Will Cornish And Harris Set A Historic Record?

[jerrym]

Jon Cornish and Andrew Harris are currently on course to both break 1,000 yards this season. Cornish has 413 yards while Harris has 296 yards after four games. If they both accomplish this feat in consecutive seasons, it will be the first time Canadian running backs (even different pairs in consecutive seasons) have ever done this. The only times that two Canadians rushed for more than 1,000 yards previously in a single season were by Normie Kwong and Gerry James, who did it twice. However, it was not in consecutive seasons (1955 and 1957). IMO, this points to the steadily improving talent at Canadian running back (one could throw Jerome Messam into the mix in terms of talent but that would only illustrate that talent alone will not sustain superior performance over the long run without the accompanying qualities of perseverance, hard work, and control of one's emotions).

[Will]

Given the pace that they are on...yeah...that record will be set.

[OV Argo]

SO - just who are the next Canadian RBs to join Cornish, Harris & Messam (who is not playing that much for the Als lately but did have a nice run last game)? - any evidence of top Canadian RBs drafted the past couple of years and about to get some CFL playing time? (Lumbala was drafted by the Als and made their roster). The Argos got any up & coming NI talent at tailback? - could maybe use some if Kackert is nicked. Ticats, Riders, Bombers - any NI RBs in the mix there?

[jerrym]

With Cornish having 749 yards after 8 games and Harris having 572 yards after 9 games, both remain on pace to set a record by having two Canadian running backs rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Even Messam, personal flaws and all, has gained 204 yards in his last three games as a replacement for the injured Whitaker - although that is likely to change with Whitaker's return today against the Argos. Had Durie not had his career almost ended by injury in college, he likely would have also been an outstanding running back in the CFL. He has shown flashes of his potential as an RB with the Argos but he has been simply too fragile after the injury to keep him taking the pounding that a RB has to take. Jesse Lumsden during his all too brief injury-riddled career showed the potential to be a dominant #1 RB that otherwise might have still been playing today and probably would have gained 1,000 yards at some point if not for his injuries. My point is that after the mid-60s until recently, #1 Canadian RBs were almost non-existent, with no Canadians rushing for 1,000 yards between 1964's Bob Swift and 1988's Orville Lee and only one other, Sean Millington in 2000, accomplishing this until Messam did it 2011. By comparison with most of the last 50 years, the CFL now has three Canadians who have rushed for 1,000 yards in the last two seasons and two who are on the way to repeating this feat this year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...s_(individual)

[argolio]

I never knew Bob Swift wasn't always an o-lineman. Learn something new every day.

[jerrym]

I never knew Bob Swift wasn't always an o-lineman. Learn something new every day.

The reason that Bob Swift switched from fullback to offensive lineman after rushing for 1,054 yards in his rookie season is that he broke his leg during the BC 1964 Grey Cup victory causing him to lose the mobility needed at fullback. He later played for the Argos and Winnipeg until 1977.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Swi...an_football%29

[jerrym]

Cornish broke the 1,000 yard mark tonight for the second season in a row, rushing for 72 yards to give him 1,012 for the season. At his current pace, he would smash his own record of 1,457 yards by a Canadian running back set last year, ending up with 1,656 yards. This is only the second time a Canadian has rushed for 1,000 yards in two consecutive seasons (Normie Kwong did it for 4 consecutive seasons from 1955 to 1958). Only one other Canadian running back has rushed for 1,000 yards twice, Gerry James in 1955 and 1957.
Despite gaining only 10 yards last week, Andrew Harris would still rush for 1,000 yards this year at his current pace and thereby become the third Canadian running back to break 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons and the fourth to rush for 1,000 yards twice if he succeeds in this. Currently, he has 582 yards after 10 games which, at his current pace, would give him 1,048 yards. If Harris does this, this would be the first time two Canadians have rushed for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...s_(individual)

[jerrym]

With 114 yards rushing against Hamilton, Jon Cornish now has 1,207 yards for the season, leaving him only 15 yards behind league leader Kory Sheets. If Cornish does win the rushing title, he would become only the second Canadian to win the rushing title in consecutive seasons (Normie Kwong did it in 1955 and 1956). In fact other than Kwong's double consecutive win, there is no other example of two different Canadians winning consecutive rushing titles since records started being kept in 1950. In addition, if Cornish keeps rushing at his current rate, he would break his own current Canadian rushing record of 1457 yards by over 200 yards with a total of 1,671 yards.
Andrew Harris gained 73 yards against Winnipeg, giving him 750 yards for the season. On a prorated basis, such a pace would give him 1038 yards for the season. If he does break 1,000 yards this would be the first time two Canadians broke 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

[jerrym]

Jon Cornish, thanks to his career-high single game rushing record against Winnipeg, now has a 113 yard lead over Kory Sheets and an excellent chance to become only the second Canadian (Normie Kwong did it in 1955 and 1956) to lead the league in rushing two years in a row. He is also only 42 yards away from smashing his own Canadian single season rushing record now.

