Top All-Time Georgia Running Backs – Number 13: Musa Smith (2000-02)
Career stats: 454 carries, 2,202 rushing yards, 19 rushing TDs, 4.9 YPC, 27 receptions, 187 receiving yards
During his first two years in Athens, Musa Smith was a backup and quality contributor — not much else. That’s not to say he was subpar by any standards, but he wasn’t exactly a star and didn’t produce at an accelerated clip.
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It wasn’t until his final year at Georgia that Smith truly shined. In 2002, the powerful runner from Pennsylvania was a freight train, leading the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record, SEC Championship and Sugar Bowl win. His 1,324 rushing yards on the year were the most in a decade for the program, a huge accomplishment for a running back lacking breakaway speed.
Sure, his career totals aren’t as impressive as many backs on this list. There were no Heisman candidacies or All-American designations for Smith. There were, however, the hopes of a team riding on his back, carried safely to the top of the SEC.
Smith will never be remembered as one of the elite running backs to ever come through Athens. However, as we saw during the early 2000s, he was more than capable of putting the team on his shoulders and rumbling his way into the annals of Georgia football history.