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Two things became clear in Kirby Smart’s first game as Georgia’s coach: Jacob Eason will receive a lot of playing time in 2016, and running back Nick Chubb is recovered from his knee injury in 2015.
Chubb ran for 222 yards and two scores and Eason connected with wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie for a beautiful completion on No. 18 Georgia’s go-ahead drive as the Bulldogs scored 19 unanswered points to beat No. 22 North Carolina 33-24.
Chubb ran all over North Carolina in the first half, but UNC’s defense handled the run much better in the second half. Until Chubb made it a two-score game, anyway. After North Carolina had to punt with less than four minutes left, Chubb ran 55 yards for a touchdown.
Eason hit McKenzie for a 52-yard gain on the Georgia drive before that as he found his receiver before safety help arrived on the sideline. The pass set up a 28-yard field goal by William Ham that put Georgia up 26-24.
The true freshman quarterback split time with senior Greyson Lambert, who started the game. Lambert was at the helm when Chubb sprinted to the end zone for his second touchdown and also ran the offense at the end of the first half. While Eason will likely grow into his role at quarterback – and it’s clear why he got the playing time he did on Saturday – don’t be surprised if Lambert continues to be the caretaker in specific opportunities.
And really, all Georgia needs from its quarterbacks is caretaking as long as Chubb is healthy. Chubb suffered a severe knee injury vs. Tennessee last season but averaged nearly seven yards per carry vs. the Tar Heels on Saturday. Yes, North Carolina’s rushing defense was porous in 2015, but the mark wasn’t far off his 8.1 yards per carry mark he had before the knee injury.
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With Sony Michel out because of a broken forearm in an ATV accident over the summer, Chubb got the bulk of the carries as well. No other Bulldog had more than seven rushing attempts.
While Georgia ran the ball over 40 times at North Carolina, the Tar Heels seemed unwilling to reciprocate. And that was odd, given running back Elijah Hood’s success in 2015. Hood ran for 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns last season but got the ball just 10 times (for 72 yards) on Saturday.
The Tar Heels’ 19 rushing attempts put the onus on new starting QB Mitch Trubisky to throw 40 passes. It didn’t go well. Trubisky threw for just 156 yards, an average of 3.9 yards per attempt, as North Carolina squandered a 24-14 lead midway through the third quarter.
Georgia running back Nick Chubb (27) tries to breaks away from North Carolina linebacker Andre Smith (10) in the first half Saturday. (Getty)
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Chubb ran for 222 yards and two scores and Eason connected with wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie for a beautiful completion on No. 18 Georgia’s go-ahead drive as the Bulldogs scored 19 unanswered points to beat No. 22 North Carolina 33-24.
Chubb ran all over North Carolina in the first half, but UNC’s defense handled the run much better in the second half. Until Chubb made it a two-score game, anyway. After North Carolina had to punt with less than four minutes left, Chubb ran 55 yards for a touchdown.
Eason hit McKenzie for a 52-yard gain on the Georgia drive before that as he found his receiver before safety help arrived on the sideline. The pass set up a 28-yard field goal by William Ham that put Georgia up 26-24.
The true freshman quarterback split time with senior Greyson Lambert, who started the game. Lambert was at the helm when Chubb sprinted to the end zone for his second touchdown and also ran the offense at the end of the first half. While Eason will likely grow into his role at quarterback – and it’s clear why he got the playing time he did on Saturday – don’t be surprised if Lambert continues to be the caretaker in specific opportunities.
And really, all Georgia needs from its quarterbacks is caretaking as long as Chubb is healthy. Chubb suffered a severe knee injury vs. Tennessee last season but averaged nearly seven yards per carry vs. the Tar Heels on Saturday. Yes, North Carolina’s rushing defense was porous in 2015, but the mark wasn’t far off his 8.1 yards per carry mark he had before the knee injury.
[Visit Dr. Saturday on Facebook for stories you might have missed and chat with the writers]
With Sony Michel out because of a broken forearm in an ATV accident over the summer, Chubb got the bulk of the carries as well. No other Bulldog had more than seven rushing attempts.
While Georgia ran the ball over 40 times at North Carolina, the Tar Heels seemed unwilling to reciprocate. And that was odd, given running back Elijah Hood’s success in 2015. Hood ran for 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns last season but got the ball just 10 times (for 72 yards) on Saturday.
The Tar Heels’ 19 rushing attempts put the onus on new starting QB Mitch Trubisky to throw 40 passes. It didn’t go well. Trubisky threw for just 156 yards, an average of 3.9 yards per attempt, as North Carolina squandered a 24-14 lead midway through the third quarter.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!Follow @NickBromberg