Under Josh Heupel, Tennessee has been one of the more effective running teams in the nation. During the Auburn game I was tracking DeSean Bishop’s yard count all the way to 220.
One more carry might have gotten him on this list.
Just for kicks, I recently reviewed the top 10 individual rushing games in Tennessee history. Here’s a look at who they were – and why it mattered.
(Take note, David Gabriel-Georges.)
Chuck Webb, 294 yards: Nov. 18, 1989, a 33-21 win against Ole Miss.
In the hunt for an SEC title, the Vols trailed the Rebels 21-20 in the third quarter. Webb, a redshirt freshman, got the go-ahead score and then surpassed Johnnie Jones’ 1983 record – by 46 yards. The Vols would earn a share of the SEC crown and a Cotton Bowl bid.
Webb, 250 yards:
Jan. 1, 1990, a 31-27 win over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.
In a tight game, Webb went 78 yards for a third-quarter TD to open the lead to 31-13. Tennessee held on for the win to finish 11-1. Webb was the offensive MVP.
Tony Thompson, 248 yards: Sept, 8, 1990, a 40-7 win at Mississippi State.
This was the first game after Webb’s season-ending knee injury in a blowout win over Pacific. Thompson had 200 yards by halftime and TDs of 69 and 80 yards. Losing Webb, apparently, wasn’t going to derail the season.
Johnnie Jones, 248 yards: Nov. 26, 1983, a 34-24 win over Vanderbilt.
The Vols trailed Vandy 24-20 after three quarters. Jones ripped off a 70-yard run in the fourth quarter to set up the go-ahead score. His big finale made him the first 1,000-yard rusher in school history.
Eric Gray, 246 yards: Nov. 30, 2019, a 28-10 win over Vanderbilt.
The Vols finished the regular season on a five-game win streak to earn a Taxslayer Gator Bowl bid. Gray, who had been third on the depth chart, broke the UT true freshman single-game rushing record and scored three touchdowns.
Tony Thompson, 236 yards: Dec. 1, 1990, a 49-20 win at Vanderbilt.
Tennessee trailed 17-14 at the half and was seeing its SEC title hopes slip away. Thompson scored three of his four TDs in the second half and claimed the SEC rushing title with 1,261 yards. And the Vols won the SEC crown and went to the Sugar Bowl.
Johnnie Jones, 234 yards: Oct. 29, 1983, a 7-0 win over Rutgers at Giants Stadium.
Jones broke Curt Watson’s 1969 school record of 197 yards. Gusting wind and confidence in a Reggie White-led defense convinced Johnny Majors to put the game on Jones’ shoulders. He carried 41 times.
Jamal Lewis, 232 yards: Oct. 11, 1997, a 38-13 win over Georgia.
Two games earlier, Phillip Fulmer used true freshman Lewis sparingly in a loss at Florida, partly due to pass-protection concerns (for Peyton Manning). Against Georgia, Lewis proved he should be a featured weapon. He would go on to rush for 1,364 yards as the Vols claimed the SEC title.
Travis Stephens, 226 yards: Dec. 1, 2001, a 34-32 win at Florida.
The Vols needed a career day from Stephens to overcome being 18-point underdogs and score one of the biggest upset wins in school history to clinch the SEC East title.
Reggie Cobb, 225 yards: Sept. 30, 1989, a 21-14 win over Auburn.
In his next-to-last game for Tennessee, Cobb was the catalyst to knock off No. 4 Auburn and get the Vols pointed toward an SEC title. Cobb’s 79-yard TD run was a thing of beauty.
Mike Strange is a former writer for the News Sentinel. He currently writes a sports column for Shopper News.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Will Tennessee football's Bishop crack Tennessee’s Top 10? | Opinion
