Get Dawg Post coverage for $1 the next 30 days!
ATHENS - Once again, there wasn’t much that went right for the Georgia Bulldogs against Alabama.
Surprise, surprise.
The Bulldogs slept-walked through the first quarter, got crushed on 3rd down, couldn’t force turnovers, and made several costly mistakes throughout their 24-21 loss to the Crimson Tide.
This team has a lot of problems, but the running game isn’t one of them.
If you’re trying to look for positives, the play of running back Chauncey Bowens was certainly one of them. With starter Nate Frazier dealing with a case of fumbleitis, coughing up the ball early in the 2nd quarter, Chauncey Bowens was the back Georgia leaned on the rest of the way.
The tough, tackle-breaking back was the biggest bright spot on offense as he rushed for 119 yards and one touchdown on just 12 carries. If you’re not great at math, that’s 9.9 yards per carry.
However, Bowens ran just once for two yards in the entire 4th quarter.
During the biggest play of the game, on 4th and 1 from Alabama’s eight yard-line, the Bulldogs used tempo with Cash Jones already on the field in hopes of throwing the Alabama defense off guard. Juan Gaston Jr. misses his block at right tackle, and Jones, one of Georgia’s lightest backs on the roster, is tackled for a loss.
Would Bowens have broken that tackle? Why was he not in the game on 3rd down if you already know you were going for it on 4th? He was Georgia’s biggest contributor, yet he was on the bench in the biggest moment.
On one hand, seeing Bowens run the way he did was a major positive. Nate Frazier is firmly in the dog-house, Josh McCray is a short-yardage back (who also could’ve helped on that 4th down), and Dwight Phillips, who can’t be 100% healthy, wasn’t able to make an impact.
Bowens proved that he can be the guy Georgia’ relies on in the run game moving forward. He’s strong, runs hard, and has deceptive speed for someone his size.
“He ran hard”, Smart said after Georgia’s loss. “He ran physical. He got yards after contact. He protected the ball. He was tough. He’s getting better with his pass pro and catching the ball. I was proud of the way he played.”
This Georgia team knows what their identity is. They want to run the football first to open up the pass. They want to wear down defenses with multiple backs. They’re a run-first team, and through their first four games, it’s clear who their best back is.
It’s Chauncey Bowens.
