ATLANTA — The similarities cannot be overlooked. Nor can the excitement in which fans in Dog Nation chatted and texted and tweeted about it doing and after Saturday’s 33-24 win over North Carolina.
Two years ago almost to the day Georgia fans witnessed the coming out of a relative unknown freshman running back named Nick Chubb, who made his presence known with a thunderous touchdown run through a gaping hole in the line and more than enough speed to outrun a shocked Clemson defense late in that game to seal a win.
Freshman Brian Herrien’s 19-yard touchdown run in the second quarter on Saturday had reporters in the Georgia Dome reliving Chubb’s moment in the same vein. It was his first-ever carry as a Bulldog and he would gather several more big runs while piling up 59 yards on seven carries for the game as Chubb’s primary backup.
With expected Chubb backups like Brendan Douglas and the much-balleyhooed Elijah Holifield, also a freshman, waiting on the sidelines, who was this guy? Many of those on press row quickly went scrambling for the media guide.
New Georgia coach Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney certainly knew. Now we do.
“I’ll tell you what, tears almost came to my eyes when that kid had that touchdown run because of how far he has come,” Smart said. “He’s sitting in his second semester [at New Manchester High in Douglasville], he’s got to make four or five A’s to even be eligible. I had a great relationship with him at Alabama.
“We thought he was a really good player when I was over there, and I was like, ‘just hang on, don’t sign, just wait, we’ll be there for you if you can make your grades.’ For that kid to come as far as he did, get thrust into the limelight and go out there and do what he did, it’s really special. I’m really proud of Brian.”
Herrien wasn’t the only freshman to see action. Two highly-recruited players from the northeast Georgia area -- Rabun County’s Charlie Woerner and Buford’s Isaac Nauta -- also made their Georgia debuts as tight ends. Woerner actually started and made one catch for 1-yard but was used primarily as a blocker. Nauta was targeted once but dropped the ball that had first down and a big gain written all over it. He, too, was used to help open holes in the run game.
Smart didn’t mention either specifically by name during his postgame interview but did praise the work of the offensive line as a whole.
“They did a great job of being physical,” Smart said. “We told them that’s our identity, and if we came out of the game with that identity, then I’d be comfortable. I just knew if we dominated the line of scrimmage and we were more physical than them that the scoreboard wouldn’t matter. The kids kept fighting and they won the game up front. Our ability to run the ball was the difference in the game."
Nauta is listed as 6-foot-4, 246 pounds while Woerner is listed as 6-5, 251 in the Georgia media guide and other than Jackson Harris (6-6, 247) they are the biggest tight ends on the roster, which may be the deepest position on the roster for the Bulldogs. We can expect to see more of them in the future for sure.
