Some of the most notable performances from the Oakland Raiders first pre-season contest came from their fleet of talented rushers. Here is a look at the ball carriers that helped maul the San Francisco 49ers during their 18-6 victory at the McAfee Coliseum:

Darren McFadden – His first play was a 4-yard run in the 1st quarter, followed by a 3-yard scamper that set up a 3rd and 3 that Oakland eventually converted. On that same drive, he carried the football for a 5-yard gain, a 6-yard run on 3rd and 1 and another 6-yard dash as the drive ultimately ended at the 49er 49-yard line, partly due to a crucial hold on Justin Griffith once the Raiders entered San Francisco territory. Of note, most of the runs by McFadden were directed to the right side of the offensive line.

The rookie first rounder showed a glimpse of great things to come. He is still not fully immersed in the playbook, and Oakland has not yet shown the variety of plays they have lined up for him either as a main target or decoy. And that alone should be very exciting to look forward to.

Michael Bush – Lane Kiffin wants him to be a workhorse and a short yardage menace. His first opportunity came on a 3rd and 2 in the 2nd quarter and he was able to gain 7-yards on the conversion. On a 3rd and 2 in the 3rd quarter, he picked up 6-yards and ultimately, that drive ended with a 5-yard scoring run on 4th and 1 by Bush, which gave the Raiders a 15-3 lead.

After not seeing football action for the majority of his final season in college and all of 2007 as a rookie, seeing the second year pro on the field and pounding away at the line of scrimmage must have been pleasing to the Raider coaching staff.

Louis Rankin – The un-drafted free agent continued his solid summer with a 72-yard run. The depth and talent of the Raiders backfield will draw attention from other teams. As Oakland decides which players to hold on to, other clubs will keep an eye of what ball carriers will be let go that could help boost their own units.

Justin Fargas – He was the starter tonight, and will be when the regular season opens. He ripped an 11-yard gain on the Raiders first ground attack and ended with 25-yards on 5-carries. He is fully healed and appears ready to put together another solid season in Silver & Black.

Overall, the Raiders rushed for 248 yards. And with a offensive line that has a lot of work to do in terms of their pass protection, a young quarterback that is still in the early stages of development, and a team looking to improve its offense, the copious amount of yards produced tonight are positive signs going forward in their effort to enrich what was an already very good ground game in 2007.