The ACC has been known to produce some pretty outstanding running backs.
Virginia Tech always seems to have a 1,000-yard rusher. Miami has had an excellent history, as Lamar Miller was just the latest to get to 1,000 yards last year. North Carolina back Giovani Bernard surprised just about everybody as the leading freshman rusher in the nation in 2011, accumulating 1,253 yards.
But there are some schools that have had long droughts between 1,000-yard rushers. Florida State heads that list in the ACC. As hard as this may be to believe, the last 1,000-yard rusher for the Seminoles was Warrick Dunn in 1996. In fact, Florida State has the nation's longest 1,000-yard rushing drought.
Last year's leading rusher, Devonta Freeman, had 579 rushing yards.
Several FSU backs have gotten close to 1,000 yards. Leon Washington, Greg Jones and Travis Minor all gone over 900 but just missed. Interestingly enough, the Noles have had four running backs drafted during this 1,000-yard rushing drought. Minor went in the third round to Miami in 2001; Jones went in the second round to Jacksonville in 2004; Washington went in the fourth round to the New York Jets in 2006; and Lorenzo Booker went in the third round to Miami in 2007.
But Booker was the last Florida State running back drafted.
The Noles are not alone, though. Since 2007, FSU is one of five ACC schools that have failed to produce had a 1,000-yard rusher. Here is a look at those schools, with the last player to reach the mark.
Florida State: Warrick Dunn, 1996
NC State: T.A. McClendon, 2002
Duke: Chris Douglas, 2003
Virginia: Alvin Pearman, 2004
Wake Forest: Chris Barclay, 2005
