gyokie wrote:

RK	Player	Class	Pos	Season	Yards	Att	TD	Y/A	100Y	200Y
1.	Adrian Peterson	FR	RB	2004	1,925	339	15	5.68	11	3
2.	Billy Sims	JR	RB	1978	1,896	256	22	7.41	11	4
3.	Quentin Griffin	SR	RB	2002	1,884	287	15	6.57	12	3
4.	Greg Pruitt	JR	RB	1971	1,760	196	18	8.98	7	3
5.	Billy Sims	SR	RB	1979	1,670	248	23	6.73	9	3
6.	Steve Owens	JR	RB	1968	1,649	393	21	4.20	10	0
7.	Steve Owens	SR	RB	1969	1,523	358	23	4.25	9	3
8.	Mike Gaddis	SR	RB	1991	1,344	241	17	5.58		2
9.	Joe Washington	JR	RB	1974	1,321	194	12	6.81	7	1
10.	Jack Mildren	SR	QB	1971	1,289	223	20	5.78	8	0

----one of the classiest things an OU player ever did was Q not going in to break the season rushing record held by Sims. He was asked if he wanted to against Wash. St. in the Rose Bowl.

EagleGrowl3 wrote: Peterson
Everyone else

soonerfan509 wrote:

gyokie wrote:

RK	Player	Class	Pos	Season	Yards	Att	TD	Y/A	100Y	200Y
1.	Adrian Peterson	FR	RB	2004	1,925	339	15	5.68	11	3
2.	Billy Sims	JR	RB	1978	1,896	256	22	7.41	11	4
3.	Quentin Griffin	SR	RB	2002	1,884	287	15	6.57	12	3
4.	Greg Pruitt	JR	RB	1971	1,760	196	18	8.98	7	3
5.	Billy Sims	SR	RB	1979	1,670	248	23	6.73	9	3
6.	Steve Owens	JR	RB	1968	1,649	393	21	4.20	10	0
7.	Steve Owens	SR	RB	1969	1,523	358	23	4.25	9	3
8.	Mike Gaddis	SR	RB	1991	1,344	241	17	5.58		2
9.	Joe Washington	JR	RB	1974	1,321	194	12	6.81	7	1
10.	Jack Mildren	SR	QB	1971	1,289	223	20	5.78	8	0

----one of the classiest things an OU player ever did was Q not going in to break the season rushing record held by Sims. He was asked if he wanted to against Wash. St. in the Rose Bowl.

Based on career average per attempt,if Billy would have had 31 more attempts in 78 to match Q's 287 attempts in 02 Billy would have rushed for 2125 yards.If Billy would have had 83 more attempts like AD had in 04 Billy would have had 2511 yards.

soonerfan509 wrote:

EagleGrowl3 wrote: Peterson
Everyone else

I am going to argue with you for Billy Sims,despite playing hardly any at all his freshman year and not much his sophomore year and he played in an offense that featured 3 other backs Billy rushed for 4,023 yards on 578 carries for a career and a 7.0 average per attempt.AD was always the featured back when he played and didn't share many carries at all when he was healthy.AD rushed for 4,045 yards on 747 carries and a 5.4 average per attempt.

Billy's stats at OU

Rushing					Receiving
YEAR	ATT	YDS	AVG	LP	TD	NO.	YDS	AVG	LP	TD
1976	3	44	14.7	18	0	—	—	—	—	—
1977	71	413	5.9	43	6	—	—	—	—	—
1978	256	1,896	7.4	63	22	1	35	35.0	25	0
1979	248	1,670	6.7	71	23	1	42	42.0	42	0
Totals	578	4,023	7.0	71	51	2	77	38.5	42	0

AD's stats

Rushing & Receiving

Rushing Receiving Scrimmage Year School Conf Class Pos Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD Plays Yds Avg TDCareer Oklahoma 747 4045 5.4 41 24 198 8.3 1 771 4243 5.5 42

