It took about twice the carries that Todd Gurley would normally need, but Georgia freshman running back Nick Chubb led the Bulldogs to a 34-0 rout of Missouri Saturday as the nation's top running back missed his first game while on indefinite suspension.
Chubb carried 38 times for 143 yards and a touchdown and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo maintained the Bulldogs' identity as a run-first offense, despite the absence of not only Gurley, but injured running backs Keith Marshall and Sony Michel, as well.
Georgia coach Mark Richt told CBS he asked Chubb before the game how much he carried the ball in high school, and Chubb told him 35 carries. "I told him we might get him that," Richt said.
He did that plus three, and the 5-foot-10, 230-pound power back became more effective as the game wore on.
When the Bulldogs' stable of rushers is fully loaded, Chubb is the fourth-team running back. Fifth-teamer Brendan Douglas spelled Chubb with 13 carries for 65 yards, including this acrobatic touchdown:
Georgia (5-1) will now return to the business of expediting Gurley's eligibility case. He was suspended by the school indefinitely last week for allegedly profiting from his autograph, which is a violation of NCAA rules. The junior is considered the nation's top pro prospect at running back, and will decide after the season whether to stay at UGA or turn pro early.
The loss knocked Missouri off the top of the SEC East standings and exposed some major concerns for the Tigers, including a regressing quarterback in Maty Mauk.
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