Georgia's Knowshon Moreno: Best Rusher in the SEC East?

What a season.

For the bulldog nation this was to be a rebuilding year; one wrapped in the drama of Munson's final radioshows, insights, and chances to comment on one of the oldest football traditions in the South.

"Glory, glory, to ole Georgia..." would ring in between the hedges on Saturdays, while Richt and his staff mustered a honorable attempt at putting together either a 7-5 or 8-4 record.

So we thought.

With Thomas Brown out with a collar bone fracture, Kregg Lumpkin with a hand and ankle injury, and a thrashing from Tennessee in the rear view, the dismal hopes of a salvageable season rested on the broad, blow-delivering shoulders of a former scout team back. Few knew that this scout team back was called a phenom a year before, as the UGA starting defense struggled to tackle him and the coaches encouraged him to "tune it down a notch, for his own sake and theirs (defense)."

As aresult of fate, rather than coaching decisions, that phenom ended up with the ball in his hands and wide enough holes to spin through. In a sort of waltz-like fashion, Knowshon Moreno, redshirt freshman tailback, did just that.

He waltzed through the teeth of SEC defenses for 5.3 yards a carry, 1273 total yards, and 12 rushing touchdowns. He became the first Georgia back to carry the ball for 1,000 yards since Musa Smith in 2001, and he tied Herschel Walker's mark of five consecutive 100 yard rushing games.

Moreno provided highlight after highlight, hurdling would be tacklers and doing the "Superman" move on the sideline (from a dance that's sweeping the nation). He supplied inspiration and helped to loosen up a normally top-buttoned Mark Richt, who even broke out black jerseys to "Blackout" Tuberville and those pesky TigerWarEaglePlainsWomen from Auburn.

To be sure: the defensive secondary, linebackers, and offensive line showed leaps of improvement.

Massaquioi, Bailey, and Chandler (Whoa?) started catching balls, and Thomas Brown came back to provide an extra look from the backfield. Coutu was as consistent as ever, and Bobo surprised us all with his versions of the Spurrier tunnel screens.

But in the end, it was the Jersey boy who helped redefine an already solid Georgia program.

How crazy is it that the Bulldogs are on the cusp of a major BCS bowl without even winning the conference (even though this Dog thinks LSU is a 7-point dog if the two play)?

This was a rebuilding year?

With the number two recruiting class on the way up, the advancement of the program as whole throughout this season, and a backfield of Stafford and Moreno slated for next September, it might be safe to say...USC, OSU, OK, LSU, who?

Watch out...a dynasty is forming in Athens. Go Dawgs!!!!!