Georgia has memorable debut with Smart

Georgia tailback Nick Chubb celebrates his first touchdown of the season with left guard Isaiah Wynn (77) and left tackle Tyler Catalina (72) during Saturday's 33-24 win over North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome.
Georgia tailback Nick Chubb celebrates his first touchdown of the season with left guard Isaiah Wynn (77) and left tackle Tyler Catalina (72) during Saturday's 33-24 win over North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome.

ATLANTA - The No. 18 Georgia Bulldogs were far from perfect Saturday night in their 33-24 win over No. 22 North Carolina.

So, for that matter, was Kirby Smart in his debut as a head football coach.

"How it felt was really weird," Smart said minutes after the game. "It was a comedy of errors. I was flipping on the headphones trying to figure out who I'm talking to, because I didn't have to do that before. I was trying to find the special teams - I just tried to stay really positive and not get down on the guys.

"It was a unique experience for me that I will build on and learn from."

Georgia had never opened a season with a win over a ranked foe away from Sanford Stadium, but Smart helped the Bulldogs accomplish that. North Carolina scored 17 straight points to turn a 14-7 second-quarter deficit into a 24-14 third-quarter lead, but the Bulldogs responded by scoring the game's final 19 points.

After falling behind 24-14, Georgia racked up 214 yards in its next four possessions to energize the Georgia Dome crowd, while holding North Carolina to zero net yards in its next three possessions. The Bulldogs had not won in the stadium since downing Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl after the 2006 season, losing the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic to Boise State, the 2011 Southeastern Conference championship game to LSU and the 2012 SEC title game to Alabama.

"We felt like the home team," junior outside linebacker Davin Bellamy said. "We didn't want anyone to come to Atlanta and beat us in our home state, so we kind of had something extra to play for."

Saturday night not only marked the introduction of Smart but several Georgia players, most notably freshman quarterback Jacob Eason, freshman running back Brian Herrion, Rhode Island transfer tackle Tyler Catalina and Alabama transfer defensive back Maurice Smith. Catalina and Smith earned starting roles, with Smith collecting five tackles and breaking up two passes.

Smith played on Crimson Tide teams that went 37-5 with Smart as his defensive coordinator, and now he's 1-0 at his new locale.

"It means a lot to be a part of the team that got Coach Smart his first 'W.' It was amazing," Smith said.

Herrion, a late signee in Georgia's 2016 class, rushed seven times for 59 yards. His first carry was a 19-yard touchdown that put Georgia up 14-7 midway through the second quarter.

Eason appeared early in the second quarter, replacing starter Greyson Lambert, and wound up completing 8 of 12 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. His 51-yard pass to Isaiah McKenzie midway through the fourth quarter was Georgia's longest pass play since Aaron Murray and Todd Gurley connected for a 73-yard touchdown in the 2013 win over Florida.

"It looked like he didn't have any jitters," McKenzie said. "He's a good player on the field and a good person off the field."

Yet the biggest story of Georgia's opener wasn't a debut but a return. In his first game back since tearing three knee ligaments last October at Tennessee, Nick Chubb rushed 32 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns, including a 55-yard score to seal the comeback with 3:34 remaining.

Chubb got an early jump in the 2016 Heisman Trophy race a year after his 2015 chances ended abruptly.

"I went through a lot of things to get here," Chubb said. "Ten months ago, I was injured, and it was bad. I had never been in that position. I was down, and I could have laid down and never gotten up, but I pushed myself and had a lot of support from those around me. I wasn't out there by myself at all."

Said Bellamy: "It's just a great confidence boost for the whole team knowing No. 27 is back there."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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