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Inside the Numbers: Chubb’s development key for Todd Gurley’s success
By Drew Laing
Published:
Arguably the biggest game of the season awaits the Georgia Bulldogs this weekend. Mark Richt and his team travel to Columbia, Mo. to take on the Missouri Tigers in a game that could very well decide the winner of the SEC East.
Here’s the best and worst numbers for the Bulldogs as they head into a crucial Week 7 matchup.
THE GOOD
50: yard pass by running back Todd Gurley. In a surprising move, Gurley bombed a left-handed 50-yard beauty downfield to Jeb Blazevich out of the Wildcat formation. Of course, with Georgia’s passing woes this season it was actually the longest passing play of the season for Georgia. So maybe this should be in “The Bad” section?
188: passing yards allowed by UGA secondary versus Vanderbilt. For a unit that’s struggled mightily this season, they needed a performance like the one they had against the Commodores. Yes, it’s Vanderbilt, but the importance of building confidence in a young group can never be overstated. We’ll see how they respond against a much better offense this weekend when they’re tasked with stopping Maty Mauk.
9.75: yards per carry for Nick Chubb. The development of Chubb behind Gurley will be incredibly important for Georgia moving forward. Obviously, Gurley is the centerpiece of the offense, but if Chubb as well as Sony Michel can be effective in their backup roles, it should allow Gurley to stay fresh throughout games and dominate in the latter portions of games.
THE BAD
117: passing attempts by Georgia this season. This ranks as the second-lowest in the SEC. Obviously with the injuries at wide receiver, the passing game has taken a hit. Now that Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley are on the mend, it wouldn’t be surprising for UGA to throw the ball more. They’ll need better balance on offense to make it through the rest the schedule unscathed.
3: games back of Missouri if Georgia loses to them this weekend. Although the loss would only give UGA two losses while Missouri remains undefeated, the tiebreaker essentially puts the Tigers three games ahead of the Bulldogs. Because of this, a loss this weekend essentially ends UGA’s chances of claiming the SEC East title.
14: receptions for Michael Bennett, Georgia’s leading receiver. It’s the second-lowest among SEC team’s No. 1 receivers, behind only Arkansas’ Keon Hatcher.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.
