Ranking the 10 best small school college football RBs of all time

Oct 21, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs running back Donnel Pumphrey (19) runs for a second quarter touchdown against the San Jose State Spartans at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 21, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs running back Donnel Pumphrey (19) runs for a second quarter touchdown against the San Jose State Spartans at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
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As a freshman in 2005, Kevin Smith began to display some of the skills that would make him among the most feared running backs in the country over his three years in college. That year Smith ran for 1,178 yards and nine touchdowns. He also added a 12-yard touchdown pass and eight receptions.

His sophomore year saw Smith slump a bit. He managed to play in just nine games, as he missed action against South Florida, Tulane, and UAB. Despite missing three outings, Smith still finished with nearly 1,000 yards on the season and added seven touchdowns. It wasn’t really until his junior year that Smith truly took off.

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In fact, 2007 was a great year for both Smith and UCF, as the Knights won the Conference USA title and finished 10-4. Smith led the country with 450 rushing attempts, 2,567 rushing yards, and 29 touchdowns on the ground. He added a receiving touchdown and 24 catches to finish with over 2,800 total yards from scrimmage and 30 touchdowns on the year. Smith spent five years with the Detroit Lions out of college and is now the running backs coach under Lane Kiffin at FAU.