Checkdowns: Trivia On 100 Yard Rushing Games

by Chase Stuart on July 3, 2018

Let’s start with some trivia.

Which running back has the most 100-yard rushing games in his career?

Click 'Show' For the Answer	Select Show
Emmitt Smith is the record-holder with 78 games of 100+ rushing yards. Walter Payton had 77, and Barry Sanders had 76.

There have been 11 running backs who have rushed for 100+ yards in a winning effort in 40 or more regular season games. Ten of them are in the Hall of Fame, but the man who has done it 51 times — the third most ever — is not (and is eligible). Name him.

Click 'Show' For the Answer	Select Show
Edgerrin James rushed for 100+ yards in a game that his team won 51 times.

Which running back has the best winning percentage in games when he rushed for 100+ yards, minimum 15 games?

Click 'Show' For the Answer	Select Show
Chuck Foreman rushed for 100+ yards in 17 games; his teams went 16-1 in those games.

Which running back has the best winning percentage in games when he rushed for 100+ yards, minimum 30 games?

Click 'Show' For the Answer	Select Show
Thurman Thomas rushed for 100+ yards in 46 games; the Bills went 43-3 in those games. Buffalo also went, um, 5-1 in postseason games where he rushed for 100+ yards.

Here’s a record that I am confident will not be broken in the next 20 years, and might not ever be broken at all. One running back rushed for 100+ yards in a game that his team lost 32 times in his career. No other player has done it more than 23 times. To get a sense of comparison, Adrian Peterson and Steven Jackson have done it 31 times, combined. Name him.

Click 'Show' For the Answer	Select Show
Barry Sanders, of course.

Which running back has the worst winning percentage in 100+ yard rushing games, minimum 15 games?

Click 'Show' For the Answer	Select Show
Chuck Muncie rushed for 100+ yards 16 times; his teams went 6-10.

Which running back has the worst winning percentage in 100+ yard rushing games, minimum 30 games?

Click 'Show' For the Answer	Select Show
Steven Jackson did it 33 times, and his teams went 17-16 in those games.

Which running back has rushed for 100+ yards in the highest percentage of his games?

Click 'Show' For the Answer	Select Show
Barry Sanders did it in nearly half of his games: 76 of 153 games, or 49.7%.

Here’s the full table below for you to come up with your own trivia questions. Smith ranks 1st in 100-yard games, and his first year with a 100-yard game was in ’90, and his last was in ’04. He had 78 such games, winning 59 and losing 19, for a 0.756 winning percentage. He also rushed for 18,355 yards in his career, first among players on this list. He played in 226 games, rushing for 81.2 yards/game in his career. And he rushed for 100+ yards in 34.5% of his career games.

