RB Respect Month Vol. 3, Day One: Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney - The People's Champs of RB duos (2003)
Your favorite RB duo's favorite RB duo.
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Welcome to day one of the third edition of Running Back Respect Month! Just like the last two years, the whole month of March on 2StripesCPD is dedicated to celebrating the legacy of the storied running back position in college football. Here's how it works:
Each day in March, I showcase a classic single-game running back performance with a highlight video and column here on the site. (Yes, that means 31-straight days of e-mails from me if you're subscribed.) The videos drop on my YouTube channel as well, but the columns are exclusive to 2StripesCPD - breaking down the backstory of each performance, and what made the running back(s) featured in them so special. I try to include a mix of different players and schools, highlighting some of the greatest (and sometimes forgotten) rock-toters in CFB history. You can check out all 62 RB Respect Month columns from the past two years in the archives.
This year's edition contains 11 programs and 23 backs who haven't been featured yet in the previous two. Sunday and Wednesday columns will be fully accessible for both visitors and free subscribers to read, along with the final day of the month - a total of 10 of the 31 days. The other 21 days will be fully accessible to paid subscribers only. Like the past two years, I'm offering a RB Respect Month deal where you get full access to all 31 days of content (and the site as a whole) for just $3.
Click below to get your first month at 2StripesCPD for $3 and enjoy all the RB Respect Month Vol. 3 content!
Here's the full schedule for this year's edition:
Welcome to RB Respect Month, Vol. 3!
Up first: Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney vs. Wisconsin (2003)
RB Respect Month Vol. 3, Day One: Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney vs Wisconsin (2003)
In the two seasons (2003/2004) Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney played together at Minnesota, the pair were as dominant as any running back duo in college football history. In just 25 games, Barber and Maroney:
- Combined for 4,934 yards rushing (5,107 total yards) and 50 TD
- Became the first pair of players to both rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons
- Had 25 total 100-yard rushing games (13 from Maroney, 12 from Barber)
- Both ran for 100-plus yards in eight games
- Led the Golden Gophers to a 17-8 combined record with two bowl victories
Barber and Maroney were more than just two great running backs sharing carries and proving they could both be RB1 almost anywhere in the country. They were two complete backs - equipped with enough speed to outrun defensive backs, and the type of power to run through any defender brave enough to stand in their path. Barber was more physical. Maroney was faster. Both were pure ass-kickers with a football in their hands. That's why nearly every college football fan around my age (35) still loves talking about them 20 years later.
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One of their finest moments came in 2003, when they combined for 42 carries, 274 yards and two TD in Minnesota's dramatic 37-34 win over rival Wisconsin:
It's not their most prolific game as a duo (333 combined yards vs Colorado State in 2004), but it might be their most impactful. They each played a major role in bringing home Paul Bunyan's Axe, while also pushing Minnesota to a 9-2 record - securing the Golden Gophers' first nine-win season since 1905:
The freshman Maroney totaled 135 yards and a TD on 15 carries, toasting the Badgers with breakaway speed:
While Barber lived up to his billing as the most physical back in the country, punishing Wisconsin's defense for 139 yards and a score on 27 carries. With less than 90 seconds left in a tie game, Barber led Minnesota deep into Badgers territory by ripping off two big runs - setting up a game-winning field goal:
There have been some unbelievable running back duos throughout college football history. With due respect to all of them, Reggie Bush and LenDale White have my vote as the all-time RB Duo Tag Team Champs. Their sheer numbers and accomplishments at USC in three seasons together (7,960 scrimmage yards, 95 TD, three Pac 10 Titles, two national titles) are too staggering for me to say anyone else. But make no mistake: Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney are right there with them. They shredded nearly every defense they faced, and gave Minnesota Football an identity to be feared in the Big Ten. Mention their names to any college football fan who watched them play together, and I can almost guarantee they'll speak of them with reverence. (Unless they're Wisconsin fans.) Barber and Maroney are the People's Champions of running back duos, and the perfect pair to kick off Vol 3. of RB Respect Month.
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Other notable things about this game/video
- Wisconsin's Jim Leonhard went crazy in 2002:
