After rushing 10 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 51-14 dismantling of Louisiana-Monroe, Georgia redshirt junior tailback Keith Marshall's average of 7.3 yards per carry ranks just behind Nick Chubb's 7.5-yard clip.
Marshall is much further behind in the family competition.
Less than 48 hours before Marshall moved on from two injury-filled seasons, younger brother Marcus was making his debut at Georgia Tech. The freshman tailback for the Yellow Jackets rushed eight times for 184 yards and two scores in a 69-6 shredding of Alcorn State, good for 23 yards a rush.
Georgia Tech freshman tailback Marcus Marshall had 184 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries last Thursday night in a 69-6 thrashing of Alcorn State.SEC players of the week
* Offense: Alabama tailback Derrick Henry, who rushed 13 times for 147 yards and three touchdowns in the victory over Wisconsin.* Defense: South Carolina linebacker Skai Moore, who had 10 tackles and two interceptions in the end zone against North Carolina.* Special Teams: Auburn’s Daniel Carlson, who made a 56-yard field goal and had all six kickoffs go for touchbacks versus Louisville.* Freshman: Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk, who had six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown and a 79-yard punt return for a score.Offensive Lineman: — Tennessee’s Kyler Kerbyson, who helped lead the Vols to 604 total yards and 399 rushing yards in Nashville.* Defensive Lineman: Texas A&M’s Daeshon Hall, who had seven tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles against Arizona State.
"His average is off the charts," a smiling older brother said after their opening performances were complete.
Georgia and Georgia Tech do not meet until the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but the clash of the Marshalls is certain to be a topic leading up to the in-state rivalry. Keith was a five-star recruit in the 2012 signing class who formed the "Gurshall" tandem with Todd Gurley and produced 2,144 combined rushing yards that year.
Marcus was a three-star prospect this past winter who picked the Yellow Jackets over the likes of Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Wofford and Elon, but he obviously needed little time in fitting into Paul Johnson's triple-option offense.
"I did not know really what to expect, but it definitely went well," Marcus told reporters last Thursday night. "My O-line did a great job. They made my job easy. I just kind of outran people."
Keith, a 5-foot-11, 212-pounder, could not attend the collegiate debut of his brother due to practice. Marcus, a 5-10, 209-pounder, could not attend Saturday's game for the same reason.
The two talk frequently, though not as much since Marcus has become more familiar with his new surroundings.
"I wish the best for him, and I hope he continues to do great things," Keith said. "When we play them, though, it's on."
Both Marshalls played at Millbrook High in Raleigh, N.C. Keith holds the school's career record with 4,552 rushing yards, but Marcus set the school's single-season standard last autumn with 2,198 yards and tallied 31 touchdowns.
Marcus scored all 12 of Millbrook's touchdowns in the Class AAAA playoffs.
"We competed in h-o-r-s-e and things like that, but we never really got a chance to compete in football," Keith said. "It will be fun this year."
It's been a while since football has been fun for the older Marshall. After tearing his ACL in the fifth game of the 2013 season, a 34-31 overtime win at Tennessee, he planned a return in 2014.
It never materialized. Marshall got in just three games a year ago and was ineffective, rushing 12 times for 24 yards.
"I initially felt OK in camp and everything, but I had some things going on where I didn't feel quite where I wanted to be," he said. "It was very frustrating, but it was one of those things I had to deal with the best way I knew how."
Marshall received a medical redshirt and came back this year trying to reclaim the same speed and ability he showed in the first 19 games of his career, when he rushed for 1,005 yards. He entered last Saturday's game to rousing cheers early in the second quarter and rushed three times for 16 yards, including a 3-yard score, to key a 55-yard drive that put the Bulldogs up 21-0.
After a 6-yard gain on the final play of the third quarter, Marshall had gains of 20 and 16 yards early in the fourth quarter and found the end zone for a second time.
"I was happy for Keith," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said. "Anybody who has an injury and comes off the injury and has a chance to play again, they tend to appreciate it themselves. Malcolm (Mitchell) has had issues with his knees, and to come back, be healthy and play like that just helps them enjoy it even more."
Said Marshall: "I was definitely pleased with the performance, both myself and the team. It was great to go out there and make plays."
Odds and ends
The Bulldogs held a 90-minute practice Monday. Georgia holds a 54-19-2 series lead over Vanderbilt and has won 18 of the past 20 meetings.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.