Not since 1998 has Tennessee averaged more than 200 rushing yards per game for an entire football season.
The Volunteers are on the verge of ending that drought.
Entering Saturday's regular-season finale against Vanderbilt, Tennessee is averaging nearly 214 yards per game, which would be the program's highest single-season mark since 232-plus yards in 1994.
Since that season the Vols have had just one campaign of 200-plus yards, and that was the 1998 national title run.
"I wasn't aware of that, but yeah, that definitely makes us really proud," senior left tackle Kyler Kerbyson said Wednesday. "That's a staple of the O-line, is to run the ball. We feel as if we can run the ball versus anybody, we're going to win every game.
"With the two backs that we have and an offensive line that's been scattered a little bit and had to bring in new guys, it really is a testament to how hard the guys work and how great they want to be with all the rushing yards that we do have."
Mike DeBord has brought a run-first emphasis to the team in his first season as offensive coordinator, and though it's been a group effort, the talented runners in the backfield are the biggest reasons for the Vols' success on the ground.
Running back Jalen Hurd became the first sophomore in program history to register a 1,000-yard season with a 151-yard performance at Missouri last week, and the former five-star recruit is averaging nearly 95 yards per game.
Fellow back Alvin Kamara has provided a big-play spark with a 6.8-yard per-carry average, and Josh Dobbs leads SEC quarterbacks in rushing with 530 yards.
The hard-running Hurd has spearheaded Tennessee's ground attack.
"Looking back at Jalen's freshman year, during the process when he was a freshman I didn't really get a chance to say wow," running backs coach Robert Gillespie said Tuesday.
"For him to play that hard and play the way he did as a true freshman, I didn't realize that until after the season was over. Right now, just being in the middle of it, he's done some good things.
"Obviously, we've still got some room to improve with these last few games to go, and at the end of the year we'll look back and we'll see the improvement that he made from year one to year two."
Hurd had 100-yard games against Oklahoma, Florida and Missouri - a trio ranked 24th, sixth and 10th nationally in total defense - and ran for 80 against Georgia, 90 against Arkansas and 92 at Alabama.
"His want-to is huge," Kerbyson said. "I know as a freshman he really wanted to be a great back, but seeing him out there on the field when he's running the ball and the anger and the want to get more yards is unbelievable. If a person hits him, he does not want to go down. He wants to get as many yards as possible, which is very good for us.
"Him and Alvin are making us look better, so I'm loving every minute of them fighting for every yard they can."
Kamara has given the Vols the one-two punch they have lacked in recent seasons, particularly in 2014 when it was very obvious when Hurd wasn't in the game. In addition to his role as a weapon in the passing game, Kamara had 100-yard games against North Texas and Bowling Green and chipped in at least 30 yards in five other games.
"Every week we find another layer of him," Gillespie said. "He's just a tough kid that runs hard in between the tackles and catches the ball on the perimeter. He's just a guy, when he touches the ball you have to hold your breath."
Tennessee's offensive line lost Marcus Jackson, a starting guard and its most experienced lineman, to a preseason injury. Jashon Robertson missed multiple games before returning last week. Freshman Chance Hall was thrust into the starting unit in mid-October.
The Vols have had their issues up front, but the line has fought through those and had perhaps its best game at Missouri.
"I'd have to think back on it a little bit, but I would say it would obviously be one of the top performances without a doubt," DeBord said. "I thought really after watching the film our offensive line probably played their best football game as a unit in that game. I'm talking footwork; I'm talking about leverage."
This level of production is in stark contrast to Tennessee's struggles running the ball last season.
"I wasn't expecting it to be run, run, run the ball (with) huge numbers and everything," Kerbyson said. "I knew that we were going to be a good running team. I was shooting for a thousand-yard back, but this much emphasis on it is definitely a good surprise. I'm really loving how much we run the ball. As an offensive line that's what you want."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.