Todd Gurley’s sophomore season could not have gotten off to a better start Saturday night. On his first carry of the 2013 season, the Georgia tailback exploded around right end on a toss sweep, got past a Clemson safety and sprinted 75 yards to the end zone to tie the score at 7-7.
But a thigh injury suffered during that run — specifically, a strained quadriceps muscle — made the rest of the night a lot more difficult for Gurley.
The injury sent him to the sideline — and briefly to the locker room for treatment — before he returned five minutes into the second quarter. He was not himself at that point.
“I was surprised he came back into the game, to be honest with you,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said afterward. “He came back early in the game and just was not effective at all.
“By the end of the game,” Richt added, “he had recovered enough to start doing some Todd Gurley-ish runs.”
After three lackluster runs upon his return in the second quarter, Gurley left the game again and remained on the sideline early in the third quarter. Then, he re-emerged. On his first carry of the second half, he broke two tackles on a forceful 12-yard touchdown run that tied the score at 28-28 with 7:41 left in the third quarter — a Gurley-ish run, to be sure.
After Clemson answered with a field goal for a 31-28 lead, Gurley carried the ball on the first three plays of Georgia’s next possession, running for 22, 2 and 6 yards.
By the end of the game, he had 154 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries — impressive numbers under any circumstances, particularly Saturday night’s. Gurley’s 75-yard touchdown run was the longest of his brief UGA career, topping a 55-yarder against Buffalo in last season’s opener.
Gurley had little to say afterward. He said only “I’m great” when asked about the condition of his leg and “not tough” when asked about the difficulty of playing with the injury.
While in the game, Gurley’s play confirmed his part in the high hopes for Georgia’s offense this season. But the game also showed how the highest of off-season expectations can be altered once things start happening.
Another of Georgia’s more important offensive players, wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell, sustained a right knee injury in the end zone while celebrating Gurley’s 75-yard run.
“He jumped to celebrate,” Richt said. “When he came down, he hurt his knee.”
Mitchell did not return to the game.
“I’ve got a feeling his (injury) might be worse (than Gurley’s),” Richt said.
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