The Georgia Bulldogs continue to dominate without the nation’s top running back Todd Gurley. It was another outstanding effort from Mark Richt’s team as the ‘Dawgs defeated Arkansas on the road, 45-32.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from yesterday’s game.

  1. No Gurley, no problem – For the second week in a row, Georgia dominated without its best player. When news of Gurley’s suspension broke, everyone knew UGA had the talent at running back to at least withstand the blow, but following and unconvincing win against Tennessee, there was questions of whether this UGA team was good enough to win the SEC East even with Gurley in the backfield. You have to give a ton of credit to the players and coaches, they’ve risen to the occasion and taken on the challenge of playing without Gurley and they have passed the test with flying colors.
  2. Chubb is a star in the making – It seems Georgia just keeps rolling out one physical running back after another these days. If Chubb’s performance last week against Missouri wasn’t enough to prove he’s capable of leading UGA’s rushing attack, then his 212-yard performance against Arkansas should do the trick. As the AJC aptly wondered following yesterday’s win, does UGA have the nation’s second-best running back in the country in Chubb? It sure looks that way after these two games. Chubb has all the talent and the physical assets to be a beast in the SEC, but now with the confidence to match his physicality, SEC defenses better be prepared for a heavy dose of Nick Chubb over these next few seasons.
  3. Play action defense on point – For me, one of the most impressive aspects of Georgia’s performance against Arkansas was how they snuffed out the Razorbacks’ play action attack. Often times, Arkansas is most deadly on offense with its play action because of how dominating its running game can be. Just when defenses think they’ve stuffed the run, Brandon Allen beats you with a deep ball to a streaking receiver. But not yesterday. With the exception of the first play action pass, Georgia’s defense seemingly played perfectly in those situations. Coverage was often so tight downfield that Allen was usually forced to either make a tough pass, run with the ball or go down with a sack. Georgia’s ability to take Arkansas out of its offensive game plan, especially in the first half, was particularly impressive.
  4. Pass rush heating up – Another week, another great performance by Georgia’s pass rush. Aside from the usual suspects — Leonard Floyd, Jordan Jenkins, etc. — cornerback Damian Swann also stood out. The senior defensive leader played especially well off the corner blitz, forcing a fumble in the backfield and wreaking havoc on Allen and the Arkansas running backs. It was the second straight game UGA recorded three sacks and at least four tackles for loss. In addition to three forced fumbles, they hurried the quarterback six times and even blocked an extra point. Georgia’s pass rush is quickly reaching that “game-changing” status.
  5. UGA playing its best football when it matters the most – Not only was Gurley’s suspension a perceived huge blow to Georgia as an overall team, but the timing was terrible. Just 48 hours until the ‘Dawgs had to play their most important game of the season at Missouri, it was a mystery how they could recover in such short notice for a game that had a direct impact on their chances of winning the SEC East. Now, after two games, Georgia is absolutely playing its best football in its biggest games of the season. These two huge wins following Gurley’s suspension have not only sent a message to the rest of the SEC, but also put them in prime position to win the SEC East.