Two months ago, Ken Malcome was fifth on Georgia’s tailback depth chart and was so discouraged that he told coach Mark Richt that he wanted to transfer to another school.
Malcome reconsidered a day later and returned to the Bulldogs, and Saturday that proved to be a mutually beneficial decision.
“Back then, I was down in the dumps. But now, I’m on top of the world,” Malcome, a redshirt freshman, said after playing a significant role in Georgia’s 31-17 victory over Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
With Isaiah Crowell sidelined by a sprained ankle and Georgia’s troublesome tailback position again in disarray, Malcome was a somewhat surprising starter. But his influence on the game came much later.
He had carried the ball only three times for three net yards before suddenly becoming the go-to back on the Bulldogs’ final drive of the game.
After a fourth-quarter Tech touchdown trimmed Georgia’s lead from 31-10 to 31-17, the Bulldogs got the ball with 6 1/2 minutes to play, in need of some clock-consuming first-down runs. Malcome carried on each of Georgia’s nine plays on the drive, picking up 36 yards and three first downs. When Tech finally got the ball back on a punt, only 1:15 remained.
“That was big for Ken,” Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said afterward. “He had a good week of practice, and that, plus his performance in the game, helped his cause of playing more. He has definitely got an opportunity now, and it’s up to him to step up and take advantage of that opportunity.”
Malcome’s confidence obviously was bolstered.
“I’d like to be a power back and a workhorse,” he said. “I think I am starting to make a trademark for that. I plan to keep it that way.”
Malcome was Georgia’s leading rusher against Tech with 39 yards on 12 carries — a reflection of how the Bulldogs struggled to run without Crowell and of how it relied on the passing game.
Crowell did not play because of the left ankle he injured on his second carry of the previous game against Kentucky.
“I was hoping early in the week Isaiah would be able to make it, but it became evident he wasn’t going to be able to go,” coach Mark Richt said. “He has made progress, and we hope he’ll be able to practice as early as Monday.”
As for Crowell’s availability for Georgia’s next game — vs. LSU for the SEC championship next Saturday — Richt said: “I’ve got a feeling he’ll be ready for that game, but I’d like to see him in practice.”
Against Tech, Georgia had to get creative in trying to compensate for its running-game void.
Branden Smith, primarily a defensive back and kick returner, got his most extensive work on offense, carrying five times for 20 yards and catching two passes for 13. Bobo said he had hoped to get Smith around 15 touches.
“He was in there on a lot of the pass stuff, which helped open up the coverage,” Bobo said. “We were short of running backs, and he came over and practiced with [the offense] a good part of the week. We were really pleased with what we saw and probably will see more of him in the future.”
Carlton Thomas, suspended from the previous game, also saw action at tailback, but gained only six yards on five carries.
