretty well.
08.) Cadillac Williams, Auburn
3831 yards, 45 TDs, 5.17 ypc, 342 receiving yards, 1 TD
When he was healthy, he was fun to watch. A real running back, Cadillac was pure on the ground, but powerful enough to get the tough yards. What his makes his totals even more impressive is the fact that he missed the last six games of the 2002 season with a broken fibula. Of course, he bounced back from that snap to star for another two seasons, breaking Bo Jackson’s school rushing TD record, and earning nine SEC Player of the Week honors, the most in conference history.
07.) Knowshon Moreno, Georgia
2734 yards, 30 TDs, 5.49 ypc, 645 receiving yards, 2 TDs
I’m sure I’ll get some detractors here. But even with only two seasons of play, Moreno made some noise. He earned first team All-SEC honors in both of his seasons, scored 30 touchdowns, and found some really innovative ways to throw himself into the endzone. He was stopped at times, but always seemed to find his legs in a big way the following week. His versatility was never a question, and he might have been the best screen back of his era. Moreno may not have the stats or trophy cases of some other guys on the list, but from a pure talent standpoint, he was special.
06.) Ray Rice, Rutgers
4926 yards, 49 TDs, 5.41 ypc, 334 receiving yards, 1 TD
Greg Schiano gets a lot of credit for breathing life into the Rutgers program, and he deserves some, but Ray Rice was the on-field impetus in New Jersey. He owns just about every Rutgers rushing record, but what’s more impressive is that he continually broke his own records throughout his career, capping it off with a 280 yard performance in the Toronto Bowl that finalized his top status. Perhaps more than any other player on this list, Rice was the reason for his team’s success. He was a two-time second-team All-American, and a finalist for the Doak Walker Award largely because of his three 100+ yard seasons, 25 100+ yard and six 200+ yard performances.
05.) DeAngelo Williams, Memphis
6026 yards, 55 TDs, 6.22 ypc, 723 receiving yards, 5 TDs
Maybe the guy that holds the all-time NCAA career all-purpose yardage record should be higher, but I can’t get past the fact that playing for Memphis helped just a little. Still, only four running backs in history have gained more yards on the ground, and no one has eclipsed his mark of 34 100+ yard games on the ground. Despite coming from C-USA, Williams finished seventh in Heisman voting in 2005, and second only to Reggie Bush in Doak Walker voting the same year. Like some of the other backs on this list, he gets a bump from producing at such a high level for so many years. Doesn’t hurt that he scored 60 offensive TDs on a 6.22 ypc average.
03.6) Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
4045 yards, 41 TDs, 5.41 ypc, 198 receiving yards, 1 TD
Yeah, that’s supposed to read “3.6″ I just can’t decide between Peterson and McFadden, but I’m giving McFadden the slight nod. Peterson was amazing as a freshman. His 1925 rushing yards that year set a freshman record, and he led the nation in carries with 339. After that, his career was a mix of bruising runs finalized with elite speed. He was always one of those guys that no one wanted to tackle, unless it was around the ankle. Despite missing multiple games as a sophomore and junior, AD managed to squeeze over 2300 yards and 26 rushing touchdowns into his final two seasons. No other freshman has come as close to winning the Heisman as Peterson, who finished second to Matt Leinart in 2004.
03.4) Darren McFadden, Arkansas
4590 yards, 41 TDs, 5.85 ypc, 365 receiving yards, 2 TDs
This might get a few double-takes, but there was some stiff competition, and although McFadden was amazing, I think he slides into the three spot. Of course, his mastery of the Wild Hog formation is an added bonus considering it earned him seven TD tosses. He was slightly better than Peterson in my opinion, and certainly healthier. His career rushing yards rank second only to Herschel Walker in the SEC. He was a two-time runner up for the Heisman Trophy, a feat no other player can claim, a two-time AP All-American, and he became only the second two-time winner of the Doak Walker Award in his final season
02.) CJ Spiller, Clemson
3547 yards, 32 TDs, 5.85 ypc, 1420 receiving yards, 11 TDs
You can argue all you want, but Spiller’s yardage and TD totals are impressive. He played most of his career attached to James Davis in the Clemson backfield, but that makes his totals even more impressive. His ypc of nearly 6 yards is a true testament to his ability to make the most out of any play, and for a guy not considered much a red zone runner, he found the endzone 32 times on the ground. He was the only player in the nation to score a touchdown in every game of the 2009 season, and he added two scores with his arm over his last two seasons. But Spiller’s most valuable asset was his versatility. He finished his career with 3547 rushing yards (32 TDs, 1420 receiving yards (11 TDs), and 2621 return yards (8 TDs).
01.) Reggie Bush, USC
3169 yards, 25 TDs, 7.32 ypc, 1301 receiving yards, 13 TDs
Well, he used to have a Heisman. Regardless of anything the NCAA does, Bush was the best running back of the 2000s. There’s no doubt in my mind. He was absolutely amazing every time he touched the ball, averaging 10.25 yards per touch over his entire career. He made highlight play after highlight play, whether he was returning (4 TDs), running (25 TDs), or receiving (13 TDs). Unfortunately, one of his most fabled plays, a 65-yard game of hide-and-seek with the Oregon State defense in the densest fog I’ve ever seen on a football field, came in a losing effort.
Bush took home the 2005 Heisman in a landslide over Vince Young. He received the second most first-place votes in history at the time. In the same year, he won the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award, and earned the Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Year Award. Yes, he only started 14 career games, but he was an absolute enigma to defensive coordinators, and there was no more electrifying running back this decade, as evidenced by his 7.32 yards per carry average. And, you’ve got to admit, that flipping into the endzone thing was pretty cool.
Honorable Mention, Steven Jackson (Oregon State), Dexter McCluster (Ole Miss), Cedric Benson (Texas), Jahvid Best (California), Larry Johnson (Penn State), Chris Wells (Ohio State), LL Cool J (Any Given Sunday)
