The Southern Line
Georgia ran for 200-plus on Alabama with Frazier and Bowens both out
Without Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, Georgia ran for more than 200 yards against Alabama, a defense that had allowed 78.6 rushing yards per game.
Georgia won in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night, and it did it on the ground against a defense that had barely let anyone run on it. Two of its top running backs didn't play. The Bulldogs went over 200 rushing yards against Alabama without Nate Frazier or Chauncey Bowens.
That number tells the story of the game, according to macondawg of Dawg Sports, writing for SB Nation. Alabama came in allowing 78.6 rushing yards per game, which ranked ninth in the country. Georgia more than doubled that. The column also gives credit to Georgia's second-half defense and to quarterback Gunner Stockton, who completed 82 percent of his passes. Still, the writer argues the running game is what turned an "admittedly mild" upset into a Georgia win.
With the two lead backs out, the carries went to Dwight Phillips, Bo Walker and Nick Peal. The column calls their work a group effort and gives much of the credit to the offensive line, which kept opening wide running lanes against the Crimson Tide front. The writer says that before kickoff, nobody would have predicted that kind of output from that trio against that defense.
The writer also has a warning. He isn't eager to ride Phillips, Walker and Peal for the rest of the season and hopes Bowens and Frazier come back soon. The column gives no timeline for either player and doesn't say why they missed the game. As long as the line keeps playing the way it did in Tuscaloosa, though, he thinks Georgia can manage.
For Georgia, the result is a road win over a top-10 conference opponent without two key backs. It also shows the running game can work even when the depth chart gets thin. Who carries the ball against Auburn is now the main question for next week.
Georgia hosts Auburn on Oct. 17 and is a heavy favorite. The Bulldogs are favored at -953 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and the best sportsbook number on Georgia is -1400 at Hard Rock Bet. The full market is on the Auburn at Georgia odds page.
Alabama has to recover quickly, with a trip to Tennessee the same Saturday. The Crimson Tide are favored at -300 on Novig, the total there is 55.5, and the best sportsbook price on Alabama is FanDuel's -235. The game page is at Alabama at Tennessee. Alabama's run defense will get the most attention that week after giving up 200-plus yards to a Georgia backfield missing two of its top players.
