‘Gurshall’: Georgia’s freshman tailbacks command attention
Todd Gurley plows through Vanderbilt defenders (AJC photo/Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS — As the hype builds around Georgia freshman tailbacks Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, one of their teammates has settled on a nickname for the duo.
“Gurshall, that’s what I call them,” wide receiver Tavarres King said.
As King excitedly enunciates it, the combination of the first syllable of Gurley and the second syllable of Marshall rhymes with … Herschel.
The wildly premature suggestion that the Gurley-Marshall tandem is somehow reminiscent of Herschel Walker, the greatest Georgia tailback, reflects the excitement the freshmen have stirred.
Keith Marshall breaks a Vanderbilt tackle (AJC photo/Brant Sanderlin)
Tailback is a position that commands attention, good or bad. In the previous two seasons, Georgia tailbacks were known more for the bad — arrests, suspensions, dismissals, injuries. With Gurshall, things seem good again at the position.
“I went to the dining hall one day, and they started clapping,” Marshall said.
Another example of their celebrity: “Sat next to Todd Gurley at Zaxby’s,” a UGA student tweeted this week. “What are you doing with your life?”
Four games into their college careers, Gurley and Marshall have combined to rush for 670 yards and score 10 touchdowns. Gurley, the starter, leads the SEC in rushing (101.5 yards per game), scoring (10.5 points per game) and all-purpose yards (164.2 per game). His roommate and running mate, Marshall, has added 66 rushing yards per game.
In last week’s win over Vanderbilt, the duo combined for 212 rushing yards (Gurley 130, Marshall 82) and four touchdowns (two apiece). Each had a stirring TD run — Marshall a 52-yarder and Gurley a 29-yarder that featured several broken tackles and a safety stiff-armed to the ground.
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” King said of Gurley’s run. “Well, not live. I saw Herschel do something like that [on tape].
“When [Gurley] made that run, in my head, I heard Munson: ‘My God, a freshman!’” said King, referring to legendary UGA broadcaster Larry Munson’s famous call of Walker’s debut against Tennessee in 1980.
Gurley and Marshall, who grew up 70 miles apart in North Carolina and became friends after meeting at a high school track meet, are aware of their growing celebrity but seem unfazed by it.
“You have people come up to you and everything,” Gurley said, “but I’m still taking it the same.”
“They don’t get caught up in it, and probably the best thing as a teammate is knowing they don’t hold themselves so highly,” linebacker Christian Robinson said. “They just show up everyday to work.”
“They are mature beyond their years,” receiver Michael Bennett said. “Eighteen years old and all this attention coming on them — they’re handling it really well.”
They arrived in Athens after several troubled seasons for the tailback position; Caleb King, Washaun Ealey, Carlton Thomas and Isaiah Crowell drew suspensions for various transgressions and eventually left the team.
“In the past, it’s kind of been a never-know-what-you’re-going-to-get type of thing,” Robinson said. “When you have guys of high character that show up everyday to work, you can trust them and you don’t get as frustrated with them when things don’t go well. I guess, when things are different, you can kind of pinpoint that maybe that’s why we weren’t having the production — behavior issues and things like that. We don’t have that anymore, and this team is a lot better because of it.”
Running backs coach Bryan McClendon is keeping an eye on how Gurley and Marshall handle the adulation that comes with success, although he isn’t worried.
“I’m a part of the process of keeping them humble,” McClendon said. “But they come from a great family, both of those guys. They’re very humble people to begin with, so that’s not something you foresee being an issue at all.”
On the field, the 6-foot-1, 218-pound Gurley is a blend of power and speed, while the 5-11, 216-pound Marshall is a former high school sprint champion who once competed against Gurley in the 100-meter dash. “I won,” Marshall said.
“Those two guys are thunder [Gurley] and lightning [Marshall],” King said.
Off the field, Gurley is affectionately described as “goofy” by several teammates and does not disagree. “I just like to have some fun, pick everybody up,” Gurley said. “I probably am a little goofy.” Marshall is described as the quieter of the two.
“They both act like little kids. They’re really cheerful, messing around the locker room, joking,” quarterback Aaron Murray said. “I don’t see them as guys who are going to let their fame or their success get to their heads too much and think they’re all that.”
– Tim Tucker
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242 comments Add your comment
Fair and Balanced
September 28th, 2012
9:00 am
We may return to “Tailback U”. This is not Richt’s favorite thing but heck…..winning is. He has a chance to really win now and rise above mediocrity. But the reality is that we have not played a tough opponent yet and the teams have played so far have done better than we expected them to against us. But hey….we are winning! Go Dawgs!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 28th, 2012
9:01 am
Hopefully coach Mclendon can do more than teach Gurley and Marshall stay humble but also stay away from Ogletree and Rambo’s bake sale.
tony
September 28th, 2012
9:01 am
Todd Gurley should move into the heisman race. A few more carries should put him within striking distance.
RxDawg
September 28th, 2012
9:02 am
Stay humble, don’t stuble
RxDawg
September 28th, 2012
9:02 am
stumble*
I don’t care if you shave
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 28th, 2012
9:03 am
You would think Richt would learn you have to have a good running game by now since his two best seasons that he had was with a 1000 plus yard rusher
Smokewagon
September 28th, 2012
9:04 am
Team chemistry seems to be much improved since CMR has removed some bad apples from the team. It is great to see the Gurley/Marshall tamdem working so well but also credit is due to the OL. Great chemistry has this team playing to their potential on both sides of the ball. Looking forward to a great season.
Evansdawg
September 28th, 2012
9:04 am
The “Gurshall” thing and Herschel talk is coming from within the team. Its inspiring them…and its about them. If they want to be inspired by the comparisons and it gives them momentum…go for it. I agree that Herschel comparisons among the fans is stale…but this time those comparisons are being sparked by the team itself. Our young team is getting inspired by our history and tradition. When’s the last time we saw it at this level? Lets all hope that it carries through to victories as each week unfolds.
Mudcat's Impala....
September 28th, 2012
9:06 am
Agreed Rob… Unselfish players like Samuel & Kiante Tripp are the epitome of the phrase DGD’s
Chick
September 28th, 2012
9:11 am
34 is back! We have 3 on Gurley and 4 on Marshall. So when you create Gurshall you have 34 ! Go dawgs
mike addington
September 28th, 2012
9:15 am
Sure is nice to smile again at my mention of my DAWGS instead of having the knawing resentment of bad apples and inept coaching tainting the stew. What a great nickname fot those two and don’t forget Boo Malcombe, who gets some tough yartds too, and Samuel, who is a great guy. We’ve got a team to be proud of boys and, looking at the All-Americans scattered throughout the roster, ths could very well be one of the best teams of the last 20 years that we’re watching right now. I don’t think they know how good they can be. Attitude is important, so I hope they look at themselves at national champs.
kingdaddy
September 28th, 2012
9:18 am
A common thread on the SEC / sports shows is they see our Oline getting the job done so far. As we step up in competition, we will learn more and more about our team. If we beat UT decisively, the same trolls will say we beat nobody. Let’s just play one game at a time and believe what you see. So far, things have worked out like clockwork. This game is scary but very winnable.
I don’t even want to talk about SC, until we get by UT. GATA UGA…
kingdaddy
September 28th, 2012
9:21 am
FYI
Richard Samuel is one of my All-Time Favorite BullDawgs EVER!!!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 28th, 2012
9:26 am
Samuel should have been left on defense or maybe placed at fullback
Now his future pro prospects have been ruined by the coaches
and I dont want hear about we needed him at tailback; he wasnt a tailback at this level of football he would have been better suited at another position
GT is a 4th rate High School Team
September 28th, 2012
9:27 am
@Flat tire is the old St. Simons, UGA may win the BCS Champ this year, and this troll will say at the end that UGA has not played anybody yet. LOL
34 ain't back...
September 28th, 2012
9:27 am
…and never will be…and, running backs are only as good as their blockers up front, just ask Malcome, and Samuel and the rest of those guys who tried to run the past 3 years…
Toccoa Dawg
September 28th, 2012
9:28 am
kingdaddy I agree. Tn is up next. We can talk about the chickenque AFTER we take care of the hounds. If the seniors want to give these two freshman a nickname so be it, they have earned the right to call them what ever they want. Richard Samuel will always be one of my favorite dawgs. TEAM FIRST.
