It had been, at parts, a joyless season for Nate Frazier.
Georgia’s sophomore running back entered the year with high expectations after leading the Bulldogs in rushing as a freshman. He even received a preseason All-SEC Third Team nod. A breakout season seemed inevitable after Georgia spent much of the offseason talking about a renewed focus on the running game.
But two months into the season, that breakout hadn’t materialized. Frazier wasn’t a standout in Georgia’s first few games, instead blending into a committee of backs, and he hit a low point with a costly fumble against Alabama in late September.
This was his fifth fumble in the last 10 games. Frazier was yanked after the play and didn’t see another snap. He was used sparingly in Georgia’s next few games as Chauncey Bowens became the story of Georgia’s backfield.
It started to weigh on him. The energetic, smiling kid from California wasn’t his usual self.
"I caught myself in a mindset of just being so hard on myself and taking football as a job, and I forgot the fun part about it,” he said.
Nate Frazier's bounce back performance is exactly what Georgia needed
But things started to turn a corner when Frazier scored his first touchdown in over a month in Georgia’s win over Ole Miss. And on Saturday against Mississippi State, he put on a show.
Frazier rushed for 181 yards on just 12 carries, and ripped off a career-long 59-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of Georgia’s 41-21 victory. It was the Bulldogs’ longest play from scrimmage of the season and their longest run since 2023.
“I'm excited about that long run,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “We had a lot of what I call explosive runs, 15 yards or more, but not the big ones. And that's good. That's huge for us. We need more of that. We can be an explosive run team.”
Georgia's unique strategy to prepare for Mississippi State
Georgia did something a little different to help their players get ready for last week’s game. The 11 a.m. local kickoff time meant the Bulldogs would have a 6:30 a.m. wake-up, far earlier than usual. Smart and the coaches turned to the players’ parents for a bit of a morning boost.
Since the last time most of the team played morning games was at the peewee level, staff asked parents to share memories and videos of their sons’ youth football days. Smart said the resulting montage brought several players to tears– Frazier being no exception.
“It was probably the most emotional video I've ever seen,” Smart said. “Nate's mother gave me a great couple stories about Nate and what their routine was in the morning and how excited he was to go play. I wanted to use that energy and that love for the game where it was pure to come into the day and let that carry over into the day because it was like peewee football.”
Frazier’s mother, Yomeisha Moore, shared memories of how her son wouldn’t eat breakfast before games because he was so nervous, and how they would sit together in the car listening to music until game time. It brought back a lot for him.
"I didn't want to be a little crybaby, but it felt great hearing my mom's voice," Frazier said. "I try to talk to my mom before every game. You get motivation from her. Hearing her voice helps me be able to prepare and get ready for the game."
The montage must have worked, because Frazier looked like everything the Bulldogs thought he could be out of Mater Dei High School on Saturday. His rare burst and explosiveness was on display all afternoon, as well as some impressive contact balance, and he ran like he was having the time of his life.
"Today I was just trying to play and have fun like I did when I was a 7-year-old, 8-year-old kid,” he said. “Just running around, holding the ball any type of way. I just tried to have fun."
Georgia was playing for more than just themselves against Mississippi State
But the video wasn’t the only reason Frazier and the Bulldogs were playing with some added emotion. Earlier in the week, beloved team staffer Kim Allen, who worked in the Bulldogs’ facility, passed away at 45 years old. Smart said Georgia dedicated the win to her memory, and Frazier spoke about his relationship with her after the game.
“She was always positive energy,” Frazier said. “It’s never a day you see Ms. Kim in the facility without a smile on her face. So just losing her and winning this game, this week, it just felt so good. After my touchdown, I said, ‘Thank you, God,’ I said, ‘Thank you, Miss Kim.’ It means so much to me. It hit me real hard losing Miss Kim, but she’s in a better place. She was too good for the world, so God put her in a better place.”
Frazier is rounding into rare form at the same time Georgia’s offensive line is starting to look healthy. And with Bowens having a breakout season of his own and Gunner Stockton’s ability as a dual-threat, the sky is starting to look like the limit for this Georgia ground game.
“I give all credit to my offensive line,” Frazier said. "They can get anything they want from me. They can take my NIL check. It's all on them. Whatever they want, they got it. It was not me. It was them."
Humble as he may remain, Frazier himself was big for the Bulldogs on Saturday. And if he keeps delivering on his potential, he and Bowens are well on their way to etching their own chapter in Georgia’s fabled history of running backs.