J.K. Dobbins Joins Archie Griffin, Becomes Second Buckeye Tailback to Reach 4,000 Career Rushing Yards

By 11W Staff on November 30, 2019 at 1:22 pm
J.K. Dobbins has reached 4,000 career rushing yards.
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
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J.K. Dobbins is putting on a show against the Wolverines. Heading into the game in Ann Arbor, the Ohio State junior needed 98 yards to reach the 4,000-yard milestone. He can now add that to his list of accomplishments in Columbus. 

Dobbins joins only Archie Griffin as Ohio State now has a pair of backs who have reached the lofty total. The Texas native rushed for 1,403 yards as a freshman in 2017, 1,053 last season, and he's now up over 1,500 for his junior campaign. Earlier in the first quarter, he passed Ezekiel Elliott to move into the No. 2 spot.

Buckeye Rushing Leaders
PLAYER YEARS YARDS TD
ARCHIE GRIFFIN 1972-1975 5,589 26
J.K. DOBBINS 2017-2019 4,000+ 34+
EZEKIEL ELLIOTT 2013-2015 3,961 43
EDDIE GEORGE 1992-1995 3,768 44
TIM SPENCER 1979-1982 3,553 36

He burst onto the scene as a true freshman and made his debut in his first-ever game on the road in Bloomington. Dobbins spent his first two years alongside Mike Weber in the backfield, but he served as more of the featured back from the day he arrived on campus. 

The departure of J.T. Barrett led to a step back for the Ohio State rushing game. As a sophomore in 2018, Dobbins' average dropped from 7.2 yards per carry down below five. 

The Buckeyes' ground attack has been one of the country's top units in 2019 as it checks in at No. 4 behind only a trio of triple-option service academies. With Justin Fields taking over under center and some superb offensive line play, Dobbins has seen his average shoot back up to 6.6 per attempt. 

He now finds himself in the record books as the program's second-leading rusher. He'll have at least two more games to add to that total. If he elects to stick around for his senior season, he may find himself No. 1 in the record books. 

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