When it comes to the running back position, the Oregon Ducks have always seemed to find a lot of success. Over the past several decades, that’s a spot in the offense that has received a lot of attention, and rightfully so, as multiple all-conference and future NFL players came through Eugene.
That’s partly why it feels a little weird going into the 2022 season without a “known quantity” in the backfield. After the departure of CJ Verdell and Travis Dye, the Ducks don’t have an RB on the depth chart with more than 500 total yards (Byron Cardwell rushed for 417 in 2021.) Oregon will be placing a lot of faith in the current backs on the roster — Cardwell, Sean Dollars, Seven McGee, and Jordan James — to shoulder the load going forward and keep up the tradition of a strong running game in Eugene.
While it feels likely that we could see the blossoming of a new dominant duo in the coming months, the departure of Verdell and Dye got us thinking about the past. Who are the best rushing tandems that Oregon has ever seen? I’m not talking about the best running backs, but the best 1-2 punches. The best compliments to each other. The pairs who never gave the defense a chance to breathe, because as soon as one went off the field, a player of equal caliber came in to replace him.
Doing the research to answer this question wasn’t straightforward. We took into account career rushing yards, receiving yards, touchdowns, and ranks on Oregon’s all-time career rushing list. Then you have to factor in that a lot of these guys didn’t play their entire careers together, and may have only overlapped for a season or two. We added weight to their combined place on the all-time rushing list — if the No. 7 and No. 11 players were a duo, they might be ranked higher than the No. 2 and No. 23 player, for example. Lastly, we took into account a couple of players who made a huge impact in their short times at Oregon; the combined ranking may not look great, but anyone who watched them knows they belong pretty high on the list.
After taking all of that into consideration, the results were pretty fascinating. You have a pair of undisputed winners, a few quarterbacks that snuck onto the list, and a pair of players who anyone under the age of 40 may struggle to remember. In the end, it offered a fun look at the past several decades of Oregon history, and showed truly how important the running back position has been for the Ducks. Enjoy.
