Chubb’s 2 touchdowns led the #18 Bulldogs to a 33-24 win over #22 North Carolina in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic at the Georgia Dome.
Advertisement
Georgia running back Nick Chubb (27) runs past Nicholls defensive backs Christian Boutte (1) and Jeff Hall (10) for a touchdown in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, in Athens, Ga.
Georgia is paying Nicholls State more than a half-million dollars to serve as little more than what the Bulldogs hope is a chew toy before Southeastern Conference play begins next week with a trip to Missouri.
Earlier in the day, Georgia’s Kirby Smart participated in the SEC Coaches weekly media teleconference and said the Bulldogs are focusing on getting better after last Saturday’s season-opening win in Atlanta over No. 22 North Carolina.
Georgia: The slow start was a reality check for the Bulldogs and fans expecting an easy game. Georgia moved to 2-0 but Smart was not happy. Two years later, on the heels of star tailback Todd Gurley’s shocking NCAA suspension, the Bulldogs pulled out a 34-0 victory. He didn’t turn the ball over either, and completed 8-of-12 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown, which included a 51 yard bomb to Isaiah McKenzie. The offensive line struggled mightily in this game. The half expired with Georgia taking a 10-7 lead heading into the locker room. Though many played well, the number of true freshmen on the field shows Georgia’s inexperience, considering 22 true freshmen played all of last season. The costly interception in the fourth quarter thrown by Eason resulted in backup Greyson Lambert coming into the game. On the second play, Fourcade floated a ideal pass to C.J. Bates in the corner of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown.
Later in the quarter, the special teams got in on the action as Georgia muffed a punt, which was recovered by Darryl Adams at the UGA 9. We came out with the right mindset because we didn’t underestimate them, but the main thing is staying focused. There’s a lot that goes into the quarterback outside standing back there and throwing the ball. “They came with what we expected them to come with”. The freshman completed his first two passes for 48 yards on the opening drive. Eason now has 12 career pass attempts under his belt. This marked Georgia’s first returned fumble for a score since Leonard Floyd took off for 96 yards at Tennessee a year ago. But the Colonels gave the Bulldogs everything they could handle, including taking a 14-13 lead midway through the third quarter.
Advertisement
Nicholls would score twice more in the final period on a field goal, and a touchdown following an Eason pass interception and return, but it wasn’t enough as Georgia ran out the clock for the win.
