For a while, it looked as if Clemson might give Georgia a game. But in the second half, Mark Richt's Bulldogs pulled away at home behind a powerful offensive line and a strong group of running backs and won the season opener in Athens 45-21.
You can’t keep the monster in his cage
It looked like Todd Gurley wasn’t going to get a chance to run free. Halfway through the first half, Georgia’s star tailback had only four carries. Then he decided to take matters into his own hands. On special teams, he fielded the kickoff and found daylight. Splitting the middle of the field, he sprinted 100 yards for the touchdown. It wasn’t fair. A guy that big isn’t supposed to run that fast. The 226-pound junior couldn’t be caught as he ran 100-plus yards without being touched. It was one of those Heisman Trophy-type moments. All that was missing was the stiff-arm pose.
Georgia runs it down Clemson’s throat
Georgia telegraphed what it was doing. The Bulldogs were running the football, no matter what. And Clemson couldn’t do a darn thing to stop it. Gurley carried for two, then 38 yards to start the drive. Sony Michel then came in and went for six yards. Hutson Mason got in on the action, picking up a yard of his own. Michel then came back and showed off his wheels and reeled off a 17-yard gain. Gurley, now facing a gassed defense, took care of the rest. With the front seven overloaded to his right, he took the pitch that direction, cut back and caught Clemson sleeping. He found daylight in the middle of the field, made a safety miss and went 18 yards to pay dirt. The touchdown pulled Georgia ahead by two scores. But more importantly, it proved Clemson didn’t have an answer for a determined Bulldogs offense.
And then it happened again
How would you like to face Nick Chubb after Gurley, Keith Marshall and Michel have been pounding the rock all night? How would you like to tackle that 228-pound beast? The true freshman running back couldn’t be corralled by Clemson all night. And when he took the handoff with his team up 10 points, he decided to finish the job, this time showing off his wheels and his strength running through tackles. He shook four Clemson defenders’ grasp, hit the edge and took off. He went 47 yards for the touchdown that put the game away for Georgia.
Gurley isn’t to be outdone
What more can we say? Gurley played like he was trying to win the Heisman Trophy in one game and did a good job of stating his case. Midway through the fourth quarter, you’re not supposed to have the gas to run like this. You’re not supposed to slip a bunch of tackles and go 51 yards that quickly. But Gurley isn’t normal. By the time the night was over, he had 298 total yards and four touchdowns.