Picking up where they left off in last week’s win over Tennessee, Georgia’s offense rolled to a 59-21 victory over UMass. The Bulldogs' passing game found rhythm in the first half, as Carson Beck threw touchdowns on each of the first four drives. Then came the physical ground-and-pound run game led by true freshman sensation Nate Frazier in the second half.
The former four-star prospect out of Santa Ana, California, set a new career high on Saturday, rushing for 136 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. With Trevor Etienne still sidelined due to a rib injury, Frazier was again forced into the lead role. And as he did versus Clemson - his previous career-best performance - he flourished.
“Special,” Arian Smith said of Frazier’s performance. “I told him after the game, I was like, I know freshmen don’t come here and just run the ball like that; you're special.”
Frazier finally broke the 100-yard rushing mark after nearly doing so twice. He was the Bulldogs' first 100-yard rusher of the season.
“More confidence. You know, he's still learning things,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said of Frazier’s growth since Clemson. “He still messes up, but he's electric. He's different when the ball hits his hands. He bursts in the hole. He is probably sometimes too fast. He's not patient sometimes.”
Frazier was one of three freshman tailbacks to earn carries. Both Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips Jr. saw action as well. Bowens finished with 31 yards on five carries, while Phillips Jr. totaled 15 yards on two carries.
Georgia picked up 208 yards rushing as a team, the most on the ground in a game all season. Meanwhile, Beck and the passing game finished with 342 yards, giving Georgia 550 yards of total offense.
“I thought he had a great game today,” Beck said of his freshman running back. “Just being able to make guys miss on the second level and have explosive runs, and then obviously once you get down to the red zone, you really want to be able to run the ball.”
Georgia will look to close out its season and officially secure their spot in the College Football Playoff with a win over Georgia Tech next Friday. Kickoff inside Sanford Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.