Rk 100YG	Player	FYr	LYr	100YG	W	L	Win%	Rk Rush Yd	Rush Yd	G	Rush Yd/G	Perc
1	Emmitt Smith*	1990	2004	78	59	19	0.756	1	18355	226	81.2	34.5%
2	Walter Payton*	1975	1986	77	54	23	0.701	2	16726	190	88	40.5%
3	Barry Sanders*	1989	1998	76	44	32	0.579	3	15269	153	99.8	49.7%
4	Eric Dickerson*	1983	1992	64	43	21	0.672	8	13259	146	90.8	43.8%
5	Jerome Bettis*	1993	2005	61	45	16	0.738	7	13662	192	71.2	31.8%
6	Jim Brown*	1957	1965	58	48	8	0.862	10	12312	118	104.3	49.2%
7.5	Curtis Martin*	1995	2005	57	40	17	0.702	4	14101	168	83.9	33.9%
7.5	Edgerrin James	1999	2008	57	51	6	0.895	13	12246	148	82.7	38.5%
9	Adrian Peterson	2007	2017	51	35	15	0.706	12	12276	133	92.3	38.3%
10	Fred Taylor	1998	2009	49	33	16	0.673	17	11695	153	76.4	32%
11.5	Franco Harris*	1972	1983	47	42	5	0.894	15	12120	173	70.1	27.2%
11.5	LaDainian Tomlinson*	2001	2010	47	37	10	0.787	6	13684	170	80.5	27.6%
13	Thurman Thomas*	1988	1997	46	43	3	0.935	16	12074	182	66.3	25.3%
14	Tony Dorsett*	1977	1988	45	40	5	0.889	9	12739	173	73.6	26%
15	Clinton Portis	2002	2009	44	33	11	0.750	32	9923	113	87.8	38.9%
16	Frank Gore	2005	2017	43	33	10	0.767	5	14026	196	71.6	21.9%
17	O.J. Simpson*	1969	1978	42	25	16	0.619	21	11236	135	83.2	31.1%
18	Marshall Faulk*	1994	2004	41	35	6	0.854	11	12279	176	69.8	23.3%
19.5	Chris Johnson	2008	2015	40	30	10	0.750	34	9651	130	74.2	30.8%
19.5	Earl Campbell*	1978	1985	40	28	12	0.700	36	9407	115	81.8	34.8%
21	Corey Dillon	1997	2005	39	25	14	0.641	20	11241	150	74.9	26%
22	Tiki Barber	1997	2006	38	25	13	0.658	26	10449	154	67.9	24.7%
23.5	LeSean McCoy	2010	2017	37	31	6	0.838	29	10092	133	75.9	27.8%
23.5	Shaun Alexander	2001	2007	37	31	6	0.838	35	9453	123	76.9	30.1%
26	Ricky Williams	1999	2009	36	27	9	0.750	30	10009	147	68.1	24.5%
26	Eddie George	1996	2003	36	30	6	0.833	27	10441	141	74	25.5%
26	Jamal Lewis	2000	2009	36	29	7	0.806	24	10607	131	81	27.5%
28	Ottis Anderson	1979	1989	35	23	12	0.657	28	10273	182	56.4	19.2%
30.5	Thomas Jones	2002	2010	34	20	14	0.588	25	10591	180	58.8	18.9%
30.5	Steven Jackson	2004	2014	34	17	16	0.529	18	11438	160	71.5	21.3%
30.5	Ahman Green	1998	2006	34	28	6	0.824	37	9205	148	62.2	23%
30.5	Terrell Davis*	1995	2001	34	30	4	0.882	54	7607	78	97.5	43.6%
33.5	Marshawn Lynch	2007	2017	33	20	13	0.606	31	10003	142	70.4	23.2%
33.5	Willis McGahee	2004	2012	33	20	13	0.606	40	8474	142	59.7	23.2%
35.5	Ricky Watters	1992	2001	32	29	3	0.906	23	10643	144	73.9	22.2%
35.5	Arian Foster	2009	2014	32	21	11	0.656	70	6527	80	81.6	40%
37.5	Priest Holmes	1998	2004	31	22	9	0.710	45	8172	113	72.3	27.4%
37.5	Larry Johnson	2004	2009	31	23	8	0.742	74	6223	85	73.2	36.5%
39.5	Warrick Dunn	1997	2008	30	23	6	0.800	22	10967	181	60.6	16.6%
39.5	Michael Turner	2005	2012	30	27	3	0.900	57	7338	134	54.8	22.4%
41.5	John Riggins*	1972	1985	29	23	6	0.793	19	11352	175	64.9	16.6%
41.5	Robert Smith	1993	2000	29	22	7	0.759	64	6818	98	69.6	29.6%
45	Leroy Kelly*	1966	1972	27	22	5	0.815	59	7274	136	53.5	19.9%
45	Gerald Riggs	1984	1989	27	12	15	0.444	44	8188	129	63.5	20.9%
45	Maurice Jones-Drew	2006	2013	27	19	8	0.704	46	8167	126	64.8	21.4%
45	Deuce McAllister	2002	2006	27	19	8	0.704	76	6096	97	62.8	27.8%
45	George Rogers	1981	1987	27	18	9	0.667	60	7176	92	78	29.3%
49.5	Matt Forte	2008	2016	26	20	6	0.769	33	9796	146	67.1	17.8%
49.5	Freeman McNeil	1982	1988	26	16	9	0.654	49	8074	144	56.1	18.1%
49.5	Jim Taylor*	1958	1965	26	23	2	0.923	39	8597	124	69.3	21%
49.5	DeMarco Murray	2011	2017	26	20	6	0.769	61	7174	99	72.5	26.3%
