ATHENS — Nobody is going to confuse this Georgia team with the one that featured Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel in the backfield a few years ago or the one in the late 1980s that saw Tim Worley, Rodney Hampton and Keith Henderson all toting the football in every game.
Slowly but surely, though, the latest version of the Bulldogs is starting to show some chops for running the football and doing so with versatility.
At the moment, that primarily is because of the work of junior Trevor Etienne. The first-year transfer from Florida had his best game as a Bulldog on Saturday against Auburn. He coupled a season-high 88 yards rushing with a career-best six pass receptions to produce 124 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on 22 touches.
But what had Etienne in especially good spirits after Saturday’s game was what he saw from his fellow backfield mates. Freshman Nate Frazier, sophomore Branson Robinson and junior Cash Jones all logged some meaningful work in the Bulldogs’ 31-13 win over Auburn. And Etienne knows better than anybody that for Georgia to get where it wants to go running the football, it’s going to take multiple backs to get them there.
“I was excited for Nate,” Etienne said of the freshman back from California. “He’s been wanting to see the field, and he got in there. I was excited for Branson, too. I’m just happy to see all the backs get in there and get some work. We’re going to need them.”
Georgia’s running back group has been a work in progress all year. Between suspensions, injuries and new players mastering the idiosyncrasies of the Bulldogs’ pro-style system, Georgia has found it difficult to get to games with a full complement of backs ready to execute the game plan.
Finally, they were able to do that against Auburn. The Bulldogs utilized four backs to pound out 160 yards on the ground (excluding Carson Beck’s losses on sacks) and cobble together 56 yards on eight pass receptions.
Again, most of those plays went to Etienne. But the goal is to be able to substitute in any situation without any noticeable drop-off.
They’re not there yet, but the Bulldogs are getting closer.
“I like the depth in the (group),” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of the backs. “I like what Cash brings; I like what Nate brings; I like what Branson brings and what Trevor (Etienne) brings. We have four guys that I really feel good about.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Sharing the load in the backfield has been a Georgia specialty for many years now and some might say one of the program’s keys to success. The Bulldogs haven’t had a running back lead the SEC in rushing since Knowshon Moreno logged 1,400 yards in 2008. However, Georgia produced thousand-yard rushers in seven of eight seasons from 2012-19, with Gurley getting 989 in the other season, and occasionally more than one.
The theory is it keeps the backs fresh, leaves them less prone to injury and allows them to advance to the next level with less wear-and-tear on their bodies. But to share the load, one has to be able to bear the load. That is not merely a physical challenge. It’s also a mental challenge.
In addition to carrying the football, Georgia backs have the additional responsibility of providing pass protection or becoming safety-valve option. One or the other often is dependent upon the quarterback’s audible at the line of scrimmage within seconds of the ball being snapped.
Apparently, Frazier was not quite up to task in that regard when the Bulldogs played Alabama on Sept. 28 in Tuscaloosa. Three games after leading Georgia in rushing in the opener against Clemson (11 carries, 83 yards), Frazier did not get in the game against the Crimson Tide. But Frazier was in for nine plays against Auburn.
Robinson had 12 snaps and Jones had five. Georgia also has freshmen Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips they can turn to, but neither has played in the past three games. Roderick Robinson, the projected starter coming into the season, remains sidelined following toe surgery in August. If or when he might return is uncertain.
Meanwhile, Etienne played a season-high 54 snaps against Auburn, which might’ve been more than Georgia would like.
“I thought today he got winded,” Smart said after Saturday’s game. “He is a great leader, a great kid, an explosive player, but he got tired. I mean, he was tired in the game. He wasn’t as explosive as he can be.”
Averaging 5.6 yards per touch, clearly the ceiling is high for Etienne. But to this point, Etienne is not thinking about greatness. He’s focused only on trying to do the best he can with every opportunity he gets.
“I just try to be physical, downhill, kind of twitchy,” Etienne said. “I’m just out there trying to make the defender miss.”
On offense, the Bulldogs are well behind their pace from last season. They’re averaging 32 points and 421.4 yards per game, compared with 40.1 and 496.5 a season ago. But as the run game matures, so should Georgia’s offensive production.
Meanwhile, Mississippi State has shown some defensive vulnerability. The Maroon Dogs allow 213 yards per game rushing and 438 total per game.
“I wouldn’t say we’ve hit our full stride yet,” junior guard Dylan Fairchild said. “I mean, you want to hit your stride, like, midway through the year. You really want to start to pick up right now as these games go on. Our goal is to just keep chopping, keep rolling, keep getting better.”
Said Smart: “I’m very pleased with where we are. We’ve played some really good teams, especially when you look at some of the defensive statistics out there with Kentucky and Clemson and what they’ve done. So, the most important thing is to get better.”
Meanwhile, Etienne’s getting better along with the rest of the offense. After missing the opener because of a suspension, he is becoming an increasingly large piece of the Bulldogs’ game plan. After getting seven touches against Tennessee Tech in his first game with the Bulldogs, Etienne has had 56 in the past three.
He could get more in the coming weeks – or not. Etienne insists he’s not keeping count.
“We’re getting closer and closer as the weeks go on,” he said of his backfield mates. “We were pretty connected already. … One thing I can say about this team is we don’t flinch. Even how (the Alabama game) started, we came back and played a great half of football. That’s the best thing I can say about this team. The past is the past. We’re going to keep putting best foot forward and giving our best.”
