Best freshman tailback? Georgia’s Todd Gurley or Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon
A plethora of long runs, such as this one against Tennessee, is what has separated Todd Gurley from a lot of other freshman backs in the SEC this season. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS – Seeing how he’s now considered a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny “Football” Manziel would seem a shoo-in for SEC Freshman of the Year. But the argument over who might be the best freshman running back in the league remains a good one that might not be settled until after Saturday’s SEC Championship game.
Both Alabama and Georgia received all they could have hoped for from their first-year backs. The Bulldogs have been led all season by Todd Gurley, a 6-foot-1, 218-pound true freshman from Tarboro, N.C. Gurley became the first UGA true freshman since Herschel Walker in 1980 to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season when he broke the barrier two weeks ago. He enters the SEC title game with 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns, including a 100-yard kickoff return.
Alabama's T.J. Yeldon has gained 291 fewer yards and scored four fewer touchdowns than Gurley will splitting time with Eddie Lacy. (AP photo)
T.J. Yeldon hasn’t been quite as productive for the Crimson Tide but he hasn’t had to be. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound tailback from Daphne, Ala., comes into the weekend with 847 yards and 10 touchdowns. But while Gurley is Georgia’s primary back, Yeldon remains a backup for junior starter Eddie Lacy, who has rushed for 1,001 yards and 14 touchdowns. Yeldon has 6.6 yards-per-carry average to Gurley’s 6.5.
Of course, Gurley also has an understudy, but his is also a true freshman. Keith Marshall has averaged 6.7 yards a carry while rushing for 720 yards and eight TDs while alternating with Gurley.
Georgia’s duo has the full attention of the Crimson Tide.
“They run the ball extremely well,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “Todd has obviously played the most, but both of those guys are really good players. And they have a good offensive line. That creates a tremendous amount of balance with them with a good quarterback (in Aaron Murray) who is able to complete a high percentage of his passes.”
Said Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosely: “We haven’t really faced a team that has a one-two punch like that.”
Other than in Alabama practice.
Lacy and Yeldon have provided the same sort of inside-outside combination Georgia has in Gurley and Marshall. Along with third-string tailback Kenyan Drake — a freshman from Powder Springs who has run for 273 yards and two touchdowns in mop-up duty — the Crimson Tide is averaging 5.4 yards per carry as a team. Texas A&M is the only SEC team getting more per rush (5.6), while Georgia is the only other league team averaging 5 or better (5.0).
Loading ...“(Bama’s offense is) designed to put the ball in their hands and their line really fires off well,” Georgia linebacker Christian Robinson said. “You don’t see a lot of missed assignments. You see a hat on a hat. That means the running back finds the hole and is able to get to that second level a lot faster than some other teams we’ve maybe played in the past. “Both of those backs are able to hit it up and spin and turn for those extra yards that a lot of other backs that we’ve faced to this point haven’t been able to do.”
If there is anything that Georgia running backs have done better than Alabama, it is what coaches call the “home run.” The Bulldogs’ duo of Gurley and Marshall has ripped off 18 runs of 20 or more yards. Included in that total are 10 jaunts of 30 or more yards and eight of more than 40. Marshall has scoring runs of 75, 72, 62 and 52 yards while Gurley has recorded runs of 55, 51, 49 and 44 yards.
“That may be more than we’ve had in the last five years combined,” Georgia coach Mark said.
Both Gurley and Marshall came to Georgia with nationally-rated track speed. But that’s not what they credit for their long-distance success.
“It’s the line, man, and the fullbacks and the receivers out there blocking,” Gurley said. “It’s our job to finish off runs when we get into the secondary. But all those long runs you’ve seen, that’s the line and our fullbacks giving their effort.”
Alabama’s backs have been nearly as explosive. The Tide has gotten a 73-yard run from Lacy, a 43-yarder from Yeldon and several others of more than 30 yards.
“They are very similar,” Georgia senior cornerback Sanders Commings said. “Gurley is a power back but he can also break away from people just like Lacy. For us, Keith Marshall reminds me of their No. 4, Yeldon. They both, when they find a hole, no one catches them. I think they’re very similar.”
That is part of the reason both offenses have been so effective. Both teams utilize pro-style offenses that are led by highly-efficient quarterbacks. Murray leads the nation in pass efficiency with a rating of 177.15. Alabama’s A.J. McCarron is second at 176.26. The teams average 38 and 39 points per game, respectively.
“You got to be able to run the ball good enough to make your play-action pass worth it,” Richt said. “You have to be able to reduce some yardage on first or second downs. … We are doing a lot of the things you need to do.”
MORE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE
- Bowl options not great for losing team
- Sanders Commings agrees that UGA’s defense ‘best in country’
- Georgia QB Aaron Murray declines all interviews this week
- Matchup: Georgia’s rushing offense vs. Bama’s rushing defense
- Bradley: Dogs must overcome Alabama’s aura
- UGA-Bama winner gets Miami for BCS Championship
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106 comments Add your comment
First
November 26th, 2012
10:31 pm
First!
ga gator
November 26th, 2012
10:37 pm
Gurley is far superior because he did not have a dominating OL like Yeldon did.
GT Fan
November 26th, 2012
10:40 pm
Yeldon is better.
Gurley is going to get run down with that many attempts and the pressure put on him.
In the long run, Yeldon will prove to be the best.
ViningsMike
November 26th, 2012
10:40 pm
Gurley by far. My God, a Freshman!
Shawn
November 26th, 2012
10:49 pm
Gurley is the better back. Yield on has ball security issues that Gurley does not have. He also is blessed with a better O line all year. UGA’s line has played well recently but started out not as good!
Shawn
November 26th, 2012
10:49 pm
Yeldon- darn auto correct!
Mark Carroll
November 26th, 2012
10:53 pm
Gurley will prove Himself better over the next few years. In 2015 we’ll be asking whatever happened to what’s his name?
BigDawg
November 26th, 2012
10:57 pm
Yeldon comes in as a backup when Lacy has worn them down. Gurley faces fresh players when he comes in and doesn’t have the OL Bammer has. So, Gurley!
Bernie Matt
November 26th, 2012
11:11 pm
Why not just debate who was better between Herschel and Bo Jackson. This is ridiculous! It’s pretty obvious both are really good and perhaps on their way to being considered great when they leave college for the pros in 2 years. They may go 1 and 2, in the draft in 2 years, who cares what order. Both O lines better come prepared to ball for 4 quarters. I hope UGA wins, 30 plus years is a long time to wait (of course, I’m already calling the winner of this game to destroy N. Dame). But I look forward to a hell of a game with both these kids and Lacy and Marshall ripping off some exciting runs. Should be fun, my seat in the Dome is already booked.
Raiderbeater
November 26th, 2012
11:13 pm
Alabama has the better O-Line.
Gurley is better. Stats and facts prove it…..but we can discuss this all day.
Which team will be better for 4hrs on Saturday? We’ll see.
R
November 26th, 2012
11:22 pm
Miami’s Duke Johnson is clearly better than both.
Greg
November 26th, 2012
11:31 pm
As usual the SECCG is the NCG in everything but name. ND would lose to Bama, UGA, UF, LSU, Aggies, Gamecocks and maybe Vandy. The game Gurley had against UF showed me! He’s the best.
OrlandoDawg
November 26th, 2012
11:41 pm
they are both awesome! Dawgs, just win this game, win this game!!!!!
Truth
November 26th, 2012
11:54 pm
Pretty dumb to be asking uga fans to say the other teams rb is better. Slow night for news I guess.
John Hulk
November 27th, 2012
12:00 am
That’s a really good analysis, GT Fan, of Gurley vs Yeldon!
You Fool!
L.A. BULLDAWG
November 27th, 2012
12:26 am
THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES! IT’S NOT EVEN UP FOR DISCUSSION! TODD GURLEY, HANDS DOWN! IN FACT, KEITH MARSHALL, IS A BETTER UNDER STUDY THAN YELDON!
The REAL Phil
November 27th, 2012
2:44 am
One thing about it GT Bob, Gurley is better than anyone your team has or will ever have as long as that coach is there. You should stay off the blogs and go wipe off the wax your team just got laid on them.
Destin Dawg
November 27th, 2012
5:59 am
I’m glad we have Gurshall the next couple years… great attitudes… work ethic… team spirit… Go Dawgs… beat Bama !!!
Kingsx7
November 27th, 2012
6:19 am
JUST WIN BABY !!!!!!!!!!!
dmr
November 27th, 2012
6:59 am
The situations are completely different. Yeldon came into a situation where he had an elder statesman in the backfield. Yeldon was also not asked to carry the load. Yeldon has been a great freshman back. Gurley on the other hand, came into a situation that got worse after his recruitiment. Georgia, already thin at running back, had to let Crowell go. The Georgia backfield was the biggest question mark by far, along with the O-line.
Gurley handled this like a pro. And so did Marshall, just to give him credit. If Gurley had been playing for Alabama and Yeldon for Georgia, I think the outcomes would still be about the same. They are both dynamic backs with great SEC futures. Time will tell, but it will be fun to watch.
And the winner is....
November 27th, 2012
7:30 am
Gurley hands down. The numbers dont lie.
Dawg_Mike
November 27th, 2012
7:53 am
I remember this same lame argument – who is better, Julio Jones or AJ Green….Doesnt matter, they both are superstars.
keniboy
November 27th, 2012
8:06 am
does anybody else wanna see if we can get GTfan banned from this blog?
RedandBlackDAWG
November 27th, 2012
8:18 am
Give Gurley a seasoned veteran line like Alabama had at the beginning of the year and he would probably have 300+ more yards on his resume.
The OL line right now, has vastly improved but still has a way to go to be considered really good. Gurley has made a fair amount of his yards after contact and if the UGA line keeps improving and adds a little more size next year, he will easily eclipse any sophomore records out there in the SEC, and possibly the NCAA. He gives UGA the balance on offense they haven’t had in the last few years. To think that he is only a freshman is pretty amazing. Marshall isn’t too bad either to slot into the plays, as he is fast and doesn’t need a whole lot of room to hit the hole. I believe they have the potential to be the best tandem of running backs in the SEC next year.
Best freshman tailback? Georgia’s Todd Gurley or Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon – Georgia – Dawg News
November 27th, 2012
8:29 am
[...] reading here: Best freshman tailback? Georgia’s Todd Gurley or Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon ← Back to Home Tags: bulldogs, eddie lacy, foot, freshman, georgia bulldogs, gurley, [...]
HunkerDown
November 27th, 2012
8:50 am
With my wife being an Alabama Grad, I’ve watched both guys all year. Yeldon is a stud, but does have some ball security kinks to work out. With that said, I feel that both guys are extremely talented and will go far as long as they stay healthy (cough, cough, Lattimore). My UGA bias gives Gurley a slight edge at this point… he has done more with a much weaker OLine. Go Dawgs!
Gene
November 27th, 2012
8:56 am
The team with the best coaches will win the game.
HunkerDown
November 27th, 2012
9:00 am
Gene,
That’s some incredible insight there… However this conversation is about two backs and which is the better talent. Again, that’s some top notch stuff there, just a little off topic.
SimpleDawg
November 27th, 2012
9:02 am
Very similar offenses…..
Which defense domintes will tell the tale…..
Chris Mike
November 27th, 2012
9:04 am
Gurley is better, but it is very close. I think Gurley style is very unique. He hits the hole with those long strides and pull away from the defender and when those dbs try to hit him he just runs them over.
What they’re saying in Georgia about Alabama’s SEC Championship Game opponent (Tuesday links) – Alabama – Crimson Tide News
November 27th, 2012
9:09 am
[...] From AJC.com, the website of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:* UGA isn’t just playing a team — it’s facing the Alabama aura* Bowl options not great for SEC Championship Game loser* Georgia-Alabama history on the gridiron* Matchup: Georgia rushing offense vs. Alabama rushing defense* Best freshman RB? Georgia’s Todd Gurley or Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon [...]
Bo Duke
November 27th, 2012
9:10 am
Gurley has been up to the test at running over the high school teams that Georgia has been playing. Go back and look at the SC game. What did he do in that game????? NOTHING!!!!!!!!!! It’s easy to put up big numbers when you play high school teams!!!!! Just like your QB again he did NOTHING in SC game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sammy
November 27th, 2012
9:23 am
No one runs the ball well against Bama, LSU & Texas A & M, both averaged under 5 yards per rush.
Bama will sell out to stop the run, so just punish them throwing the ball like LSU & Texas A & M did so easily.
Sammy
November 27th, 2012
9:33 am
Johnny Manziel got over 5 yards per carry vs. Bama.
Murray might have a trick or two up his sleeve, he can motor and has great wheeels, if Murray runs for 75+ yards, UGA wins.
You have to get rush yards in unusual ways against Bama, like Manziel did.
LSU got 130+ yards rushing, but we don’t have to, if they jam 8 in the box to stop the run, Murray will torch them all day long.
