Georgia football: Top Five running back duos and trios
Georgia football is commonly called Running Back U. With a nickname like that, you know the Bulldogs always field a great running game.
It’s great to have a good running back to rely on. Georgia football knows all about that. Our very own Herschel Walker is the best running back in college football history. Garrison Hearst, Robert Edwards and Musa Smith all torched defenses for at least one great season.
But with running backs, more is always merrier. And that’s something else Georgia knows a lot about. Because in years where the Dawgs didn’t have one standout back, they had a stable of solid backs who were unstoppable together.
But which group of backs was the best to run between the hedges? Who had the biggest impact on their team. I narrowed it down to who I see as the five best stables of running backs. But first, here are a pair of honorable mentions
Honorable Mention
1977: Kevin Mclee and Willie McClendon
Kevin McLee was the first running back in UGA history to rush for 1,000 yards, Willie McClendon was the second. Both were known more for their individual accomplishments. McLee accumulated 1,058 yards in 1976 after rushing for 806 yards in 1975 as part of another great duo with Glynn Harrison. McClendon ran for 1,312 yards as a senior in 1978.
But in 1977, McLee and McClendon lined up side by side and both eclipsed 700 yards each. They would have cracked the top-five if McClendon played a bigger role as a sophomore in 1975. And also if the 1977 team had won more games. McLee and McClendon were the lone bright spots and a pretty mediocre Georgia team.
2004-2006: Thomas Brown, Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware
The trio of Thomas Brown, Danny Ware and Kregg Lumpkin were the backbone of the Georgia offense in the mid-2000’s. Together, they all played with five starting quarterbacks and featured three different no. 1 receivers. The three backs were the only thing close to consistent that the Georgia offense had at the time. And even they dealt with injuries.
Lumpkin missed all of 2004 and wasn’t 100-percent in 2005. And Thomas Brown only appeared in seven games in 2006. But still, the trio combined for 4,510 yards from 2004-to-2006. And they all had very respectable yards per carry averages. When one succumbed to an injury, the other’s stepped up.