8/4/2023 football Edit

FSU center Maurice Smith named to Rimington Award watch list

Curt Weiler • TheOsceola

Senior Writer

Florida State offensive lineman Maurice Smith was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List Friday morning.

The award is given annually to the best center in college football, with the committee using All-American teams selected by the Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News and Football Writers Association of America to select the winner. Bryan Stork is the sole Seminole to win the award, doing so in 2013.

Smith started all 12 games he appeared in last season and was named third-team All-ACC by Phil Steele. He was a two-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week, earning the honor after FSU’s 45-38 victory over Florida and 38-3 win at Syracuse. The Miami native blocked for an offense that led the country with an average of 7.46 plays of at least 20 yards per game and tied for the national lead with eight touchdown drives of at least 90 yards. Florida State led the ACC in third-down offense, yards gained per pass attempt, yards gained per play, yards gained per rush, total offense per game, yards per completion, rushing offense per game and scoring offense per game.

Smith helped protect quarterback Jordan Travis, who was PFF’s highest-graded quarterback nationally and the ACC’s highest-graded offensive player as Travis led ACC in yards per play, yards per pass attempt, yards per completion and pass efficiency rating. Smith also paved the way for running back Trey Benson to lead the ACC with an average of 6.43 yards per rush and opened lanes as FSU topped 200 rushing yards in seven straight games, tying the school record. He also blocked as the Seminoles scored five rushing touchdowns against Florida, the highest single-game total by a Gators opponent since 1997, and blocked for the third game in school history with a 375-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver while piling up 642 yards of total offense in FSU’s 41-16 win vs. Georgia Tech.