UGA is the most balanced offense in the country, as Bama will find out. You cannot stop UGA’s offense, you have to decide to stop the run or pass.
GSU sold out to stop the UGA run, so UGA threw for 5 td’s. All points count, pass or run.
I do believe Murray is No 1 in the country in:
pass effic
yards per pass attempt
I believe they’ll see the Murray that had LSU confused for 2 quarters in last year’s SEC Championship game.
I believe UGA is the best defense Bama has faced, best dline, best linebackers, best corners, best safeties. UGA has the best receivers, best QB, best tight ends, best running backs, best oline, Bama has faced.
Bama will have to play a perfect game to beat UGA.
GT Bobblehead
November 27th, 2012
9:38 am
I could run the ball behind AL’s Oline and get 600 yards. Yeldon has put the ball on the ground in key spots against the 1 defense AL played against.
HunkerDown
November 27th, 2012
9:39 am
Sammy, I agree with the majority of what you said… problem is Bama is much more disciplined. Dawgs have to keep the penalties down. My worry is at the coaching level… CMB has to bring the right gameplan to beat this defense. OLine has to give Aaron time to throw the ball, if they do, he will pick apart the lackluster Bama secondary. Need to at least try to establish Gurley early!
Opinio
November 27th, 2012
9:40 am
If GA defense can play disciplined, this could be a good game. I’m a Dawg fan and I worry they go for the ‘kill’ shot too often and miss tackles. If you miss on Lacey or Yelton, they make you pay.
WhereisJOBO
November 27th, 2012
9:47 am
Another freshman RB on the Tide is Kenyan Drake. KD is a complete stud that graduated from Hillgrove High School here in West Cobb. Look for # 17 to make a contribution when he receives more carries.
slydog
November 27th, 2012
9:49 am
On the surface, it’s a bit too easy to say Yeldon, but he runs behind an already established running back and an NFL-caliber offensive line. Gurley is better at shedding tacklers by just churning those big legs while Yeldon sheds tacklers with a slight little shimmy move. Both use the stiff arm to perfection. I would have to give a slight edge to Yeldon based off of his ability to catch passes and a better understanding of how to make defenders miss at this point in their young careers. Both have great vision but Yeldon can cutback a bit better. So here is my summary: Yeldon is a little bit better but I think (and he looks) like a somewhat finished product who is already NFL-ready. Gurley actually has a higher ceiling for growth but not by much. For those who do not understand: Yeldon virtually has no flaws save experience. Gurley can improve in a couple of areas that Yeldon is already pretty good at.
slydog
November 27th, 2012
9:53 am
Coach BoBo: PLEASE dust off the short passing game that was once a hallmark under CMR when he called the plays. Screens, crossing, and slant patterns (and a lot of Jay Rome) will be needed Saturday. Bama is not going to allow Murray 5 seconds to throw the football down field with this average offensive line. Georgia is not Texas AM, you are no Kevin Sumlin, and Murray definitely is no Manziel. Get rid of the ball quickly and keep Aaron moving around the pocket on sprints and roll outs. Heck, call a few QB draws just to keep them honest.
ApothecaryMark
November 27th, 2012
9:55 am
It is funny to see all the posts about how “the numbers do not lie” in support of Girly. Yet, dog fans have said all week that UGA’s defense is superior to Alabama while having far worse numbers. UGA yields almost twice as many points per game and an additional yard per play overall. It must be great to live in a universe where people are selective in which numbers the support!
Dirty Dawg
November 27th, 2012
10:03 am
OK, not gonna make any predictions, but am gonna suggest an ultimate outcome that could be most satisfying. Georgia and Alabama both play an outstanding game and one wins in overtime in what is called ‘the best game ever’ by the pundit class. The winner goes on to kick Notre Dame’s butt…the loser goes to the Capitol One and beats whoever by a ton…Florida plays, and loses, in the Sugar Bowl…as do all the other remaining one-loss teams…THEN Georgia and Alabama wind up being ranked 1 and 2. Now I could handle that since, among other things, it would mean Florida wouldn’t actually benefit from ‘not’ playing in the SEC Championship game. And while I’m at it, Florida ends up with four or five turnovers from FSU and it’s called ‘domination’, while Georgia takes the ball away from UF six times and we were ‘lucky’ cause they ‘gave em to us’.
Raiderbeater
November 27th, 2012
10:16 am
ApothecaryMark,
ALABAMA has a superior O-Line.