McDawg
September 28th, 2012
9:29 am
“buttchuggers”–you learn something new each day
Nothing Could Be Finer
September 28th, 2012
9:30 am
Carolina’s rush defense is ranked No. 8 in the nation allowing only 67 rushing yards per game.
Ga’s freshmen puppies will have no chance, especially with that weak o-line.
Oh and look forward to seeing Erin Murray tossed around like a little rag doll by Clowney (again).
Woodstock Dawg
September 28th, 2012
9:34 am
VOLS at 3:30pm. The Crowd was great for the vandy Game. The place was not ever full. Lets get there early and blow that Power T out.
PS. Who’s your Daddy.
kingdaddy
September 28th, 2012
9:34 am
Flats
Who has Bama played yet? How about SC, who have they played? Look at LSU. How about Ohio State??? I don’t doubt Bama’s D, but so far I like the direction of CMRs Dawgs. Keep working on Special Teams and preaching disipline and the need to finish the drill and we will be fine. Hope we start fast and don’t take our foot off of UTs neck until the end of the 4th quarter. I don’t give a hoot about D. DOOLEY. If he gets fired because we beat them down, then so be it. Get fired up, and stay fired up…
CHDawg
September 28th, 2012
9:34 am
One thing we have to watch is building them up too quickly and setting them up for a big fall if they have a bad day. I love the way both of these guys run, but it wasn’t against top ten defenses. This week starts a string of increasingly competitive Ds. Let’s hope they keep pounding. One or two more weeks of 9+ypc and Gurley will really start getting national attention, and rightly so. But, it is going to get a whole lot harder. The line and backs will have to improve a lot to keep this pace up. If they do keep improving…look out!
Big Canoe
September 28th, 2012
9:42 am
“Jim”…you’ve got it right: Compliments to them and their parents!!
kingdaddy
September 28th, 2012
9:43 am
@ Nothing
Bwaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaa!!!!! Only thing we are worried about in Columbia is getting some undercooked, bad chicken. Lil stevie is scared and so are you. You come on our blog like a kid “whistling thru a graveyard”. Vandy took you to the wire and should have beaten you. You are like a one legged idiot in a butt-kicking contest. Moron…
joe jenkins
September 28th, 2012
9:44 am
Yeah i agree marshall and gurley are going to be great….I agree with kingdaddy …..I don’t want to talk about sc until we beat the hell out of tenn. Our secondary has no int’s so far….I think if we can get more pressure from the D-line it will lead to more int’s by our secondary. I’m still waiting on corn and drew to really start breaking olines down and forcing opposing qb’s into bad decisions….I would love it if they started this weekend
DAWGRX
September 28th, 2012
9:46 am
Of course, if/when we beat Carolina, the trolls will say they are overrated, too….and Florida….and Alabama…etc……
DawginLex
September 28th, 2012
9:47 am
law and order and random thoughts are brother and sister, trailer trash, toothless hillbilly lovers
Gurley and Marshall are doing great. Just like I predicted, our OL is deeper and more athletic and our RB are better than 2011.
This game tomorrow worries me a bit because of Rambo not having played yet. Patterson is the real deal. We need to make them one dimensional in the 1st half and the 2nd half
I think we can score but their defense is better than anyone we have played. We pull away in the 4th
40-23 UGA
Nothing Could Be Finer
September 28th, 2012
9:48 am
Dogs fans talk about how great Jarvis Jones and that defense is, but they rank No. 49 in the country in rush defense allowing 136 yards per game.
For a team that has never been able to stop Lattimore, its not looking too good on Oct. 6th.
DAWGRX
September 28th, 2012
9:50 am
And should we win the Natl. Championship, the trolls will say we still haven’t done anything because our schedule was ‘weak”, lucky, etc. It’s all about climbing whatever mountain has been placed before you. We’ll find out how weak or strong a schedule was after the season has ended and the final rankings are released. Seems here that neither Michigan, Arkansas or LSU are who the pre-season rankings thought they were…so Alabama’s schedule is what…?
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 28th, 2012
9:51 am
kingdaddy
AL and those others you have mentioned have won big games. We havent won a big game since 2005 and havent beaten a top 20 team in 3 years
Im not getting fired up until we push around and defeat SC TN and FL this year until then I will take the wait and see approach
Im tired of hearing this is the year and the next herschel walker is now on the team garbage from MORON fans like…….