2004	Oklahoma	Big 12	FR	RB	339	1925	5.7	15	5	12	2.4	0	344	1937	5.6	15
2005	Oklahoma	Big 12	SO	RB	220	1108	5.0	14	9	50	5.6	0	229	1158	5.1	14
2006	Oklahoma	Big 12	JR	RB	188	1012	5.4	12	10	136	13.6	1	198	1148	5.8	13

Both were very dynamic backs and we were lucky to have had both of them play at OU,but to say AD and then everybody else is not realistic in my opinion.Billy's career got cut short in the NFL,as they didn't have the medical technology that they do today,and Billy played on some really horrific Lions teams in the early 80s.Despite that he still made it to the Pro Bowl 3 straight years his first three seasons.Had Billy had the chance to play a full career like the Walter Paytons,Emmit Smiths and Barry Sanders of the world I have no doubt Billy would have been right up there among the elite.

EagleGrowl3 wrote: Peterson - 747 car, 4045 yards, 5.4 avg
all other Sooners ('04-'06) - 873 carries, 3379 yards, 3.8 avg
Peterson = +1.6 or 42% better

Sims - 538 carries, 3813 yards, 7.1 avg
all other Sooners ('77-79) - 1591 carries, 8746 yards, 5.5 avg
Sims = +1.6 or 29% better

BleedingCrimson4Life wrote:

soonerfan509 wrote:

EagleGrowl3 wrote: Peterson
Everyone else

I am going to argue with you for Billy Sims,despite playing hardly any at all his freshman year and not much his sophomore year and he played in an offense that featured 3 other backs Billy rushed for 4,023 yards on 578 carries for a career and a 7.0 average per attempt.AD was always the featured back when he played and didn't share many carries at all when he was healthy.AD rushed for 4,045 yards on 747 carries and a 5.4 average per attempt.

Billy's stats at OU

Rushing					Receiving
YEAR	ATT	YDS	AVG	LP	TD	NO.	YDS	AVG	LP	TD
1976	3	44	14.7	18	0	—	—	—	—	—
1977	71	413	5.9	43	6	—	—	—	—	—
1978	256	1,896	7.4	63	22	1	35	35.0	25	0
1979	248	1,670	6.7	71	23	1	42	42.0	42	0
Totals	578	4,023	7.0	71	51	2	77	38.5	42	0

AD's stats

Rushing & Receiving

Rushing Receiving Scrimmage Year School Conf Class Pos Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD Plays Yds Avg TDCareer Oklahoma 747 4045 5.4 41 24 198 8.3 1 771 4243 5.5 42

2004	Oklahoma	Big 12	FR	RB	339	1925	5.7	15	5	12	2.4	0	344	1937	5.6	15
2005	Oklahoma	Big 12	SO	RB	220	1108	5.0	14	9	50	5.6	0	229	1158	5.1	14
2006	Oklahoma	Big 12	JR	RB	188	1012	5.4	12	10	136	13.6	1	198	1148	5.8	13

Both were very dynamic backs and we were lucky to have had both of them play at OU,but to say AD and then everybody else is not realistic in my opinion.Billy's career got cut short in the NFL,as they didn't have the medical technology that they do today,and Billy played on some really horrific Lions teams in the early 80s.Despite that he still made it to the Pro Bowl 3 straight years his first three seasons.Had Billy had the chance to play a full career like the Walter Paytons,Emmit Smiths and Barry Sanders of the world I have no doubt Billy would have been right up there among the elite.

Both were great backs.  If I am not mistaken, 1925 still stands as not only the OU single season record, but also the NCAA record for a freshman.  Billy had two full years of practice and S&C before he ran for his 1896 yards.  ADs soph and Junior season were both limited due to injuries or he would have had a bunch more yards, TDs, etc.  Did not play his senior season due to leaving for the NFL or more yards, TDs, etc would have been tacked on.

