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ATHENS - All year long we heard Kirby Smart tell Georgia fans how they needed to improve in the run game.
It was a major emphasis throughout the off-season, and during their 45-7 win over Marshall, Georgia’s running game thrived.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton made play after play with his legs, rushing for a team-leading 73 yards and two touchdowns. We also saw the emergence of sophomore back Dwight Phillips Jr. The speedy, explosive back ran for 60 yards and one touchdown on just five carries to open the 2025 season.
A fomrer track star for Pebblebrook High School, Phillips Jr. always had elite speed, but according to Kirby Smart, it’s his dedication to the weight room that’s helped him take a big step forward in year two.
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"What his progression has been is in the weight room,” Smart said. “To develop, grow, protect the ball, get bigger and stronger. He needed the weight room really badly when he got here. He had never really been in a hardcore weightlifting offseason program. If you remember, he didn't get the spring before his freshman year. His first true developmental offseason being to be here and lift and get after it, and he did those things. He still is a work in progress. He knows he has areas he has to improve on, but that’s the great thing about Dwight. He knows that he's not afraid of the hard work. He embraces what his weaknesses are, and he's trying to get better at those."
Phillips Jr. powered through a Marshall defender on his way to a big 17-yard touchdown run to get the scoring started. He showed he’s a big-play option with the potential to pick up big yards on any particular play.
We also saw more of Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens, Bo Walker, and Josh McCray during their opening-season win.
“I look at all our backs”, Smart told reporters this week. “It's really good. You mentioned Nate [Frazier] and Dwight, but I mean, Chauncey [Bowens] had a great camp. Bo [Walker] didn't get a chance to do a lot the other day, but Bo had a good camp. He's practiced really hard. He's been very broad; he's been there when he's healthy. Then, we're hoping to get Josh [McCray] involved. Depth at back is something you need. Those guys have to contribute on special teams. If we're able to be successful, and it's not on the backs, your running game is not completely dependent on your backs. It's completely dependent on a lot of other things. If we continue to do that, it'll definitely complement the passing game.”
We didn’t see Roderick Robinson on Saturday as Smart confirmed that he is dealing with a hamstring injury.
"He's got a little bit of a hamstring, and he was going to try to go Saturday if he could. One of those deals that we didn't want to press it once we got out ahead. He's continuing to rehab, get better, come off of this. He had an ankle surgery, as well, and continues to get comfortable with that."
In total the Bulldogs rushed for 239 yards and three touchdowns against the Thundering Herd. That’s an average of 5.4 yards per carry. They’ll likely stay on the ground this upcoming weekend against Austin Peay, so look for Dwight Phillips Jr. to keep getting opportunities to make big plays out of the backfield.