Gurley rushed for more yards
UGA and BAMA’s opponents have the same rush defensive stats between them.
Gurly was better with a worse oline against the same ranked rush Defenses.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 27th, 2012
10:41 am
slydog, I thought that I was the only one who remembered the short game. We have the players to do that sort of thing, always have. Now would be a good time to use them. Having Murray waste a few downs chucking the long ball over the WR’s head will not work against Bama. Getting some yardage on every down and grinding the clock might.
kevin
November 27th, 2012
10:59 am
Bernie Matt at 11:11pm
“Why not just debate who was better between Herschel and Bo Jackson.”
This kind of comment is ridiculous.
If you’re going to debate that, you better be fair and compare Bo’s first 3 seasons with Herschel’s 3 seasons. But no matter what you look at, there is no debate here. Herschel Walker is always mentioned as one of the very best college football players in history. Many times, he’s just stated as the best. Period. These things are subjective, but when the common opinion keeps on being the same thing, it has merit. Also, the only opinions that matter are the ones of people old enough to have seen both play. So if you weren’t born before AT LEAST 1975, all you’re going by is stats, lore, etc. There are quite a few complete Georgia games on youtube now from the Herschel years. That helps see his greatness.
RxDawg
November 27th, 2012
11:01 am
Man I duno about this one. That Yeldon guy, if he can hang onto the ball, he’s pretty good. He’s got some major pep in his step. Kinda reminds me of McFadden or A. Petterson. For now, I’d go with Gurley because he’s just as good upstairs as he is downstairs. I just don’t know what kind of teamate Yeldon is. But I do know he went through some recruiting drama and spotlight last year pitting Auburn against Alabama. While it doesn’t hurt my feelings to see Auburn get burned in the slightest, it does make me a little weary of the type of person that would go through that. Regardless, Gurley is a fine running back and an even better teamate. So Todd’s the man!
azdawg
November 27th, 2012
11:22 am
They’re both very good backs. Who’s better in this SECCG will depend on their respective OL’s vs the opposing Defenses. I wonder what these two RB’s would have done if they ran behind the opposing teams OL?
There’s a lot of “if GA can(s)” in this game. The two biggest or most important challenges for the dawgs falls on Murray and Jarvis Jones and how they play. Those two guys are key to winning over Bama. They need to make some big plays that have impact on the outcome of the game. Other’s on the team will have their shining moments (I hope), however, AM and JJ need to dominate their side of the ball to beat the best team in the country. Lets hope it happens. GA DAWGS!
Slim
November 27th, 2012
11:31 am
TJ and Alabama are going to run all over UGA. Bama has the best OL and UGA gave up 207 yards rushing to UK. Get ready cause you ain’t going to be able to stop Bama and their running game!
Randall "Pink" Floyd
November 27th, 2012
11:32 am
UGA is going to get smacked in the mouth early and often by Bama’s O-Line and giant backs. We simply have to bow up. Go Dawgs.
Tech Sucks
November 27th, 2012
11:40 am
lol @ the sad Tech fans saying Gurley isn’t as good as Yeldon. Congrats on your 6-6 season Nerds.
slydog
November 27th, 2012
11:52 am
Fact: Saban, being from the Belichik School of Football Economics, is going to completely take away Georgia’s best weapon- Gurley and Marshall, and force them to play one dimensional. The DB’s will play zone even if they blitz the LB’s. So Murray can’t just chunk it down the field at will. Jay Rome needs at least 6-7 catches and 10 targets this game right across the middle or sitting inside of Bama’s zone. Also, Marshall needs to flare out for more swing passes and shovel passes. 3-4 yards at a time is better than sacks, turnovers and 3 and outs.
RedandBlackDAWG
November 27th, 2012
12:01 pm
Bo Duke
November 27th, 2012
9:10 am
And yet, remarkably, they have already done more in their young lives than you will ever accomplish.
Vampire Bill
November 27th, 2012
12:04 pm
Yeldon fumbles too much, that’s all there is to it.
Huh?
November 27th, 2012
12:04 pm
Shouldn’t this be about Yeldon vs Marshall? They are both backups that benefit from getting to see the defenses before getting their first carry. But as it isn’t I am partial to Gurley based on his ability to “fall forward” and get that extra yard whether it is for a TD or just in the middle of the field. That guy finishes every run. Yeldon is good and coould turn out special, but it’s more of a wait and see thing with him. He’s still not the man as Gurley quickly became
RedandBlackDAWG
November 27th, 2012
12:07 pm
Tech Sucks
November 27th, 2012
11:40 am
After Saturday’s ACC championship, it will be 6-7 and unless, Tech. is granted a waiver to play in sunny El Paso, they can spend the extra time sharpening their pencil collection.
