Who was the best RB @ Miami? Gore? McCgahee?

We are spoiled with so many great RB's in our history until we don't even consider above average backs that we had... **** it's hard to be the best in this rich history... Here is another great one of his time: Lamar Miller

[video=youtube;R8odYWaPI5E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8odYWaPI5E[/video]
 
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I am old enough to remember Otis... He was unreal and played on bad teams with little support. Gore his freshman year was unbelievable too... Watch his highlights against West Virginia that year... Edge against UCLA may have been the best single game performance due to the importance of that game to the program... McGahee's last year was probably the best one year performance of any back. Don't forget Highsmith either... he may have been one of the most physically gifted.
For those that can remember.. some lesser known but talented guys: Warren Williams, Al Shipman (one year wonder for YPC), Griffin's little brother, Conley (best pound for pound)... Lorenzo (Smokey?) Roan (who held the single game record for yards for many years)

Excellent post. OAnderson was the best I've seen, but I'm bias. I completely agree on McGahee he should have won the Heisman that year.

And as Jedi mentioned above, McGuire was that Nole killer. Dude was tough as nails.

Ottis Anderson was a man among boys. With Miami down 14-3 at the half against the Gator, Anderson had 31 carries in the second half. I say again 31 carries and it was a smoking hot day even for late November. Miami won 22-21.

I was at that game. I remember OJ scoring a TD late in the game and it was called back for holding, IIRC. After a T.O. UM lined up and ran the exact same play. Same result... OJ and Lester Williams were Gods in my 'hood.

Williams was a man among boys and Lou's first big recruit. We played a jamboree at Miami Dade North spring of my junior year. I think Carol City was running a 5-2 and Lester was playing nose and we got them first quarter. Our center cut him every chance he got. It was really ****ing Lester off. Thank God we only played them for a quarter and held them to no score. That CC team was flipping loaded. Man, I was playing corner and those kids could fly. We were pretty good that year and finished 7-3. Unless my memory is failing me, CC won states that year.
 
Otis Anderson was the closest thing to Bo Jackson. I'm curious to know what dude ran in the 40
 
We are spoiled with so many great RB's in our history until we don't even consider above average backs that we had... **** it's hard to be the best in this rich history... Here is another great one of his time: Lamar Miller

[video=youtube;R8odYWaPI5E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8odYWaPI5E[/video]

remember that game vs. OSU like it was yesterday....that was day my girlfriend became a Canes fan...she said "that number 6 is hella fast." Needless to say, she became my wife shortly afterwards. lol
 
Another great back was Cleveland Gary, who never seems to get the credit he deserves. Either Bratton or Gary had the best hands of any of our backs.
 
Frank Gore was the best hands down. There is a cut at 2:36 that is just nasty! Edgerrin James and Clinton Portis was the best at the U.

[video=youtube;gXkAGgB1MDg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkAGgB1MDg[/video]

The move at .43 as well..
 
The list is endless. People on this board forgetting Stephen McGuire was a beast, too. Edge/Otis are the goats.
 
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Mcgahee 2002 was one of the most dominating seasons I've seen for a RB. Gore never had that explosive season but he was on a different level in terms of running instincts.
 
Whitey Campbell for his era.
Frank Smith """""""""
Don Bosseler. """"""""""
Pete Banazak. """""""""
Chuck Forman. """""""""
Otis Anderson. """""""""
Edgarrin James. """"""""""
Frank Gore. """""""""". 3
Willis McGehee
Clinton Potis
Duke Johnson """"""""""

Interesting that during the glory years the 1980's we had good backs but none that would be on this list except maybe Highsmith. Roughly twenty years between Otis and EJ.
 
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Willis. I don't know why ya'll keep saying "pre injury" when he never returned to UM after the injury. He was the best.
 
I am old enough to remember Otis... He was unreal and played on bad teams with little support. Gore his freshman year was unbelievable too... Watch his highlights against West Virginia that year... Edge against UCLA may have been the best single game performance due to the importance of that game to the program... McGahee's last year was probably the best one year performance of any back. Don't forget Highsmith either... he may have been one of the most physically gifted.
For those that can remember.. some lesser known but talented guys: Warren Williams, Al Shipman (one year wonder for YPC), Griffin's little brother, Conley (best pound for pound)... Lorenzo (Smokey?) Roan (who held the single game record for yards for many years)

Excellent post. OAnderson was the best I've seen, but I'm bias. I completely agree on McGahee he should have won the Heisman that year.

And as Jedi mentioned above, McGuire was that Nole killer. Dude was tough as nails.

Ottis Anderson was a man among boys. With Miami down 14-3 at the half against the Gator, Anderson had 31 carries in the second half. I say again 31 carries and it was a smoking hot day even for late November. Miami won 22-21.

I was at that game and it was an incredible half as Lou basically told him at halftime that we were putting a saddle on him and riding him home. I still remember having bottles thrown at us as we boarded the train in Waldo for the trip home.
 
I love Gore, and I know he had an impressive freshman season from a yards per carry standpoint, but why he keeps getting brought up in these discussions I can never understand. You can't weigh the level of potential someone had, or the pro career they went on to have, as neither really has much to do with being the best at miami.
 
I love Gore, and I know he had an impressive freshman season from a yards per carry standpoint, but why he keeps getting brought up in these discussions I can never understand. You can't weigh the level of potential someone had, or the pro career they went on to have, as neither really has much to do with being the best at miami.

This is a great point. Gore has had a fantastic pro and college career but putting him above Edge or Otis in terms of their MIAMI careers is ignorant.
 
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I love Gore, and I know he had an impressive freshman season from a yards per carry standpoint, but why he keeps getting brought up in these discussions I can never understand. You can't weigh the level of potential someone had, or the pro career they went on to have, as neither really has much to do with being the best at miami.

This is a great point. Gore has had a fantastic pro and college career but putting him above Edge or Otis in terms of their MIAMI careers is ignorant.

Some times you just have to give props where props are do. It was Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee and Edgerrin James that was with Portis when he made that quote about Frank being the best RB in that class. That shows the respect from Lions among Lions. It's hard to be at the top of that food chain. If you make the top 15 in this group that's not a bad deal by no means.
 
Interesting that during the glory years the 1980's we had good backs but none that would be on this list except maybe Highsmith. Roughly twenty years between Otis and EJ.

There were some quality backs in the 80's Alonzo Highsmith, Melvin Bratton, Leonard Conley, Warren Williams. The pro-style offense run under Howard and Jimmy was pretty pass heavy for the time and they liked to use multiple backs so nobody had mind blowing rushing numbers. By the time Erickson took over, the running game became an afterthought. Guys like Stephen McGuire, Donnell Bennett and James Stewart were solid but nothing special. Mostly big guys for short yardage situations.
 
I love Gore, and I know he had an impressive freshman season from a yards per carry standpoint, but why he keeps getting brought up in these discussions I can never understand. You can't weigh the level of potential someone had, or the pro career they went on to have, as neither really has much to do with being the best at miami.

This is a great point. Gore has had a fantastic pro and college career but putting him above Edge or Otis in terms of their MIAMI careers is ignorant.

Some times you just have to give props where props are do. It was Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee and Edgerrin James that was with Portis when he made that quote about Frank being the best RB in that class. That shows the respect from Lions among Lions. It's hard to be at the top of that food chain. If you make the top 15 in this group that's not a bad deal by no means.

And I don't say that to disparage Gore at all. He was unlucky with injuries. He likely would have owned the record book if not for those injuries. But they happened. Perhaps my interpretation of best is too dependent on actual production.
 
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