Fields leads ground game Odds and ends
ATHENS, Ga. — It took 11 games for the unveiling, but Georgia football fans finally got to see the allaround talents that made freshman Justin Fields a five-star talent in the 2018 signing class.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound quarterback from Kennesaw was 5-for-8 passing for 121 yards and two touchdowns and rushed seven times for 100 yards and a score during Saturday’s 66-27 trampling of the University of Massachusetts. He became the first quarterback to lead the Bulldogs in rushing since D.J. Shockley to open the 2005 season in a win over Boise State.
“He’s getting better with his vision down the field, and he’s making decisions with the ball a lot quicker,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “He continues to grow and get better. That’s not a surprise to me, because I see him do that a lot in practice.”
Quincy Carter was the last Georgia quarterback to surpass 100 yards, collecting 107 against Kentucky in 1998.
Fields had a productive second quarter that included a 54-yard pass to tight end Isaac Nauta that set up his 3-yard scoring keeper and a 57-yard touchdown toss to Mecole Hardman. Both of those passes were perfectly thrown, with the bomb to Hardman leaving fans captivated while the ball was in the air.
“We see it every day,” junior receiver Tyler Simmons said. “We get a chance to see it at practice, and we know the boy can play. He’s a really good player, and it’s just a matter of him getting the chance to show it.”
Said starting quarterback Jake Fromm: “He made some plays out there, and guys on the outside made some plays, too. It was awesome to see.”
rice sidelined
Georgia sophomore inside linebacker Monty Rice wore a boot on his left foot and did not play after injuring it during warmups.
“I’m not sure to what extent or how bad it is,” Smart said. “He was planting and driving and planting and driving, and he said his foot was bothering him. We had to go get some X-rays, and I’m not sure of the complete verdict.”
Rice entered Saturday as the leading tackler for the Bulldogs this season, with 59.
Familiar feeling
Junior inside linebacker Tae Crowder rushed for 1,665 yards as a Harris County High School senior in 2014, so every time he touches the ball, it’s a moment to savor.
Crowder created Georgia’s lone takeaway against UMass with a third-quarter interception he returned 13 yards to the 30-yard line of the Minutemen.
“We played good zone on that play, and he threw it right to me,” Crowder said. “I got the ball and just tried to move forward to set my team up for the best possession they could.”
It was the second interception this season for the 6-3, 235-pounder, who had a 43-yard return at Missouri. Smart used the latest pick as an opportunity to take a playful shot.
“He didn’t break too many tackles, so that’s probably why he’s on defense,” Smart said.
Legends return
Two of the loudest crowd roars Saturday were for former Bulldogs running backs and current NFL rookies Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, who were recognized separately within the first four minutes of the first quarter.
Chubb and Michel combined for 8,407 rushing yards during their four-year careers, the highest total in NCAA history for a tandem, and they spoke to Georgia’s running backs before the game. Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift combined for 99 yards on just 15 carries against UMass, and each is on pace for a 1,000-yard season, with Swift having compiled 857 yards and Holyfield 817.
When asked whether Chubb of the Cleveland Browns and Michel of the New England Patriots had critiqued their successors, Holyfield smiled and said, “They say they approve so far.”
The last time Georgia scored more than 66 points was 1994, when the Bulldogs shredded Northeast Louisiana 70-6. … Redshirt freshman Eric Stokes made his first career start at cornerback, replacing true freshman Tyson Campbell. … Trey Hill made his first start at right guard, with fellow true freshman Cade Mays sitting out with a shoulder/neck injury. … Simmons had a touchdown rushing and receiving, becoming the first Georgia player to turn that trick since Hardman during the Bulldogs’ loss to Alabama in the national championship game this past January.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.