NCdawg
November 27th, 2012
12:32 pm
Could this week go by any slower. Hope the Dawgs come ready to play in the Dome.
McDawg
November 27th, 2012
12:34 pm
hope we play better D than against Tech-they moved the ball at will
love to watch K. Marshall run-you don’t realize how fast he is going until you look at the defenders-smoothest runner in CFB
McDawg
November 27th, 2012
12:38 pm
need to come out throwing and get Murray in a rythm
ND has the best defense but i think we match up well against them
hope our kickers are dependable
bham dawg
November 27th, 2012
12:38 pm
@McDawg… i agree he doesn’t even look like he is moving that fast until you see the guys chasing him and he just pulls away. i love how he runs with that foward lean also, Gurly is too upright sometimes.
7576DAWG
November 27th, 2012
12:38 pm
In the Texas A&M game at the end of the game Lacy was hurting and Saban was more confident in his Quarterback getting the ball in from the 6 yard line than a Freshman who has fumbled some this year.
If Lacy had been full strength Alabama would have run the ball four times but they would have only needed 2 plays.
If Saban had had Gurley with no ball control issues at all this year and Lacy not at 100% he would have run the ball 4 times with Gurley. Both are great backs but I give the edge to Gurley.
Mobile Dawg
November 27th, 2012
12:39 pm
Both are great backs, so instead of trying to figure out which one is better how about ask the question, which one meant the most to their team.
bham dawg
November 27th, 2012
12:42 pm
@mobile Dawg… that’s not even a debate. no way we get by florida without gurley
sickdog
November 27th, 2012
12:45 pm
Gurley. His stats would be more impressive also if he hadnt been pulled from a couple of games in the 3rd. I say he could have a couple hundred more yards and few TD’s easily.
7576DAWG
November 27th, 2012
12:46 pm
Marshall isn’t far behind both Yeldon and Gurley, if at all. When Marshall see’s a hole open his first step to get through that hole is one of the fastest I have ever seen. Gurley is fast with that first step but not as fast as Marshall. Gurley is more about power when he hits the hole . Both are about the same when in the open field. Not many defensive backs will ever run either down in the open field.
WDE
November 27th, 2012
12:53 pm
Just got to wonder how many yards Gurley would have if he was the featured back and had Bama’s OL he would be closing on HW territory .
7576DAWG
November 27th, 2012
12:55 pm
I really like the way Richt has used Gurley and Marshall this year. Both running no more than 10 or 15 times a game has kept them strong all year.
There is no way anybody can convince me that Lattimore wasn’t hurt because of over use by Spurrier. When you run the ball over 30 time every game your Ligaments and tendons and muscles just get fatigued and can give way in a physical Conference like the SEC. Spurrier’s motto of winning at any cost may be destroying one of the best back ever to run in college. Lattimore is a great guy and if I was his father I would go to Spurrier and tell him that my son would be transferring if Spurrier didn’t agree to limit his carry’s.
bham dawg
November 27th, 2012
12:59 pm
@7576… if we didn’t have keith marshall gurley would be getting around 25 touches a game. Just saying SC hasn’t really had a compliment back.
replacement ref
November 27th, 2012
1:02 pm
Sammy, whatever your smokeing, I’ll take some. That must be some good stuff..
JimDog85
November 27th, 2012
1:03 pm
Has anyone else noticed that the long runs our backs were making seemed to stop after Bennett went out with his knee injury. That guy was a beast as a blocker at the wideout postion. Marvin Brown was pretty good too. The other guys, Mitchell, TK and Connoly are more focused on catching passes (which they do rather well – not to complain or anything). I especially like the way Connoly picks the ball out of the air with two hands. He is going to be a special player before he heads off to the NFL.
America spoke
November 27th, 2012
1:11 pm
Gurley might well be the best running back in the country after first contact! Rarely, does he go down with the first hit (unlike Michael Turner!).
dawgfarts
November 27th, 2012
1:17 pm
hey look, i have “dawg” in my screenname as well
Tide 48
November 27th, 2012
1:20 pm
They are both great backs. I would say Gurley has the edge right now only because Yeldon is not Bama’s primary back. Only time will tell but I don’t think either one of them will be a disappointment to either team down the road. This is going to be a great game between too really good football teams. Of course I want Bama to win but if the Dawgs come out on top, you’ve got this Bama’s fans support against Notre Dame!!