(((GT is a 4th rate High School Team)))
Enough is enough thats all Im saying get out there and show someone up instead of talking about it
PsyLens
September 28th, 2012
9:51 am
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Bobo actually keeps running outside of the tackle-box and notices keeping the ball on O means the other teams O isn’t on the field. Then we finally get to take this D of ours out for a real test drive, even if some pieces are a little rusty. I say: Rambo and ‘ Tree fire up the D and we send Smoky whining all the way back to Knoxville.
Then we can start talking about breaking out the deep fryer and the best recipe for chicken
kingdaddy
September 28th, 2012
9:52 am
Now, back to something important, UT. I hope CTG can dial up some early hits on Bray and keep hitting him. Get pressure on him and he will turn it over. They will score, but I think we will outscore them. UGA has not run many stunts or blitz’s yet. They may loose a few Sat. @ 3:30. BTW, I hate Dooley’s orange pants…
joe jenkins
September 28th, 2012
9:53 am
I don’t know why miss dooley would go out of way to let us uga fans know that she is pulling for tenn. I hate to tell her…derek will never be vince….and he will probably get fired this season…Miss dooley should look on the bright side of him gettting fired….He can move back home and coach Georgia state…..so he can be with moma.
Thrillburn
September 28th, 2012
9:53 am
These guys are good, no doubt about it. Have yall seen these guys yet? http://www.JoJaBoys.com ? pretty freakin funny. Clearly no Munson, but my buddy sent me this link, not too bad
CHDawg
September 28th, 2012
9:54 am
DAWGRX, you broke the hater/troll code! If Georgia beats them, they are and were cupcakes, regardless of anything else. I like our schedule and ranking this year. We really don’t need to worry about anything but winning. If we win them all, we should be in the BCS because of strength of schedule. If we don’t win, we don’t get there. The talk and rankings matter a lot less this year to us unless everybody starts losing and we do, too. Go Dawgs.
DAWGRX
September 28th, 2012
9:54 am
@Nothing could be finer….seems to me that USC couldn’t stop UGA at all last year, either. You had two touchdowns from your defense and one touchdown on a fake punt. Comparing offenses, UGA’s manhandled USC 42-24. And we didn’t have Gurley and Marshall, then. I’d say USC should be as worried as you think UGA should be. Think about that…..
Mountain DAWG
September 28th, 2012
9:54 am
I am a true lover of “old man football” It would be nice to see Gurshall “dot the I” on most plays with a fullback in front. Feed it to them 30 times per game. What fun that would be. I love nothing more than to see a powerful running offense line up against a defense that KNOWS what is coming, but can’t do anything to stop it. Bobo, being a former pass-happy quarterback won’t let it happen, though. That’s unfortunate. A powerful running game can completely demoralize an opposing defense. Tech has proven that in recent games; their defense just sucks and they can’t outscore everyone. Buck Belue was a subpar passing quarterback, but looked like a hero by his good receivers and Herschel. His best plays were where he fed Herschel the ball in such a manner to allow him to get up to speed and hit the line at the right time and place. I even saw him throw a block for Herschel on more than one occasion. But I guess that is not good enough anymore. If a quarterback is not passing 25 or 30 times per game, it is an insult to him. Come on, Bobo; unleash Gurshall and watch the fun!
59bulldawg
September 28th, 2012
9:57 am
I think we are very fortunate to have these two very talented backs in our backfield. What’s makes it special is that they both lead by example! This is so, so refreshing from the past few seasons. Hope they both get 1,000+ yards this year.
rhbDAWG1
September 28th, 2012
9:58 am
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville and others of your ilk: Should we continue the drastic improvement and get the positive bounces and win the MNC, you and yours would surely talk about how the whole nation of college football is way off this year and UGA is just not that good and should have an asterisk in the record books.
Say What???
