SEC Football: Top 10 Rushing Offenses (1992-2007)

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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