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The Country's Best Run Games, 2008-10 (Fun Stat Nerd: Pitt)

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UPDATE: The Pittsburgh Panthers And What's Good is now up at the mothership.

The good news: [Todd] Graham is more proven (and more expensive) than [Mike] Haywood as a head coach, having generated three ten-win seasons in the last four years. He is bringing Texas ties to recruiting, and his style of play will force energy into a program that needed some.

The bad news: Tulsa regressed a bit as they became completely Graham's program. They ranked 54th and 39th in F/+ his first two years (2007-08) but only 86th and 60th the next two; they won 10 games with smoke, mirrors and turnovers in 2010. With a growing number of young, strong recruiters in the Big East, Graham might lack in that regard (and his early commit list for 2012 does not assuage that fear).

We will see if Graham's hire brings long-term uncertainty; but the short-term might be rather attractive with the offensive talent on hand and in a conference less accustomed to the up-tempo attack Graham wants to install.

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Thanks to Dion Lewis, LeSean McCoy, Ray Graham, LaRod Stephens-Howling and company, Pittsburgh has had one of the deeper, more effective rushing attacks in the country in recent years. Despite the departure of both Lewis and head coach Dave Wannstedt, the odds are decent that will continue in 2011. Graham was strong in a backup role last year, the offensive line is pretty experienced (and ranked in the top ten in Adj. Line Yards last year), and new coach Todd Graham's spread attack is extremely run-friendly.

Below is a look at the nation's top run games according to average Rushing S&P+ rank from 2008-10. I've included teams' average Adj. Line Yards rankings as well, just to give you an idea of who was most responsible for the success.

Top Run Games According to Avg.
Rushing S&P+ Rk (2008-10)
Team Avg Rush.
S&P+ Rk
Rk Avg. Adj.
LY Rk
Rk
Alabama 8.3 1 5.7 2
Florida State 8.7 2 26.7 14
Wisconsin 9.7 3 9.7 3
Nevada 10.3 4 12.0 4
Oregon 10.7 5 27.0 16
Florida 11.7 6 18.0 9
Stanford 12.3 7 18.0 10
Pittsburgh 13.7 8 31.0 23
USC 14.0 9 4.3 1
Ohio State 15.3 10 14.3 6
Georgia Tech 19.0 11 16.0 7
TCU 20.0 12 16.7 8
LSU 21.0 13 30.0 21
Virginia Tech 22.7 14 22.7 12
Cincinnati 23.3 15 18.7 11
Arkansas 23.7 16 28.3 18
Connecticut 26.7 17 28.3 19
Penn State 27.3 18 14.0 5
Missouri 28.7 19 55.3 49
Oklahoma State 29.7 20 28.7 20
Miami-FL 30.0 21 26.7 15
Baylor 30.7 22 57.7 52
Hawaii 31.0 23 66.3 66
Houston 31.3 24 33.3 27
Michigan 31.7 25 64.3 60

Full list after the jump.

Team Avg Rush.
S&P+ Rk
Rk Avg. Adj.
LY Rk
Rk
Oregon State 32.3 26 45.3 37
Auburn 34.7 27 34.0 28
Texas 36.3 28 70.7 75
Boise State 39.0 29 72.7 77
Texas Tech 39.0 30 33.0 26
West Virginia 40.0 31 41.3 35
Arizona 41.3 32 48.7 40
BYU 41.3 33 38.0 30
Navy 41.7 34 27.3 17
California 42.3 35 68.0 70
Texas A&M 42.3 36 55.3 50
Georgia 43.0 37 38.3 32
Utah 45.0 38 59.3 53
Clemson 47.7 39 68.7 71
Kentucky 47.7 40 47.7 39
Ole Miss 48.0 41 50.3 41
Illinois 48.3 42 31.0 22
Iowa 48.3 43 52.0 43
Oklahoma 48.3 44 69.7 73
NC State 49.7 45 32.7 25
UAB 49.7 46 31.3 24
Louisville 50.7 47 47.3 38
Colorado State 51.0 48 38.3 31
South Carolina 51.3 49 40.3 34
Southern Miss 51.3 50 53.7 45
East Carolina 51.7 51 65.7 63
Michigan State 54.0 52 80.0 88
Virginia 54.3 53 66.3 67
South Florida 54.7 54 35.7 29
Syracuse 55.7 55 23.3 13
Notre Dame 56.7 56 54.0 47
Tennessee 57.0 57 60.0 55
Tulsa 57.0 58 53.7 46
Mississippi State 57.3 59 42.3 36
Fresno State 59.7 60 65.0 62
Washington 60.3 61 54.3 48
Nebraska 61.3 62 63.0 57
Kansas 62.7 63 51.0 42
Air Force 63.7 64 38.7 33
Northern Illinois 64.3 65 56.7 51
Wake Forest 64.3 66 82.0 90
Louisiana Tech 66.0 67 52.7 44
Kansas State 67.0 68 61.0 56
North Texas 67.0 69 78.0 84
Troy 67.0 70 78.3 85
Indiana 69.3 71 84.0 94
Iowa State 70.0 72 64.3 59
Maryland 70.0 73 66.0 64
Purdue 72.0 74 67.7 69
North Carolina 74.0 75 72.3 76
Memphis 74.3 76 67.7 68
Northwestern 76.0 77 64.3 61
Toledo 77.0 78 77.3 82
Minnesota 77.3 79 74.0 78
UNLV 78.7 80 86.7 97
Temple 79.3 81 84.7 95
Boston College 80.0 82 78.0 83
Rice 80.7 83 88.7 103
UTEP 81.3 84 76.3 81
Rutgers 81.7 85 87.7 99
Vanderbilt 82.3 86 59.3 54
Central Michigan 83.7 87 87.0 98
UCLA 84.3 88 78.7 87
Florida Atlantic 84.7 89 66.3 65
Bowling Green 85.0 90 104.0 114
Utah State 85.0 91 85.3 96
Eastern Michigan 85.7 92 68.7 72
Central Florida 86.7 93 89.7 105
Western Kentucky 87.3 94 63.7 58
Kent State 88.0 95 89.0 104
Akron 89.0 96 88.0 100
San Diego State 89.7 97 110.0 117
Wyoming 90.0 98 75.7 80
Arkansas State 90.7 99 75.0 79
UL-Lafayette 91.7 100 80.3 89
Florida International 92.0 101 93.0 112
Marshall 92.7 102 95.0 113
New Mexico 92.7 103 92.0 109
SMU 92.7 104 78.7 86
Ball State 94.0 105 84.0 92
Buffalo 95.0 106 84.0 93
Colorado 96.0 107 88.3 101
Duke 96.7 108 107.7 116
Army 97.0 109 83.0 91
Western Michigan 97.3 110 92.7 111
Middle Tennessee 97.7 111 106.3 115
Arizona State 99.3 112 90.3 107
Idaho 99.3 113 70.7 74
Ohio 100.0 114 88.7 102
Tulane 100.3 115 92.3 110
Miami-OH 102.7 116 90.0 106
UL-Monroe 103.3 117 90.3 108
Washington State 109.7 118 113.0 118
San Jose State 114.3 119 114.7 120
New Mexico State 118.7 120 114.7 119