54	Marcus Allen*	1982	1995	25	20	5	0.800	14	12243	222	55.1	11.3%
54	Chris Warren	1992	1998	25	16	9	0.640	53	7696	162	47.5	15.4%
54	Stephen Davis	1999	2003	25	19	6	0.760	50	8052	142	56.7	17.6%
54	Wilbert Montgomery	1977	1984	25	21	4	0.840	66	6789	107	63.4	23.4%
54	Willie Parker	2004	2008	25	22	3	0.880	93	5378	79	68.1	31.6%
59.5	Joe Perry*	1950	1961	23	18	5	0.783	41	8376	156	53.7	14.7%
59.5	DeAngelo Williams	2006	2016	23	16	7	0.696	47	8096	141	57.4	16.3%
59.5	Terry Allen	1991	2001	23	19	4	0.826	38	8614	130	66.3	17.7%
59.5	Jamaal Charles	2008	2015	23	11	12	0.478	55	7556	117	64.6	19.7%
59.5	Curt Warner	1983	1989	23	19	4	0.826	63	6844	100	68.4	23%
59.5	Billy Sims	1980	1984	23	15	8	0.652	100	5106	60	85.1	38.3%
63.5	Lawrence McCutcheon	1973	1977	22	19	2	0.909	68	6578	109	60.3	20.2%
63.5	Travis Henry	2001	2007	22	13	9	0.591	77	6086	90	67.6	24.4%
65	William Andrews	1979	1983	21	16	5	0.762	80	5986	87	68.8	24.1%
66.5	Gale Sayers*	1965	1969	20	12	6	0.700	102	4956	68	72.9	29.4%
66.5	Barry Foster	1990	1994	20	17	3	0.850	103	3943	62	63.6	32.3%
70.5	Garrison Hearst	1995	2003	19	16	3	0.842	51	7966	126	63.2	15.1%
70.5	Brian Westbrook	2004	2010	19	15	4	0.789	72	6335	121	52.4	15.7%
70.5	Joe Morris	1984	1988	19	15	4	0.789	89	5585	110	50.8	17.3%
70.5	Larry Brown	1969	1973	19	15	4	0.789	84	5875	102	57.6	18.6%
70.5	Rudi Johnson	2003	2007	19	15	4	0.789	81	5979	95	62.9	20%
70.5	Jamal Anderson	1996	2000	19	14	5	0.737	95.5	5336	88	60.6	21.6%
78	Earnest Byner	1984	1996	18	15	3	0.833	42	8261	211	39.2	8.5%
78	Herschel Walker	1986	1992	18	13	5	0.722	43	8225	187	44	9.6%
78	James Brooks	1982	1991	18	14	4	0.778	52	7962	162	49.1	11.1%
78	John Henry Johnson*	1954	1964	18	15	3	0.833	65	6803	130	52.3	13.8%
78	Lydell Mitchell	1973	1978	18	16	2	0.889	69	6534	111	58.9	16.2%
78	Wendell Tyler	1977	1985	18	14	4	0.778	71	6378	108	59.1	16.7%
78	Darren McFadden	2008	2015	18	12	6	0.667	90	5421	104	52.1	17.3%
78	Ray Rice	2008	2013	18	14	4	0.778	75	6180	92	67.2	19.6%
78	Le'Veon Bell	2013	2017	18	15	3	0.833	95.5	5336	62	86.1	29%
86	Greg Pruitt	1973	1978	17	9	7	0.588	87	5672	158	35.9	10.8%
86	Mike Pruitt	1978	1985	17	12	5	0.706	56	7378	152	48.5	11.2%
86	Duce Staley	1998	2004	17	14	3	0.824	85	5785	114	50.7	14.9%
86	Chuck Foreman	1973	1978	17	16	1	0.941	82	5950	109	54.6	15.6%
86	Rodney Hampton	1990	1995	17	12	5	0.706	62	6897	104	66.3	16.3%
86	Jim Nance	1966	1969	17	11	4	0.765	91	5401	99	54.6	17.2%
86	Cedric Benson	2006	2011	17	14	3	0.824	79	6017	96	62.7	17.7%
92.5	Calvin Hill	1969	1974	16	14	2	0.875	78	6083	156	39	10.3%
92.5	Larry Csonka*	1969	1977	16	15	1	0.938	48	8081	146	55.3	11%
92.5	Jonathan Stewart	2008	2017	16	15	1	0.938	58	7318	131	55.9	12.2%
92.5	Chuck Muncie	1976	1983	16	6	10	0.375	67	6702	110	60.9	14.5%
92.5	Delvin Williams	1975	1980	16	9	7	0.563	88	5598	100	56	16%
92.5	Natrone Means	1993	1998	16	11	5	0.688	98	5215	88	59.3	18.2%
99.5	Ronnie Brown	2005	2009	15	7	8	0.467	92	5391	132	40.8	11.4%
99.5	Fred Jackson	2007	2013	15	12	3	0.800	86	5746	122	47.1	12.3%
99.5	Floyd Little*	1968	1973	15	10	5	0.667	73	6323	117	54	12.8%
99.5	LeGarrette Blount	2010	2017	15	11	4	0.733	83	5888	116	50.8	12.9%
99.5	Clem Daniels	1962	1966	15	13	2	0.867	99	5137	104	49.4	14.4%
99.5	Joe Cribbs	1980	1986	15	12	3	0.800	94	5356	102	52.5	14.7%
99.5	Paul Lowe	1960	1966	15	14	1	0.933	101	5005	94	53.2	16%
99.5	Ryan Mathews	2010	2016	15	12	3	0.800	97	5261	88	59.8	17%

What stands out to you?

{ 0 comments }