Ground attack propels Georgia to come-from-behind Liberty Bowl win over TCU

Georgia stuck with its running game and it paid off.

After putting up just 49 yards on 17 carries in the first half, the Bulldogs exploded for 199 yards in the second half to come back and beat TCU 31-23 in the Liberty Bowl. Nick Chubb led the way for the Bulldogs with 142 yards and a touchdown while Sony Michel added 87 yards and a score of his own.

After a big 77-yard catch-and-run by Isaiah McKenzie on Georgia’s second drive, the Bulldogs were able to take a 7-0 lead via a four-yard touchdown run by Michel. But after that, UGA couldn’t move the ball much at all. On the other side, Kenny Hill and the TCU offense got things going a bit, and put points on the board on back-to-back scoring drives to take a 9-7 lead (Brandon Hatfield missed an extra point after hitting a 40-yard FG).

That lead increased to 16-7 when Hill found John Diarse for a 10-yard score midway through the second. TCU had a chance to add on to its lead later in the second, but Hatfield hooked a 41-yard field goal and gave UGA good field position as a result.

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On this drive, the Bulldogs finally got the offense going. True freshman quarterback Jacob Eason moved the ball into TCU territory and Michel finished it off. On a third-and-13 play, Eason dumped it off to Michel out of the backfield. He broke a number of tackles and forced his way into the endzone on a great individual effort to cut the deficit to 16-14 and give his team some momentum going into the break.

To open the second half, the Georgia defense made a play. Hill somehow evaded pressure from Georgia’s Trenton Thompson (who had a Liberty Bowl record three sacks), but Lorenzo Carter knocked the ball loose from behind to force a turnover. The offense initially stalled after the turnover, but a successful fake field goal on fourth-and-six from the 21 kept the drive alive. Three plays after holder Brice Ramsey picked up the first down on the fake, the Bulldogs regained the lead when Eason found Javon Wims for a four-yard score.

The lead didn’t last for long. KaVontae Turpin returned the ensuing kickoff out to midfield. From there, Hill went back to work and eventually found Diarse yet again for another score. This one was a highlight reel nine-yard catch to give TCU a 23-21 lead.

Now trailing, Georgia went back to Chubb and the ground game. On the drive’s first three plays, Chubb gained nine, 10 and 48 yards to set up a go-ahead 30-yard Rodrigo Blankenship field goal. Hatfield’s missed extra point loomed large as the Bulldogs regained a one-point advantage, 24-23.

Hatfield would have a chance to redeem himself on TCU’s next drive, but his 47-yard try sailed left and gave the ball back to UGA. Michel and Chubb controlled things from there. The two combined for 70 yards on eight rushes on the ensuing drive and Chubb finished it off with a 13-yard score to seal the win.

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The victory gives Georgia an 8-5 record to finish Kirby Smart’s first season with the program. With Chubb, Michel and plenty of other talent returning in 2017, expectations for the Bulldogs will be sky-high.

On the other side, the loss signals the end of a disappointing season for TCU. The Horned Frogs were predicted by many to give Oklahoma a run for its money in the Big 12. Instead, TCU finishes the year with a losing 6-7 record.

For more Georgia news, visit UGASports.com.

For more TCU news, visit PurpleMenace.com.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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