With a career-high 208 rushing yards in the game, Cornish moved past Saskatchewan’s Kory Sheets to 1,415 on the season. The 28-year-old halfback from New Westminster, B.C., is on the verge of breaking his own single-season rushing record by a Canadian running back.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle14714155/

[ArgoRavi]

It would be great to see Cornish earn male athlete of the year honours in Canada for his outstanding play this year but I am not holding my breath.

[OV Argo]

It would be great to see Cornish earn male athlete of the year honours in Canada for his outstanding play this year but I am not holding my breath.

Is that the Lou Marsh award or something like that Ravi? - sad & pathetic that Canadian football players have been ignored for that award for years & years now - Russ Jackson and some others won it back in the day, but outstanding Canadian/CFL players are no longer considered it seems; and Cornish's play this year has been just outstanding - his yards/carry average is off the charts superb for a RB and he's setting records. Lack of respect for Canadian football - a true Canadian game - is telling / smells like $***

[ArgoRavi]

Is that the Lou Marsh award or something like that Ravi? - sad & pathetic that Canadian football players have been ignored for that award for years & years now - Russ Jackson and some others won it back in the day, but outstanding Canadian/CFL players are no longer considered it seems; and Cornish's play this year has been just outstanding - his yards/carry average is off the charts superb for a RB and he's setting records. Lack of respect for Canadian football - a true Canadian game - is telling / smells like $***

I believe that the Lou Marsh award is administered by the Toronto Star, OV, while there is also a Canadian Press male athlete of the year award. You are right that these awards were once won by Canadian CFL players. IIRC, Tony Gabriel might have won one of these awards back in the mid 1970s but he would have been the last one to do so. It seems as though facing Canadian-based opposition only is seen as a black mark against CFL players by much of the Canadian sports media unfortunately although, in all fairness, we haven't had many Canadians win the MOP award since the mid 1970s either. Cornish is such a dominant player in the CFL though that he should get some serious consideration IMO.

[OV Argo]

I believe that the Lou Marsh award is administered by the Toronto Star, OV, while there is also a Canadian Press male athlete of the year award. You are right that these awards were once won by Canadian CFL players. IIRC, Tony Gabriel might have won one of these awards back in the mid 1970s but he would have been the last one to do so. It seems as though facing Canadian-based opposition only is seen as a black mark against CFL players by much of the Canadian sports media unfortunately although, in all fairness, we haven't had many Canadians win the MOP award since the mid 1970s either. Cornish is such a dominant player in the CFL though that he should get some serious consideration IMO.

There's the Lou Marsh (edit - male of female) and also the Lionel Conacher (CP voting) awards for Canadian male athlete of the year - and the last Canadian football player to win one of these was Russ Jackson (who won both) way back in 1969; and meanwhile, Mike Weir wins 3 or so of these for winning one major tournament in the oh so athletic sport of golf ???

You got it right Ravi - the lowest common denominator lemmings in the media do not recognize Canadian football players cause it's only in Canada - pity, er, pathetic, eh? But they fawn all over any Canadian "athlete" who has accomplished next to anything in the States or on the "world class" stage.

[paulwoods13]

jerrym makes some good points about the challenges of comparing the 2010s to the 1950s. Let me make another. According to the Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia 2013 edition (a superb reference book), here are the team stats from the 1955 Grey Cup:

Rushes/Yards: Edmonton 62/438, Montreal 20/69
Pass attempts/completions/yards: Edmonton 16-8-128, Montreal 40-29-508

So add that all up: In one 60-minute game, and excluding penalties, punts and field-goal attempts, Edmonton ran off 78 plays from scrimmage and Montreal ran 60. Total of 138 for both teams.

The following year, Edmonton had 82 rushes (82!) and 17 pass attempts for 99 plays, while Montreal had 34 rushes and 38 passes for 72 plays. Between them, the two teams had 171 plays from scrimmage in a 60-minute game -- almost three plays per minute.

Last year Calgary had 18 rushes and 36 passes, while Toronto had 21 rushes and 31 passes, for a combined total of 106 plays from scrimmage - less than two per minute. 171:106 -- a reduction of more than 33 per cent if my math is correct.

I wish I had been around to see teams run off 171 plays of any type in one game.

[AngeloV]

jerrym makes some good points about the challenges of comparing the 2010s to the 1950s. Let me make another. According to the Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia 2013 edition (a superb reference book), here are the team stats from the 1955 Grey Cup:

Rushes/Yards: Edmonton 62/438, Montreal 20/69
Pass attempts/completions/yards: Edmonton 16-8-128, Montreal 40-29-508

So add that all up: In one 60-minute game, and excluding penalties, punts and field-goal attempts, Edmonton ran off 78 plays from scrimmage and Montreal ran 60. Total of 138 for both teams.

