RB Respect Month Vol. 3, Day Five: Quentin Griffin: Longhorn Killer (2002)
Texas had no answers for the diminutive Sooners back.
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Welcome to day five of Running Back Respect Month! Yesterday, we gave UCF RB Kevin Smith his long overdue flowers for his magical 2007 season. Here's where we're at today, and how the rest of the month looks:
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Today: Quentin Griffin vs. Texas (2002)
RB Respect Month Vol. 3, Day Five: Quentin Griffin vs. Texas (2002)
"There'll be a celebration in Austin when Quentin Griffin moves on. He has killed the Longhorns!" - Brent Musburger
No matter who you root for, we all have certain shared experiences as college football fans. One of them is the feeling of joy you get after that one guy who plays for your rival and always torches your team finally either leaves or runs out of eligibility. I bet you hate that guy so much you instantly thought of him right after you read that sentence. For some Texas fans, that guy was a 5'7, 190-pound RB from Houston named Quentin Griffin:
For three-straight seasons, Griffin tortured Longhorns fans in Red River Shootout wins for the Sooners that all had massive national implications. In 2000, Oklahoma handed Texas a 63-14 beatdown. Griffin had the hilarious statline of 23 carries for 87 yards, and 3 catches for 45 yards.....with SIX TOUCHDOWNS:
He only ran for 27 yards on 16 carries in 2001, but his two-yard TD in the second quarter was the game-winner in a 14-3 Sooners victory (The Roy Williams 'Superman' game):
He saved his best for last in 2002. With both teams 5-0 and ranked in the top five, Griffin gashed the No. 3 Longhorns for 248 yards and 2 TD in a 35-24 OU win:
It was a tandem effort between Griffin and his offensive line. The big uglies mashed Texas' front, then Griffin made their second-and-third level defenders look silly. He gained a large chunk of his yards either after contact, or after making Longhorns miss in the open field - especially in a 117-yard first quarter:
