fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

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Bryan
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fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

Post by Bryan »

I was watching 1977 GOTW highlights, and it was mentioned that Tony Dorsett had a 200-yard game against the Eagles in only his 11th career game. I subjectively checked to see if that was the fastest/soonest an NFL RB had a 200 yard game in their career. Alas, it was not. Here are some trivia questions based on 'extensive' PFR research this morning:

1) This RB had a 200yd game in the 5th game of his career. It occurred on MNF.

2) This RB had a 200yd game in the 6th game of his career, and he didn't even start.

3) These two RBs both had 199-yard games in their rookie seasons, but not a 200-yard game.

4) These two RBs set NFL single-game records with their 200+ yard games...both in the 9th game of their careers!

5) In the first game of this RBs rookie year, he nearly ran for 200+ yards, but fell short at 192.

6) This RB had a 251 yard game during his rookie year (8th game of his career).

7) This RB was a reserve for two years, then ran for 200+ yards in his very first start.
Bob Gill
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Re: fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

Post by Bob Gill »

I know Cliff Battles set a record with 215 yards against the Giants in 1933, and I think the Boston Braves played only eight games in his rookie year, so he seems like a good bet for one of the guys in question 4.
Bob Gill
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Re: fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

Post by Bob Gill »

Oh, I think I have another guy who ran for 200 yards in his first start -- at least I don't think he fits any of the descriptions given above. This guy did it in his 10th game, his first start -- and it was a playoff game.
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Bryan
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Re: fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

Post by Bryan »

Bob Gill wrote:I know Cliff Battles set a record with 215 yards against the Giants in 1933, and I think the Boston Braves played only eight games in his rookie year, so he seems like a good bet for one of the guys in question 4.
Sorry Bob, PFR does not list individual game logs for Cliff Battles...and, as we all know, if it's not listed on PFR, it didn't happen!

j/k

I thought of Battles because I believe he was the first RB to gain 200 yards in a game...I just couldn't verify which one.
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Bryan
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Re: fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

Post by Bryan »

Bob Gill wrote:Oh, I think I have another guy who ran for 200 yards in his first start -- at least I don't think he fits any of the descriptions given above. This guy did it in his 10th game, his first start -- and it was a playoff game.
My trivia answers are by no means exhaustive, so its possible/probable that there are other instances in history. I only looked at regular season (but I know of whom you are speaking).
Gary Najman
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Re: fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

Post by Gary Najman »

I remember Ottis Anderson's first career start against the Cowboys in 1979, he almost got to 200 yards (after checking, 193 yards). (Trivia question #5).
Last edited by Gary Najman on Fri Jun 17, 2022 6:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Gary Najman
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Re: fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

Post by Gary Najman »

One game I attended in person was in 2011, when Dallas Cowboys' rookie DeMarco Murray ran for a 91-yard TD in his first carry of the game against the St. Louis Rams at AT&TStadium, and gained more than 250 yards. After the game, we crossed the parking lot and went on to Game 4 of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals. Both baseball captains (Rangers´Josh Hamilton and Cardinals' Lance Berkman) went to to do the coin toss before the football game.

NOTE: After checking, it was Murray's 6th career game, and he only ran for 73 rushing yards combined in his first five games (Trivia question #2, the starting RB for Dallas was Tashard Choice).
Wendell02
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Re: fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

Post by Wendell02 »

Battles' 215 was on 10/8/1933, Boston's fourth game of the season. So it would have been his 12th career game.

One RB for question 3 is Earl Campbell, 199 vs. Miami on Monday Night, 1978. I have a MNF 25th Anniversary tape and Frank Gifford declared this game as the best one ever.
SixtiesFan
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Re: fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

Post by SixtiesFan »

Tom Wilson, in his rookie season with the Rams set the record with 223 yards in 23 carries against the Packers in the final game of the 1956 season. It was the ninth game Tom Wilson played in that year.

Jim Brown set a new record for rushing yardage in a game the very next year in his rookie season. Brown gained 237 yards in 31 carries with 4 TDs in a win over ironically, the LA Rams. It was Week Nine of the 1957 season.
conace21
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Re: fastest RB to 200-yard game "trivia"

Post by conace21 »

Wendell02 wrote:Battles' 215 was on 10/8/1933, Boston's fourth game of the season. So it would have been his 12th career game.

One RB for question 3 is Earl Campbell, 199 vs. Miami on Monday Night, 1978. I have a MNF 25th Anniversary tape and Frank Gifford declared this game as the best one ever.

Eric Dickerson is the other answer to #3. He had back to back 190 yard games!

Adrian Peterson is one of the answers to #4. He set the single game rushing record with 296 yards against San Diego. It was the 2nd 200 yard game of his brief career (but he doesn't seem to fit any of the other questions.)
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