ATHENS - If you’re looking for reasons why Georgia football inexplicably lost to the Auburn Tigers, the lack of a successful running game is certainly one of them.
The Bulldogs were banged up there heading into the Auburn game, and we saw it first hand how it affected Georgia’s ground game. The Bulldogs were without veteran Chauncey Bowens, and even though Nate Frazier was back on the field, he was unable to produce the way he has in the past.
Junior Dwight Phillips Jr., the team’s leading rusher, ran for a respectable 68 yards and one touchdown during Georgia’s tight loss to the Tigers. Gunner Stockton carried the ball nine times for 26 yards with Frazier rushing for just 19 on nine carries. It was a tough day overall as the Dawgs ran for just 113 yards on the day. That was without running ing back Bo Walker who did not see a carry come his way after a strong game against the Crimson Tide.
"Bo's doing a great job,” Smart told reporters this week. “Bo works his tail off had a good week of practice. He worked really hard and took advantage of some good opportunities against Alabama. This game, Nate was back healthy and playing. It didn't help any that we fell behind at some point and got behind trying to play catchup some. Both Nate and Dwight are really good in the pass game and do a good job. Those are the guys we were going with, and it's nothing that Bo did wrong or right or indifferent. It was opportunity for Nate to come back."
Even with Frazier struggling against Auburn, Smart said Frazier’s numbers don’t exactly indicate how he played overall.
"I thought he did a great job. I don't go off of stats. I go off of looks, runs he got, plays he got. He ran hard. He ran tough. He got some really tough, hard yards. They're a really good run defense. They play physical. They did a good job. I was really pleased with Nate's toughness and getting in there, sticking it in there. As far as Chauncey, time will tell."
Bowens, a major contributor for the Bulldogs last season, may not be able to return before the end of the regular season. Of course the Bulldogs don't have transfer back Dante Dowdell who was injured in a horrific auto accident in the off-season.
With the BYE week here, it's important starter Nate Frazier can be as close to full health as possible when the Dawgs take on the Gators in Atlanta. It's not so easy running the ball in the SEC, and it's even tougher to run the ball with banged-up backs. If the Dawgs can get healthy don't be surprised if the running game takes a big step forward in the second half of the season.
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