It’s easy to forget what kind of season Nick Chubb was having last year before his injury. So I’ll remind you.
That first season made a big impression on everyone, and the college football world expected big things from him in his second year. And before Chubb went down to that horrific injury, he was delivering. He carried the ball 92 times for 744 yards, averaging 8.1 yards per carry and forcing 23 missed tackles. He rushed for 120 yards in every game, despite seeing 20 carries or more just twice, once again showcasing his ability to create the big play, with 14 of his 92 carries going for 15 or more yards.
What’s important to note about Chubb is that while he can be a big-play threat create something from nothing, he’s also a very consistent running back from down to down. While he had plenty of 15-plus yard gains, they accounted for just 57.5 percent of his rushing yards, so even when he wasn’t breaking the big play, he was able to churn out the yards the Georgia offense needed.
Yeah, I can see how he was missed.
None of which is to knock Sony Michel, who, as the linked article goes on to note, wasn’t exactly a schlub in Chubb’s absence. It’s just that Georgia’s offense is so much more when both are in play. And that’ll help whoever starts at quarterback.
Get The Picture 
And whoever starts at QB will help or hurt Sony and Chubb.
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Great stuff as usual Senator. Off topic but blog related… I assume that the pop up adds are somehow targeted based on cookies and such from where I have been on my computer. In my case Bass Pro. The last two days the quick scrolling Bass Pro add beside and in the middle of your text are moving so fast they are giving me vertigo trying to read the good stuff. I even clicked on them to make them stop. No joy.
Any way to make them stop? Keep up the fine work. Thank you
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I just answered my own question. Leave and come back. New non-moving ads
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A healthy Chubb allowed Georgia to use Michel in so many different ways – in the slot, as a change of pace back, fresh legs, Wild Dawg, kick returner, etc.
Hopefully, we can get back to that and allow both to complement one another’s skills.
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Chubb’s injury hurt Michel, too because it took him away from what he does best and made him be a between the tackles back.
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And Chubb was going against 8 or so defenders in the box every time he touched the ball.
Gotta say one of my biggest criteria for selecting a starter at QB is whether the guy can throw the ball downfield. If it’s next to impossible to throw a 50 yard pass with some level of accuracy, he shouldn’t even be considered for starting QB. We absolutely must open things up for Chubb and Michel – and that means stretching the field.
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Great great points. The fact that we weren’t able to stretch the field, even with our opponents loading the box on Chubb, was just absurd.
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We didn’t have a QB that had the arm to stretch the field. That’s the issue. And whereas Chubb was superhuman in his ability to get big plays on the ground…once we lost that, it became too hard to move the ball with zero big play.
And honestly, I don’t think it is fair to say that Sony can’t run in the tackles. 99.9% of the RB in the US wouldn’t be able to move the ball like a Chubb or Fournette can in an offense that doesn’t have the threat of throwing the ball deep.
Honestly, the passing game was so ineffective last season. There is the issue of the deep ball….they had 6 passes TOTAL in the second half last year that went for more than 25 yards. And while that is one more than in 2014 (!!!), in 2013 and 2012 they had 22 and 21 respectively. I think Murray had more than 6 passes for 25 yards in the 2nd halfs of South Carolina and LSU games by themselves.
But if you want another stat that just puts last year’s coaching staff and offense in the grave…passing on 3rd with 6 or less to go. That was always a strength under Bobo. In 2014 on 3rd down with 6 or less to go, they were 35 for 46 passing with first downs on 25 of those 35 completions. In 2013, they were 27 of 45…meh…but converted first downs on 22 of those 27 completions. (thank you, Aaron, for throwing past the sticks).
In 2015…look away if you don’t want to scar your eyes…14 of 34 with only 10 conversions. That’s just awful.
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That’s some serious stat geek stuff there, Irwin. Excellent post.
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Which tells you not only can’t Lambert throw deep, he can’t hit short passes vs man coverage. The only time the guy looked competent was when the defense played a weak cover two with the corners way off the ball. The guy is fine against air. Against defenders? Not so much. I remember CMR getting about as close as he could to selling a qb out when he said essentially: the defender can only be in one place in relation to the reciever.
The point was is that there are always three places to put the ball against man coverage and Lambert couldn’t or wouldn’t hit any of them. I hope that Chaney understands that talent and balls trump experience and brains when it comes to QBs.
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Lambert threw some nice deep balls va TN late in the game.
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I know he threw one. It apparently shocked the hell out of Reggie.
Reggie broke my remote… Into many many pieces….
He would’ve done it again vs. uf but I was at a bar at the Ft. Lauderdale airport of all places so my remote was spared.
The truth is that lambert can throw it a bit better downfield than Mason, but he rarely would let it go and when he did he was often inaccurate. That opening pass vs. Bama will haunt me for a while.
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Chubb was the best RB we’ve had since Gurley, who was the best since Herschel. I’d take Chubb (healthy) over Knowshown, Hearst, or anyone else other than Gurley and #34.
It’s incredible to me that we got to witness them playing together. I’ll never forget that Clemson game.
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Or the Auburn game 😦
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A schlub in Chubb’s absence….hey I was told the title of rentals would not appear on my statement! And I really missed the fast forward ability on this one
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He’s such a gerooten back, keneh horeh!!!!!
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Not wanting to bring up unpleasantness but someone really needs to do something bad to UT about the condition of that shitty excuse of a football field they have in Knoxvegas. Watch a replay of how Chubb was injured. It was 100% caused by the condition of the field and the loose turf. Think of all the UGA players who have been injured playing there. Make UT play all their games as away games until the Vols fix the damn field.
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