The following year, Edmonton had 82 rushes (82!) and 17 pass attempts for 99 plays, while Montreal had 34 rushes and 38 passes for 72 plays. Between them, the two teams had 171 plays from scrimmage in a 60-minute game -- almost three plays per minute.

Last year Calgary had 18 rushes and 36 passes, while Toronto had 21 rushes and 31 passes, for a combined total of 106 plays from scrimmage - less than two per minute. 171:106 -- a reduction of more than 33 per cent if my math is correct.

I wish I had been around to see teams run off 171 plays of any type in one game.

Great research Paul. Pretty sure this is the result of the bigger rosters and the clock ticking these days while teams are allowed to make player substitutions. I love sometimes watching those old games from the 60's, seeing how fast teams broke the huddle and literally ran to the line of scrimmage to put the ball in play. Admittedly though, I don't believe there was many if any QB audibles back then as the ball always seemed to be snapped on a quick count.

[paulwoods13]

Great research Paul. Pretty sure this is the result of the bigger rosters and the clock ticking these days while teams are allowed to make player substitutions. I love sometimes watching those old games from the 60's, seeing how fast teams broke the huddle and literally ran to the line of scrimmage to put the ball in play. Admittedly though, I don't believe there was many if any QB audibles back then as the ball always seemed to be snapped on a quick count.

I agree that those two issues -- especially the change to clock rules -- are the most likely cause of this change. As I've written before, in the 1980s both teams typically ran 55 to 65 offensive plays in a game. Now it is not unheard of for teams to run as few as 45, and as many as 55 is fairly rare. That's anywhere from 10 to 40 fewer offensive plays in a game. I plan to someday do additional research on this, and try to find out precisely when -- and why -- clock rules were changed to allow the game clock to keep running before the 20-second clock started, and during converts. My suspicion is that it is a result of coaches demanding more time to make situation substitutions, and the relaxed TV regulations rules that allowed networks to show many more minutes of commercials per hour. In order to accommodate all the TV timeouts and not have games run 3.5-4 hours, the clock had to be left running.

A lot of people think the CFL is a much faster-paced game than the NFL, with the 20-second clock compared to the NFL's 45, but I've watched the clock at times during Argo home games and it's very common for there to be 40-45 seconds of game clock between the end of one play and the next snap. And I note that the Patriots actually ran off 91 plays in a regulation-time game last season, thanks to their constant no-huddle offence. I would really, really like to see CFL teams start doing this -- the more plays, the better.

End of rant.

[ArgoRavi]

Matt Cauz makes the case for Cornish winning the Lou Marsh: http://www.cfl.ca/article/cauz-why-j...u-marsh-trophy

[jerrym]

After gaining 76 yards against Edmonton after quite a host of recent games where Andrew Harris was averaging roughly 35 yards a game, Harris has an outside chance of reaching 1,000 yards this season. He currently has 896 yards; so, he would need 104 yards in the final game to reach this mark, assuming he is given the chance to play in what could turn out to be a meaningless game in terms of the standings. If he were to reach 1,000 yards, it would be the first time in CFL history that two Canadian running backs reached 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

[OV Argo]

After gaining 76 yards against Edmonton after quite a host of recent games where Andrew Harris was averaging roughly 35 yards a game, Harris has an outside chance of reaching 1,000 yards this season. He currently has 896 yards; so, he would need 104 yards in the final game to reach this mark, assuming he is given the chance to play in what could turn out to be a meaningless game in terms of the standings. If he were to reach 1,000 yards, it would be the first time in CFL history that two Canadian running backs reached 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

18 game seasons now skew the stats.

And Harris has basically been replaced as a full-time starting RB for the Lions with them getting Stefan Logan back (an awesome talent suited for the CFL IMO); and the Lions offensive thinkers don't have much use for a real run game - Harris might be a thousand yard back on some other CFL teams. Jerome Messam could be another NI CFL 1000 yard back on a CFL team that appreciates a consistent power run game - no such animal though.

[jerrym]

18 game seasons now skew the stats.

And Harris has basically been replaced as a full-time starting RB for the Lions with them getting Stefan Logan back (an awesome talent suited for the CFL IMO); and the Lions offensive thinkers don't have much use for a real run game - Harris might be a thousand yard back on some other CFL teams. Jerome Messam could be another NI CFL 1000 yard back on a CFL team that appreciates a consistent power run game - no such animal though.

As noted in previous posts comparing players' records in different eras is all but pointless. While playing 18 games skews the stats, comparing this an era when rushing was the dominant form of attack, many more Canadians and fewer Americans played, plays per team totals in the 90 range versus around 55 today, and rushing yards that could be gained by crawling versus the play ending as soon as a knee touches the ground in the 1950s when Kwong was dominant, to mention just a few, skewed the stats in the opposite direction compared to today's game. Harris still ranks third in the league in rushing and third in the league in yards gained from scrimmage going into the final game of the season. Pretty impressive on a team that did not put much emphasis on the run for a substantial part of the season.