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Nick Chubb will be X-factor in Belk Bowl showdown with Louisville
By Ethan Levine
Published:
It’s not exactly going out on a limb to predict Georgia tailback Nick Chubb will have a major impact on the Dawgs chances in their Belk Bowl showdown with Louisville.
Chubb ran for at least 100 yards in seven straight games to close the regular season after taking over for Todd Gurley as Georgia’s starting tailback. His consistent success helped power a Georgia offense that closed the year ranked 13th in the nation in rushing, and many considered him one of the SEC’s most impactful freshmen in recent history.
But Chubb will have an even bigger say in UGA’s bowl game than he did during its regular season contests.
Georgia will face a Louisville defense ranked third in the nation against the run, and when the Cardinals dominate opposing rushing attacks they almost always come out on top.
Louisville only allowed five teams to rush for at least 100 yards in its 12 games this season, and two of its three losses came in those five games. The Cards were 6-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards, and if they can hold Chubb below the century mark they’ll have a great chance to make it 7-1.
Chubb has yet to be held below 100 yards as a starting tailback at the FBS level, and limiting him is much easier said than done. But if there was ever a defense capable of silencing Chubb, it’s Louisville’s.
Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason only threw for 200 or more yards once this season, and that came in an 18-point loss to Florida. If Louisville can force the game into Mason’s hands, it will hold an obvious advantage when the Dawgs possess the football.
The one thing Louisville cannot do is let Chubb get loose. Without the stud freshman, Georgia’s offense is mediocre at best, and without offensive coordinator Mike Bobo (recently hired as the new head coach at Colorado State), the Dawgs might not be as sharp in their in-game adjustments.
Considering how many stars Louisville’s offense will lack in this contest (its top two quarterbacks and now tailback Michael Dyer) it would probably prefer to play in a low-scoring game.
Perhaps it’s oversimplifying the matchup, but Chubb’s ability to rush for at least 100 yards could decide this year’s Belk Bowl. If Chubb clears the century mark, Georgia should be in good shape. But if Louisville can eliminate the freshman from the equation, it would have a great chance to win an ugly, gritty game in Charlotte.
Once again, Chubb will be an X-factor in a high-profile game for the Bulldogs. And as strange as it sounds, both Georgia and Louisville would rather have it that way.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
