Almost three decades ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put together an epic backfield duo known as "Lightning and Thunder." The lightning was Warrick Dunn, drafted in the first round in 1997 and known for his explosiveness and prowess in the passing attack. The thunder was Mike Alstott, selected in the second round of the 1996 draft and known for his mix of power, contact balance and nimble feet.
About halfway through their second season as a combo, Dunn and Alstott accomplished a feat that the Buccaneers had never seen before, and wouldn't see again for another 28 years. In a 27-24 win over the powerful Minnesota Vikings, who would not lose another game in the regular season, Alstott ran 19 times for 128 yards and Dunn added another 115 yards on 18 carries. That was, for quite some time, the only occurrence of two Buccaneers surpassing 100 rushing yards in the same game.
Now let me introduce you to "Lightning and Lightning." Whether or not that catches on, Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell, two smaller, shifty backs with similar running style and big-play ability, have now joined the exclusive club with the unforgettable "Thunder and Lightning" partnership.
On Sunday, the Buccaneers defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 16-0, in the process setting the team's new single-game record with 324 rushing yards. Irving ran 27 times for 170 carries and a touchdown. Gainwell added 140 yards on 25 carries. Those were career highs for both backs in terms of carries and rushing yards.
"I think both those guys, him and Kenny, were extremely patient today," said quarterback Baker Mayfield. "Trusting their tracks, being where they're supposed to be at, but then if it's not there, being patient and not trying to cut it back every single time, trusting these guys to continue to move the line of scrimmage and move those guys up front. So, they did an incredible job today. They're continuing to see the fruits of the labor."
View the best photos of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2026 Week 8 matchup vs. the Atlanta Falcons

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At halftime, Irving had already cleared the 100-yard mark but Gainwell only had six totes for 27 yards. Even in the third quarter, Gainwell only got two handoffs, though one was a 28-yard highlight-reel journey all over the field that set up Irving's game-icing four-yard touchdown run. But the Bucs let Gainwell take over in the fourth quarter as they bled the clock, and he consistently gashed for chain-moving runs.
As a result, the Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history to have two backs in the same game each log 25-plus carries and 125-plus rushing yards, per Elias Sports. Irving loved seeing his teammate get the ball, just as Alstott and Dunn were always an unselfish combination with each other.
"I mean, I'm a big believer in just knowing that your brother is going to come in and have a day," said Irving. "I want everybody to have success. I'm not a selfish guy. I'm not a me-guy. I just want to win football games. Like I said, all [those running] backs in that room, we go to war every day. We practice like it's the game. I tell [those] guys, you [have] to treat practice like it's a game, because you're going to get the same looks, so just being able to come out every day and practice. It starts in practice and we had a great week of practice."
Alstott and Dunn were early in their careers and still trying out the "Thunder and Lightning" moniker. ("WD40" was also tossed about, referring to Dunn's initials and Alstott's jersey number.) They would become two of the best and most popular players in history; Alstott ranks second in team annals with 5,088 rushing yards and Dunn is third with 4,986. It remains to be seen what kind of history Irving and Gainwell will carve out for themselves as Buccaneers, but on Sunday they put their names in the record books, joining a very exclusive fraternity.




























