He won't be starting in the Sugar Bowl, however.

Moreno has been bothered by a sprained ankle since the regular-season finale against Georgia Tech, so senior Thomas Brown will get the start in tomorrw night's game against unbeaten Hawai'i.

Moreno, the first freshman to rush for 1,000 yards at Georgia since Herschel Walker, looked better in practice after arriving in New Orleans. But coach Mark Richt said Brown has been more productive throughout bowl preparations.

Both players are expected to get equal playing time if Moreno's ankle holds up.

"Thomas was the starter at the beginning of the year. It's his senior year. He's performed as well as anyone on the team," Richt said Monday. "We've kind of gone game by game seeing who would start. They're so close in productivity, we might have started Thomas anyway."

But the decision was sealed by Moreno's gimpy ankle, which contributed to him rushing for just 45 yards on 17 carries against Georgia Tech after five straight 100-yard games. Brown also had 17 carries in that game, but accounted for 139 yards and a touchdown.

Moreno was the catalyst for Georgia's turnaround after a 21-point loss to Tennessee appeared to doom any hopes of reaching a major bowl.

The redshirt freshman rushed for 1,273 yards — the first 1,000-yard season by a Georgia back since Musa Smith in 2002 — and 12 touchdowns. He also pumped up the Bulldogs with his infectious enthusiasm, injecting some much-needed emotion into a team that lacked it through the first half of the season.

But Brown, who missed three games with an injured collarbone, also had a strong season. He rushed for 706 yards and nine touchdowns, actually averaging slightly more per carry (5.5) than Moreno (5.3).

Richt said he's not sure how Moreno's ankle will fare in the game.