Georgia Football’s 5 Biggest Year-Changing Moments of 2014

Nov 15, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley (3) reacts after a knee injury as an official tends to him in the fourth quarter of their game against the Auburn Tigers at Sanford Stadium. Georgia won 34-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5: Todd Gurley Tears ACL vs. Auburn

When Todd Gurley fell to a heap on the turf of Sanford Stadium against the Auburn Tigers, everyone held their breath. Unfortunately, the news was bad, and Gurley was done for the year.

While this didn’t affect the outcome of the game itself (Georgia was already well on their way to a romp), it did change the future, in particular the season finale against Georgia Tech.

All due respect to Nick Chubb, by the time the second half of the game against the Yellow Jackets came around, he was out of gas. A true freshman who had been suddenly thrust into the role of lead running back had some obvious fatigue issues and was largely ineffective against Tech after the first half.

If Gurley is in that game, Georgia pounds away relentlessly at the Yellow Jacket defense and the ensuing issues at the end of the game (particularly in overtime) never even materialize.

Next: Time Management