Georgia's Nick Chubb not expected to be as busy against Nicholls

Georgia tailback Nick Chubb rushed 32 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns last Saturday during a 33-24 win over North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
Georgia tailback Nick Chubb rushed 32 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns last Saturday during a 33-24 win over North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
photo 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.

ATHENS, Ga. - The narrative already has changed for Georgia junior tailback Nick Chubb.

Rushing for 222 yards and two touchdowns can do that.

The biggest question last week concerning Chubb was how durable he would be in his first game back following last October's gruesome knee injury. Now, after last Saturday's riveting performance in the Georgia Dome, is it possible the 5-foot-10, 220-pounder from Cedartown, Ga., is better than before?

"It's hard for me to compare old Nick to new Nick, because I only saw him for one game last year," Georgia first-year head coach and former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said. "I think it's really hard anytime you do comparisons. I think he's the same person from within, obviously. He's such a tough, physical competitor.

"He's added a little bit of weight, and we're hoping it's the right kind of weight."

Chubb passed every test possible during the 33-24 victory over the Tar Heels, displaying power on his opening 6-yard carry and speed on his 55-yard closing run for a score that sealed the win. He answered any stamina worries by halftime, when his 20 carries for 118 yards had staked the Bulldogs to a 14-10 advantage.

North Carolina coach Larry Fedora spent most of his news conference afterward going back and forth between the 13 penalties the Tar Heels committed and just how amazing Chubb looked.

"There is no doubt he's really good, and what (Georgia offensive coordinator Jim) Chaney does with him is good," Fedora said. "He's got a good scheme, and their offensive line is doing a good job, but it doesn't take much for that guy. He's pretty special.

"There is no doubt he's one of the best ones in the country, and they're going to keep feeding it to him."

Chubb received 32 carries against North Carolina, but needing that many against Nicholls State this week would be concerning. The Bulldogs are expected to dismantle the Colonels, who play in the Football Championship Subdivision, so their star player could be finished by halftime.

In Georgia's last two games against FCS teams, Chubb had 15 carries for 131 yards in last season's 48-6 thumping of Southern and had nine carries for 113 yards two years ago in a 55-9 lambasting of Charleston Southern.

"I think it will be game to game," Smart said of Chubb's workload. "We'll go with the hot hand, whoever that is and what style defense they're playing. Are they thick inside? Are they thick outside? What do we have to do to change it up and open them up?

"You just can't become predictable. That's going to change game by game and (based on) how those kids practice during the week."

Freshman Brian Herrion, who had seven carries for 59 yards and a touchdown in his collegiate debut, could be showcased more this Saturday, as could senior Brendan Douglas and freshman Elijah Holyfield, who did not play against the Tar Heels. Smart is still waiting for doctors to clear junior Sony Michel, who broke his forearm in an ATV accident in early July, for contact work in practice.

Chubb vaulted himself into the thick of early Heisman Trophy conversation, which is where he was last season before the first play of the game at Tennessee. He ranks second in the nation in rushing yards, topped only by the 249 yards UTEP's Aaron Jones amassed last weekend against New Mexico State.

Whether Chubb is better than before may take more time to answer, but his opening display was indeed impressive.

"He's a freak with a ton of God-given ability," junior fullback Christian Payne said. "I knew when he got hurt last year that he would come back even stronger. You saw the game he had. I couldn't be more proud of him."

Said Smart: "He feels much more conditioned and stronger as a running back. That was evident when he was able to run through some tackles in the fourth quarter. He's such a powerful low-body guy."

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

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