ATHENS – It’s somewhat ironic that almost all the talk surrounding Georgia’s offense this offseason has been about the Bulldogs opening it up to include more aerial fireworks from quarterback JT Daniels and his band of receivers. That is, after all, what everybody’s supposed to do in these modern times.
As it turns out, though, the Bulldogs are fielding this season one of their deepest running back groups since Todd Gurley was swapping carries with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel in 2014. Coincidentally, that happened to be the last time Georgia opened a season against Clemson, as it will again 10 days from now.
The Bulldogs had 328 yards rushing in that game, a 45-21 Georgia win in Athens, and averaged 258 per game that season. It would be foolish to expect something similar this year, especially considering the offseason emphasis on throwing the football. But the Bulldogs can’t help but look at their running backs and get a little excited about what they see.
“It’s just crazy that we have this much talent on one roster,” sophomore running back Kendall Milton said. “You look around the room, and everybody has that big-time running back type of potential. And everybody has different tools and different ways that they can contribute to the game. So, whenever somebody gets their opportunity, you’ve just got to strike.”
That Milton, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound former 5-star prospect, might be listed third or fourth on the depth chart Georgia carries into the Clemson game speaks volumes about the talent that has congregated at this one position. There are many who have watched them all at work during the preseason who would say Milton is the best of the backs, overall.
But junior Zamir White, another former 5-star, and senior James Cook are expected to get the first reps Sept. 4 in Charlotte. Junior Kenny McIntosh and sophomore Daijun Edwards will be in the mix as well. And Milton, of course. That’s five in all, and any one of them could be a featured SEC back.
Instead, they all ascribe to Georgia’s philosophy that fewer reps for each means more glory for everybody. It is, they believe, the foundation on which “RBU” was built.
“I think it’s a blessing to have a lot of running backs, a lot of talent on the field on one team,” McIntosh said Tuesday. “It takes a lot of wear and tear off of each of our bodies. All of us are getting opportunities to go out there and perform. I love it.”
Said Cook, who left Miami as the third-ranked all-purpose back in the country, per 247Sports: “It’s a great feeling because we push each other every day. And we all work and we all compete, but we compete together. It should be really special.”
While Georgia long has been known often having several good backs at a time, the particular strength of this year’s group is in their versatility. That’s according to them, at least.
McIntosh was asked this week to break down the group.
“‘Cookie,’ he’s very explosive. He can get skinny whenever he wants to. Zamir is downhill. He can make a guy miss, too, as well, but he’s going to put his head down and get those tough yards. Kendall definitely can break tackles. He’s explosive. Daijun is real quick, shifty, and I feel like he can get in and out of his cuts easily.”
And what about himself?
“Me, I feel like my vision is great,” McIntosh said of McIntosh. “I feel like I can get in and out of cuts, too; I can make defenders miss. I feel like I can catch the ball well. … Like I said, we all have different running types, but I feel like that’s an advantage for us.”
How the Bulldogs might deploy their bevy of backs against Clemson ultimately will come down to the path of least resistance. And the Tigers’ defense, by the way, is nothing if not very resistant.
To review, Clemson returns 10 of 11 starters on defense. That would be 11 of 11 if cornerback Derion Kendrick hadn’t been dismissed, then transferred to Georgia.
As for playing the run, the Tigers were pretty good last year. Known for their stout defensive line, Clemson ranked 15th in rush defense a season ago (112.7 yards per game) and 15th in total defense (326.8 ypg). It allowed an average of just 3.1 yards per carry.
Notably, the top 10 tacklers from that squad all are back this year. Led by linebacker Baylon Spector’s 72 tackles, that group all had at least 30 tackles over Clemson’s 12 games last season, with six of them logging 44 stops or more.
The Tigers did show some vulnerability against good passing teams. They ranked 41st nationally in passing yards allowed (214.2) and 47th in yards per completion (13.53).
Georgia will no doubt seek to exploit that. But it can’t do so at the exclusion of these five backs, or at least a couple of them.
And, running backs can catch the football as well. McIntosh, filling in for Cook in the Peach Bowl last season, had 10 touches in the win against Cincinnati, including five receptions for 43 yards.
“Some of that is dictated by the defense,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We want to dictate to the defense what we do, but at the same time, some of what they do matters. Every defense we play will be different. There will be three-down fronts, four-down fronts. They’ll be big, small, experienced at this level, experienced at that level.”
Whatever it is, Smart said, “we’ll need to take advantage of it.”
The Bulldogs still believe the running backs will be a big part of that, especially those running backs themselves.
“We go to a school with a lot of talent,” said Milton, who was slowed by an injury last season. “So, everybody works for their moments, everybody works to get their chance. We’re just super excited for the season and about everybody getting their opportunities.”
Said McIntosh: “We have a plan to use the backs as much as we can. I feel like we’re going to put the ball in the playmakers’ hands. So, whatever that is, lining up and running a route or special teams, it doesn’t matter. We’re going to go out there and do what we have to do and play Georgia football.”
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