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A healthy Nick Chubb is key for Georgia in 2016 more than any QB
By John Hollis
Published:
News that prized recruit Jacob Eason might be having second thoughts about heading to Georgia following the dismissal of coach Mark Richt has the Bulldog Nation buzzing.
Eason, the son former NFL quarterback Tony Eason, is the nation’s top-rated pro-style quarterback and desperate Georgia fans have been counting down the days to his arrival in Athens following a season of erratic quarterback play from Greyson Lambert, Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta.
Their obsession with who is under center for the Dawgs next fall is a natural one. The reality, however, is that it won’t matter if tailback Nick Chubb isn’t back to his old form next season.
Chubb was a leading Heisman Trophy candidate when he suffered a season-ending knee injury at Tennessee on Oct. 3 — and the Georgia offense was nowhere near the same without him.
His powerful legs shouldered the offensive load for the Bulldogs and created the effective play-action passing game that best fit the somewhat limited skills of Georgia’s quarterbacks.
Chubb, who was a preseason All-American after chewing up 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman, had already ground up 747 yards and seven more scores before getting hurt on his team’s first play from scrimmage in Knoxville.
The Bulldogs’ chances of winning their first SEC Championship since 2005 disappeared with him, ultimately setting the stage for Richt’s departure as well.
Chubb’s replacement, Sony Michel, is an excellent back who will also play on Sundays, but his running style is much better suited out in space, where his great speed, strength and elusiveness factor in more.
Without Chubb to fuel the interior power running game on which the Dawgs offense is predicated, Georgia’s quarterbacks were suddenly being asked to do more than before to pick up the slack. It proved too much as Lambert, a graduate transfer from Virginia, Ramsey and Fauta struggled to establish any kind of vertical passing game.
The Bulldogs finished the season ranked a dismal 103rd nationally in passing offense at 187.1 yards per game. The Bulldogs had just 10 passing plays of 30 yards or more. Chad Kelly led the SEC with 23. Even Florida’s oft-criticized Treon Harris had 11.
Chubb’s presence had masked a lot of offensive deficiencies that readily became apparent following his injury.
Assuming he still enrolls at Georgia, Eason would likely be eased into the starting job, much like eventual NFL No. 1 draft pick Matthew Stafford was his freshman year. Richt opted against signing any other quarterbacks in 2015, meaning that whoever the new coach is will likely have to choose from the incumbents at least early on. And there’s no guarantee that Eason will be as good as advertised or be ready to assume the controls at such an early point in his career.
That means Chubb will have to be back to form or Georgia fans could see a repeat of sorts of the mess they endured this fall in an SEC East that figures to be improved in 2016.
It’s a thought that should make the Bulldog Nation cringe.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
