ATHENS — It didn’t take Isaiah Crowell long to show the Sanford Stadium crowd what all the fuss was about.
On his first play between the hedges, the celebrated freshman tailback ran for 15 yards. On his second, he ran for 28 yards, breaking two tackles in the process and substantially raising the decibel level in the stadium.
So that’s what the recruiting analysts were talking about when they ranked Crowell the nation’s No. 1 tailback prospect in the 2011 signing class.
It was the start of an ultra-eventful Sanford Stadium debut for Crowell, who in Georgia’s 45-42 loss to South Carolina on Saturday had 158 yards offense (118 rushing and 40 receiving), his first and second collegiate touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving) and his first collegiate fumble (costly).
“I loved it,” Crowell said of playing between the hedges for the first time. “It was a good experience.”
He added: “I didn’t think I played too well last week [against Boise State in the Georgia Dome]. I just tried to come out this week and do better.”
Crowell’s double-digit gains on his first two carries Saturday set up a 37-yard Blair Walsh field goal that gave Georgia a 3-0 lead. On the Bulldogs’ next possession, following a Bacarri Rambo interception at the South Carolina 42, Crowell had three runs for 20 yards, including a 13-yarder, to set up another Walsh field goal and a 6-0 lead.
The crowd might not have seen as much of Crowell as many would have liked early-on.
For the second consecutive game, Richard Samuel — the junior tailback-turned-linebacker-turned-tailback — got the start. Against Boise State, Samuel had 12 yards rushing on seven carries and Crowell 60 yards on 15, but the opener also brought concerns about Crowell’s progress in pass protection. Crowell and Samuel shared the tailback load equally in the first half against South Carolina, partly because of a hit Crowell took on the ribs that limited the number of plays he could be in the game consecutively for a while.
By halftime, Crowell and Samuel had the same number of carries: 10 apiece. Crowell had 82 yards in the half, Samuel 42. But in the second half, Crowell had six carries to Samuel’s one.
In the third quarter, Crowell caught his first two collegiate passes. He made a one-handed grab of a high screen pass from Aaron Murray and turned it into a 23-yard gain to the South Carolina 20, then three plays later turned another short pass into a 17-yard touchdown, diving into the end zone at the finish. With the extra point, Crowell’s first career touchdown gave Georgia a 20-14 lead.
Alas, on Georgia’s next possession, another career first for Crowell — a fumble — resulted in the Gamecocks retaking the lead. Crowell’s bobble on the handoff was returned 56 yards to the Georgia 5-yard line by South Carolina’s Stephon Gilmore, setting up a score that put the Gamecocks back on top 21-20.
Crowell went over 100 yards rushing midway through the fourth quarter and, a few plays later, put Georgia briefly ahead 35-31 (including the PAT) with a 15-yard touchdown run.
