In Georgia's 31-23 comeback victory over TCU in last December's Liberty Bowl, the Bulldogs tailback tandem of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel combined for 42 first-half rushing yards and 187 in the second half.
If only flipping the switch could be so easy every game of the season.
"In the SEC, when you talk about running the ball successfully, it comes in different forms and fashions," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. "Is it a rocket sweep when they pitch the ball? Because that's a pass. You're always having to find creative ways to run the ball.
"To sit there and say you're going to play the top four defenses in the SEC and pound it down their throat - it doesn't exist."
Georgia's running game was all over the map in Smart's debut season, with the Bulldogs finishing ninth in the league with 191.2 yards per contest. The Bulldogs racked up 326 rushing yards in their win at South Carolina but were held to 75 in the loss to Vanderbilt and just 21 in the loss to Florida.
That Chubb and Michel elected to return for their senior seasons is obviously a good place for an enhanced Georgia running game to start, but the offensive line will showcase three new starters and quarterback Jacob Eason will have to be improved as a sophomore.
"I think last year was a building ground for us. Now I think everything is in place," Chubb told reporters after Tuesday's practice. "We're getting a lot of movement up front, and that's what the running backs enjoy."
Left tackle Isaiah Wynn and center Lamont Gaillard headline an offensive front that also contains Dyshon Sims, Pat Allen, Solomon Kindley, Ben Cleveland and true freshmen Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson, while standout sophomore tight end Isaac Nauta recently said that blocking was the most improved aspect to his game. The Bulldogs also must be more stout with their perimeter blocking as well, which TCU coach Gary Patterson said was the difference in Memphis.
"They brought the wide receiver down in the second half, and we didn't do a very good job with the crack with the corner, and they were blocking our safety," Patterson said after the game. "It was as simple as that."
Georgia averaged a robust 257.8 rushing yards per game when Todd Gurley was a junior and Chubb and Michel were freshmen in 2014, which was the highest average since Lars Tate and Rodney Hampton led the Bulldogs to a 274.5-yard clip in 1987. The Bulldogs averaged 192.2 rushing yards per game two seasons ago, so they essentially matched that last year.
Inconsistencies in the running game resulted in red-zone struggles once the field was shortened, and Georgia coaches have been addressing that since the Liberty Bowl ended.
"We put our bank of plays together as early as we possibly could," second-year offensive coordinator Jim Chaney said earlier this month. "We have been working on those plays continuously since the start of spring through the summer. The kids were out there all summer working on them, too, so we've been putting in a bunch of time in.
"All you can do is emphasize your weaknesses and try to get them improved. Ultimately we need to run the football more efficiently down in the red zone, and I think we'll be able to do that."
The challenge of consistently running the ball stiffens significantly when the defense has the offense greatly outnumbered up front. Smart does not need pointers on that topic, but it won't keep him from looking for more methods to succeed.
"Watch LSU," Smart said. "Historically, they're one of the most physical, dominant, run-the-football teams, and even they struggle when they play the formidable defenses, so you've got to find creative ways to run it. I feel much better about us doing it, but we still have three guys who started last year on the offensive line who are gone."
Odds and ends
The Bulldogs practiced Tuesday for two hours in shoulder pads and shorts. ... Senior snapper Trent Frix remains out with a hamstring injury.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.