Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Georgia seniors enjoy last run
NO. 7 GEORGIA 42, KENTUCKY 13
ATHENS, Ga. — For Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, it was a most appropriate way to finish up between the hedges.
In the final home game of their careers, Chubb and Michel combined for five touchdowns to lead a dominant running game as No. 7 Georgia bounced back from its first loss of the season, wearing down Kentucky for a 42-13 victory Saturday.
“Going down the line, we can always look back at this moment, our last game at Sanford Stadium,” Chubb said.
Chubb rushed for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 55-yard burst down the sideline to seal the victory early in the fourth quarter. Michel ran for 87 yards and 3 scores, most notably a 37-yard TD that sent the Bulldogs into the half with a 21-6 lead.
When it was done, they both climbed atop a platform in front of the student section to celebrate.
“That’s something I can never have back, so I had to enjoy the moment,” Chubb said. “Believe it or not, that’s my first time ever doing that. I kind of saved it for right now, for this moment.”
Chubb and Michel both passed up the NFL Draft after their junior years.
“Just the guys that I can have an impact on, to leave a legacy behind, to come back and build a foundation here,” Michel said for his reasoning. “I felt like we had so much more to give to this program.”
Georgia (10-1, 7-1 SEC) returned to form after getting stuffed on the ground in a 40-17 loss to Auburn, a dismal performance that knocked the Bulldogs out of the top spot they held for two weeks in the College Football Playoff standings.
“They put pressure on us all night, in all phases,” Kentucky
Coach Mark Stoops said. “They played like a No. 1 team in the country.”
Georgia finished with 381 yards rushing against the Wildcats (7-4, 4-4), averaging 8.7 yards per carry. The previous week, the Bulldogs were held to 46 yards by Auburn, with both Chubb and Michel enduring their worst games of the season.
Jake Fromm threw an interception on Georgia’s first possession, leading to a field goal that gave Kentucky an early lead. Georgia went ahead for good on Chubb’s first TD, an 8-yard run.
Fromm hooked up with Javon Wims on a 27- yard pass for Georgia’s next score, but the Bulldogs didn’t have to worry much about the air game.
The freshman quarterback threw it just 14 times, completing 9 for 123 yards. Mostly, all Fromm had to do was hand it to Chubb, Michel and freshman D’Andre Swift, who piled up 66 yards on seven carries.
Benny Snell pulled Kentucky to within 21-13 on a 1-yard touchdown to cap the opening possession of the second half. That was the last hurrah for the Wildcats.
Kentucky did get a brilliant 45-yard catch from Blake Bone, who hauled the ball in over his left shoulder while tumbling to the turf, setting up one of two field goals by Austin MacGinnis.
In other games involving SEC teams, Jalen Hurts passed for 180 yards and three touchdowns in a little more than a quarter and Alabama (11-0) beat FCS team Mercer (5-6) 56-0 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. … Darius Slayton caught a 50-yard touchdown pass late in the first half and
Auburn (9-2) pulled away for a 42-14 victory over visiting Louisiana-Monroe (4-6). … Jake Bentley ran for two touchdowns and passed for a third to lead South Carolina (8-3) to eight victories, its most in four years, with a 31-10 victory over
Wofford (9-2). … Eddy Pineiro kicked five field goals and Florida (4-6) used a stifling defense to overwhelm Ala.-Birmingham
(7-4) 36-7 in Gainesville, Fla.