Georgia Football: Top-Five Rushing Seasons for RBU

#3: Nick Chubb’s 2017 season

We all remember the 2017 season.

Nick Chubb decided to come back for his senior year, and he helped lead the Bulldogs to an extraordinary year.

Georgia relied heavily on Chubb and the running game. The Dawgs leaned on the run game for 60% of their total offensive plays that year, which got them back to their first national championship in 36 years.

Georgia would start the season against Appalachian State. There is always media buzz around Appalachian State games with Power Five schools.

Many years ago the Mountaineers beat Michigan, and that seems to be the headline every time they play a big-time program. However, Chubb would go off for 96 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Bulldogs to victory.

In week two Georgia traveled to Notre Dame. It was the first time in since the hallowed Sugar Bowl that Georgia had faced the Irish.

It was a hard-fought game, but the first one that showed a glimpse of how special this Georgia team could be. Chubb rushed for 63 yards on 13 carries and did not score a touchdown, but he helped the Dawgs to grind the clock.

Chubb would get his first 100-yard game of the season against Samford. Chubb would carry the ball 16 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns.

Georgia would start its SEC schedule against Mississippi State. Kirby Smart would embarrass Dan Mullen’s Bulldogs 31-3. Chubb would rush for 81 yards and two touchdowns.

This would start a run of six straight SEC wins for Georgia, including a 41-0 victory over Tennessee and a 42-7 over Florida. Over these six games, Chubb would rush for 577 yards and five touchdowns.

Georgia would suffer their first defeat of the season when they traveled to Jordan-Hare Stadium to face rival Auburn.

Chubb accumulated 27 yards on 11 carries. He did get in for one touchdown.

With an undefeated season no longer on the table, Georgia had two games left for a shot at the SEC Championship Game.

Chubb ran for 204 yards on 27 carries, and score three touchdowns against Kentucky and Georgia Tech.

Winning these games would set up a rematch against Auburn, this time in Atlanta, for the SEC title. Chubb ran for 77 yards, as Georgia rolled over Auburn 28-7, claiming its first SEC crown since 2005 and cementing Georgia a spot in the College Football Playoff.

In the first round of the College Football Playoff, Georgia would face Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl.

There was no way of knowing just how much of a classic this game would end up being.

Baker Mayfield and the Sooners jumped out to a commanding 31-17 halftime lead. Mayfield even gave the “throat-slash” sign signaling the end for Georgia.

Chubb and the rest of the Dawgs silenced the trash talk from Baker and cut the lead to seven points shortly after the second half started.

Both teams went back and forth until Chubb scored a touchdown to tie the game with 55 seconds left in regulation.

The game would need two over-time periods, ending on a Sony Michel 27 yard touchdown, and sending Georgia to its first National Championship since 1980.

In the title game, it was Georgia that jumped out to a big lead as the Dawgs led 13-0 at halftime.

However, Georgia was only able to muster 10 points over the second half and in overtime.

After rushing for 145 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma Chubb was only able to get 25 yards against Alabama. The Tide would comeback and overtake Georgia for a 26-23 victory.

Without Chubb deciding to come back for his senior year, Georgia doesn’t go to their first National Championship in 38 years. His leadership and production on the field propelled Georgia to heights they had not seen in three decades.