Chubb and Michel lead UGA past Ky.
ATHENS — 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 stellar careers, Chubb and Michel combined for five touchdowns to lead a dominant running game and No. 7 Georgia bounced back impressively 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.
Quite a Senior Day, indeed.
Chubb rushed for 151 and two touchdowns, including a 55-yard burst down the sideline to seal the victory early in the fourth quarter. Michel rambled for 87 yards and three scores of his own, 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 a chance to enter the NFL draft after their junior years.
They certainly made the most of their final college season.
“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. “I felt like we had so much more to give to this program.”
Georgia (10-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 7 CFP) 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.