If you want to feel old, consider that Southern Miss running back Frank Gore Jr., the son of longtime NFL running back Frank Gore, ran 20 times for 329 yards and two touchdowns in Southern Miss’ 38-24 win over Rice in Saturday’s LendingTree Bowl.
Nobody had ever run for more yards in a bowl game… ever.
Frank Gore Jr. has set not only the LendingTree Bowl record but also the NCAA bowl record for rushing yards with 329 tonight. @SouthernMissFB pic.twitter.com/hwe6kYMNqR
— LendingTree Bowl (@LT_Bowl) December 18, 2022
If you really want to bend time and space, consider that Frank Gore Sr. last played in the NFL on December 27, 2020, for the New York Jets.
Where has the time gone?
Gore Jr., a third-year sophomore, ran 207 times for 1,053 yards and seven touchdowns in the 2022 regular season, but nobody was quite ready for this outburst.
Rice’s defense seemed particularly unprepared.
FRANK GORE JR IS UP TO 329 YARDS & 3TD’s THIS IS NOT NORMAL!! pic.twitter.com/T1TVvx8HDz
— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) December 18, 2022
Gore also threw this pretty touchdown pass on a direct snap.
Frank Gore Jr. Touchdown pass for Southern Miss! #CollegeFootball
— The College Football & Basketball Experience (@TCEonSGPN) December 18, 2022
Like father, like son? Perhaps. Gore Sr. was a good player in the loaded backfields of the Miami Hurricanes in the early 2000s, was selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, and went on to run the ball 3,735 times for an even 16,000 yards and 81 touchdowns in his long and distinguished career with the 49ers, Colts, Dolphins, Bills, and Jets. Gore also caught 484 passes for 3,985 yards and 18 touchdowns.
That’s a lot to live up to. That said, Gore Jr. has one thing on Gore Sr. — dad never threw a touchdown pass in college, or the NFL.
