Chubb moves up in record book in win over Samford

Nick Chubb took a carry up the middle and found himself in the midst of plenty of red and white jerseys.

That's when Chubb's vision took over.

There just so happened to be a wide-sized hole to his left that featured a lot of green space in front of him. Chubb quickly cut in that direction and was off to the races with Samford defenders in pursuit. Chubb went into the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown at the 12:19 mark of the third quarter, his second score of the game.

That was indicative of the run game's performance, which put up 284 rushing yards in Saturday's 42-14 win over Samford. Georgia relied heavily on its run game throughout, with Chubb being the top dog out of the backfield. Chubb totaled 131 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.

Chubb's first touchdown came on a run to the left side of the field at the 1:45 mark of the first quarter. He bounced the ball outside of the formation and made two defenders miss. From there, he was off to the races for a 32-yard touchdown.

It was Chubb's first 100-yard game of the season and 19th of his career. He now sits in second place all-time in this category behind Herschel Walker, who ran for 100 yards 28 times from 1980-82.

While Georgia was able to roll to a blowout victory, it only held a 21-7 halftime lead. Georgia then scored 21 unanswered points to open the second half, breaking the game wide open. It also marked the first time Georgia scored 40 points in a game since Sept. 26, 2015, when it defeated Southern 48-6.

Four who mattered

Chubb: Chubb was shifty, nimble and powerful during his time on the field in Georgia's win. His second touchdown was a fine run that showed off his agility and vision.

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm: Fromm tossed three touchdowns, coming from 5, 51 and 9 yards, in order. Fromm managed the offense effectively and made some key throws when asked to do so. He finished the game 8-of-13 passing for 165 yards and three touchdowns. It was Fromm's second career start and the first at home.

Georgia outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter: Carter recorded two sacks and repeatedly got after Samford quarterback Devlin Hodges. Carter also finished the game with four tackles.

Georgia safety J.R. Reed: With Samford threatening to make a game of it late in the second quarter, Reed blocked a field goal attempt. It was a huge play in the game that could have otherwise made things much more interesting in the moment.

Turning point

Samford fumbled the ball on its own accord early in the third quarter. Defensive tackle John Atkins was able to recover it, setting the Bulldogs up with good field position at the Samford 26. Chubb made Samford pay with his 14-yard touchdown.

Observations

Fromm displays accuracy: Fromm didn't force any passes and made the correct read on most of his attempts. He actually should have had two additional completions if it weren't for drops from receiver Mecole Hardman and tight end Charlie Woerner. Fromm's lone mistake of the game came in the second quarter, when he decided to run with the ball instead of throwing it away on a third-down play. He took a hit and lost a fumble. Other than that play, Fromm had a clean game.

Defense stays dominant: It was yet another impressive performance by Georgia's defense. Sure, Georgia faced an FCS team in Samford. But Georgia's defense kept Samford from hitting the big play, even when it was able to reel off a few completions in its high-octane passing attack. Georgia brought plenty of pressure at Samford quarterback Devlin Hodges, keeping him from sustaining a rhythm throughout.

Runners not named Chubb impress, too: With Georgia putting the game away early in the third, D'Andre Swift, Brian Herrien and Elijah Holyfield were able to get plenty of work running the ball. The offensive line opened up plenty of holes for the young runners, with each back making the most of his opportunities. Swift finished with 54 yards and a touchdown, Herrien with 45 yards and Holyfield with 28 yards.

Worth mentioning

Chubb moves up: With two touchdowns, Chubb moved up to a tie for fourth-place in all-time career rushing touchdowns at Georgia. Chubb now has 33 touchdowns in his prolific career, which matches Garrison Hearst (1990-92). Next up for Chubb to pass are Lars Tate (1984-87) and Todd Gurley (2012-14), who both totaled 36 career touchdowns. Herschel Walker is Georgia's all-time leader with 49 career rushing touchdowns.

Michel sits: Georgia elected to go without running back Sony Michel in this game due to the ankle injury he sustained late last week against Notre Dame. Michel was seen getting taped up late in the game and was limited during this past week of practice. 

Jersey switching: Georgia went with a punt coverage unit that featured both Carter and Swift. The only problem was that both players wear No. 7. Therefore, each time they were on the punt team together, Swift put on a No. 17 jersey over his No. 7. Coming off the field, he took the jersey off to reveal the No. 7 again.

What’s next?

Georgia hosts Mississippi State at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

This story was originally published September 16, 2017 at 10:38 PM with the headline "Chubb moves up in record book in win over Samford ."