Not sure the NFL has much to do with this topic, but AD has missed one pro bowl since turning Pro and that was the 2011 season.  The season ended with an ACL and MCL injury.

soonerfan509 wrote:

EagleGrowl3 wrote: Peterson - 747 car, 4045 yards, 5.4 avg
all other Sooners ('04-'06) - 873 carries, 3379 yards, 3.8 avg
Peterson = +1.6 or 42% better

Sims - 538 carries, 3813 yards, 7.1 avg
all other Sooners ('77-79) - 1591 carries, 8746 yards, 5.5 avg
Sims = +1.6 or 29% better

Billy actually had 4,023 career yards on 538 carries not 3,813.

soonerfan509 wrote: 

And Billy played in a system that shared carries with another halfback a fullback as well as the quarterback.Despite that AD still had 83 more carries in his career at OU than Billy did and only had 22 more career yards.Like you said both were great backs but I take exception to the statement that there was AD then everybody else when Billy is right up there in AD's league as a running back.

Making it impossible for the defenses to know where the ball was going, hence the ridiculously high ypc for all the running backs on those teams.

Needless to say, I'm not a big believer in gauging RBs based on ypc in entirely different systems and eras. 

EagleGrowl3 wrote:

soonerfan509 wrote: 

And Billy played in a system that shared carries with another halfback a fullback as well as the quarterback.Despite that AD still had 83 more carries in his career at OU than Billy did and only had 22 more career yards.Like you said both were great backs but I take exception to the statement that there was AD then everybody else when Billy is right up there in AD's league as a running back.

Making it impossible for the defenses to know where the ball was going, hence the ridiculously high ypc for all the running backs on those teams.

Needless to say, I'm not a big believer in gauging RBs based on ypc in entirely different systems and eras. 

EagleGrowl3 wrote:

soonerfan509 wrote:

EagleGrowl3 wrote: Peterson - 747 car, 4045 yards, 5.4 avg
all other Sooners ('04-'06) - 873 carries, 3379 yards, 3.8 avg
Peterson = +1.6 or 42% better

Sims - 538 carries, 3813 yards, 7.1 avg
all other Sooners ('77-79) - 1591 carries, 8746 yards, 5.5 avg
Sims = +1.6 or 29% better

Billy actually had 4,023 career yards on 538 carries not 3,813.

Bowl games weren't officially counted in stats until the early 00's. Regardless, if you add the bowls his ypc go down.

http://www.sports-reference.co...lly-sims-1.html

billy33 wrote: Whether you saw them or not, a Heisman winner needs to be above anyone else (Washington, Pruitt and Peterson should have won Heismans)

1.  Sims
2.  Owens
3.  Vessels
4.  Washington
5.  Pruitt
6.  Peterson
7.  Parker
8.  Peacock
9.  Gaddis
10. Q

CushCreekmont wrote:

billy33 wrote: Whether you saw them or not, a Heisman winner needs to be above anyone else (Washington, Pruitt and Peterson should have won Heismans)

1.  Sims
2.  Owens
3.  Vessels
4.  Washington
5.  Pruitt
6.  Peterson
7.  Parker
8.  Peacock
9.  Gaddis
10. Q

Cannot agree on ONE award being THE determining factor.  Paul Hornung won a Heisman trophy only because he played for ND (which was obliterated by OU in 1956).  It is a media and popularity driven award.  Vessels won in 1952 with 525 points whereas the 1951 winner from Princeton (Kazmaier) had 1,777 points because the vast majority of voters were in the North East. 

Owens won as a work-horse back in a quiet year between Simpson and Plunket.  Much like Peterson lost to an overrated media darling QB, Pruitt lost to Pat Sullivan (whose team got obliterated by OU in the Sugar Bowl) 

And if awards are important, Parker, Peacock, Gaddis, and Q have zero all-american honors while Tommy McDonald has two and Clendon Thomas has one.  (Joe Don Looney was also an AA)