September 28th, 2012
9:58 am
@ Nothing could be finer, I would temper that enthusiasm you have for your rushing defense. I mean, you guys have played Vandy (58th in rushing), East Carolina (113th in rushing), UAB (109th in rushing), and Mizzu (76th in rushing). UGA is currently ranked 19th in rushing. If you guys can stop us, then the #8 rating is warrented. If you look at the two teams we have both played, we beat Vandy like a drum where you squeaked out a victory only because of a blow pass interference call, and we both beat Mizzu by 21 points.
I am not sure that we will beat your team, but I feel better statistically about our chances than I would if I were in your shoes.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 28th, 2012
9:58 am
plus Richt has never beaten all the SEC East teams in the same year since he has been at UGA
Sperrior did that at SC last year come on SC!!!!!!
Ga James
September 28th, 2012
9:59 am
Gurshall – OK. Marley – oh no! Good choice TK.
joe jenkins
September 28th, 2012
10:00 am
I agree with you kingdaddy….That the pressure we put on bray will finally break him down…I just hope jarvis is on his ‘A’ game. And gets some help from corn and tree. Does anybody know if corn has a sack this year….As big as Corn is and fast…He should be second on the team in sacks….Like i said if our d-line has their best game of the year…we will desroy them
cwm
September 28th, 2012
10:01 am
PLEASE DAWG FANS LEAVE #1 AND #3 ALONE AND MOVE ON WITH GURLEY AND MARSHALL THX
Nothing Could Be Finer
September 28th, 2012
10:03 am
DAWGRX
September 28th, 2012
9:54 am
@Nothing could be finer….seems to me that USC couldn’t stop UGA at all last year, either. You had two touchdowns from your defense and one touchdown on a fake punt. Comparing offenses, UGA’s manhandled USC 42-24. And we didn’t have Gurley and Marshall, then. I’d say USC should be as worried as you think UGA should be. Think about that…..
——————————————–
Think about it, fumbles and interceptions are considered stops. Erin Murray had both and both went for TD’s. Pretty good.
As for this year, your little freshment pups at running back have yet to face a defense as stout as Carolina’s.
UGA Insider
September 28th, 2012
10:03 am
UGA- 35
Tenn-21
It’s gonna be a good game. Dooley is coaching for his coaching life. Mrs. Dooley has basically told us so. Petrino rumors everywhere. I really want to predict us hanging 40+ like DAWGINLEX did but I’m not as confident as last week. I guess my mind takes me back to 2007 when I went to Knoxville and got petaled by empty whiskey bottles as my Dawgs go throttled by a freshman QB. 28-0 in the first quarter I think! Cost UGA a MNC I might add. People can say whatever about us getting screwed but CMR did not have us ready to play that day.
59bulldawg
September 28th, 2012
10:05 am
Also this . . . In the past I have been extremely critical of Bobo’s playcalling. I don’t know if my eyes are deceiving me or not but it seems like he’s running the ball more so far this season. Maybe it’s because he has more trust in the backfield but I think it’s always a good thing to establish the run first before opening up the passing game. Great players can make even a mediocre OC look great but perhaps Bobo has finally learned to love the rushing game as much as he loves to pass.
0rlandodawg
September 28th, 2012
10:06 am
thanks to Gurshall’s parents! Hats off to both families for raising two fine young men! Is this season exciting or what! Can’t wait to get in section 320 Saturday and raise some he$$…Go Dawgs!
Nothing Could Be Finer
September 28th, 2012
10:06 am
Say What???
September 28th, 2012
9:58 am
@ Nothing could be finer, I would temper that enthusiasm you have for your rushing defense. I mean, you guys have played Vandy (58th in rushing), East Carolina (113th in rushing), UAB (109th in rushing), and Mizzu (76th in rushing). UGA is currently ranked 19th in rushing.
——————
And the dogs have played two of those teams yet rank only No. 49.
Connor Shaw and Lattimore are gonna gash that “3-4″
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 28th, 2012
10:06 am
rhbDAWG1
“others of my ilk”
Really!!!
No its UGA fans like you who make us the laughing stock of the SEC with all the “THIS IS THE YEAR WE ARE WINNING THE NATIONAL TITLE AND LOOK ITS HERSCHEL WALKER ON THE FIELD AGAIN” kool-aid that I hear over and over and over for the last 32 years
Please stop let the season play out our schedule is tougher than 90% of most schools in the nation if we win a national title this year great I dont see it happening though