Buckeye
November 27th, 2012
1:27 pm
Maurice Clarett won the NC as a Freshman.
Ha!
Clay
November 27th, 2012
1:30 pm
This is not a good comparison. Gurley’s stats are more in line with (if not better than) Lacy and Yeldon is more in line with Keith Marshall.
Huh?
November 27th, 2012
1:32 pm
Yo Buckeye:
Did Clarett win it or did he steal it? Rumor has it he was high and heavily armed during that game
Built Ford Tough
November 27th, 2012
1:36 pm
Tech fans need to just bow out of any discussion on football, cause Tech just plain sucks.
RxDawg
November 27th, 2012
1:41 pm
“Rarely, does he go down with the first hit (unlike Michael Turner!).”
Well geesh, in his defense Turner has some better talent trying to bring him down.
Heat Check
November 27th, 2012
1:53 pm
Poor Sammy,
I see you have been drinking your daddy’s moonshine again…. smh… you were on here this same time last year spouting useless stats and how between the common opponents UGA had with LSU that UGA had the advantage and Murray would do this and that… bla bla bla
LSU destroying UGA 42-10 is how that worked out, so I hope you’re here on Saturday night with that nonsense
Todd - Lawrenceville
November 27th, 2012
2:00 pm
A true Ga fan but I’ll tell you after Saturday night’s game… My God, I am hoping it’s Gurley, if nothing more than anything, we share the same 1st name. That has to count for something, you think?
Who’s The Best Freshman Tailback Gurley Or Yeldon? : BamaFootball4Life
November 27th, 2012
2:03 pm
[...] T.J. Yeldon hasn’t been quite as productive for the Crimson Tide but he hasn’t had to be. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound tailback from Daphne, Ala., comes into the weekend with 847 yards and 10 touchdowns. But while Gurley is Georgia’s primary back, Yeldon remains a backup for junior starter Eddie Lacy, who has rushed for 1,001 yards and 14 touchdowns. Yeldon has 6.6 yards-per-carry average to Gurley’s 6.5. Of course, Gurley also has an understudy, but his is also a true freshman. Keith Marshall has averaged 6.7 yards a carry while rushing for 720 yards and eight TDs while alternating with Gurley. Georgia’s duo has the full attention of the Crimson Tide. “They run the ball extremely well,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. [More] [...]
Football Fan
November 27th, 2012
2:15 pm
Easy, Yelden, UGA has not played a tough schedule…UGS only has S Carolina and UF for tough games and you can’t argue that.
WDE
November 27th, 2012
2:24 pm
Football Fan give me a break your guys run behind the best OL in the country or so we are told. And who was so tough on your schedule ? LSU who should have beat you and A&M who did ! You ducked UGA,USC and the Gators…
Oklahoma Dawg
November 27th, 2012
2:26 pm
I have seen both play two times each this year. Gurley is a power runner with good cut back speed. Have not seen much from him in the recieving aspect of his game. Yeldon is a power runner who can also catch the ball with soft hands.
Both are great young players. Gurley will do well in the NFL if he stays healthy. I call it a wash as both do what is expected of them and more for their respective teams.
someone who knows
November 27th, 2012
2:36 pm
honestly, the Drake kid is probably going to be better than both of them…
Oklahoma Dawg
November 27th, 2012
2:37 pm
Not to change the subject, but this morning out here in OKC, I had the pleasure to speak with a couple of folks who have done some minor work for the NCAA in the past few years and they said without a doubt that if the items that are proven to be true regarding Auburn are accurate the impact of Auburn Football will be one of the biggest in modern( BCS era) football history. They also said that this investigation is not just this year but goes back several years and that people who would not talk in the past have given up resources and documents that will impact the program very very negatively.
someone who knows
November 27th, 2012
2:39 pm
Clarett’s profile would have been perfect for UGA…missed out on that one dawgs…
Oklahoma Dawg
November 27th, 2012
2:44 pm
WDE
November 27th, 2012
2:24 pm
Football Fan give me a break your guys run behind the best OL in the country or so we are told. And who was so tough on your schedule ? LSU who should have beat you and A&M who did ! You ducked UGA,USC and the Gators…
Too funny, this comment coming from a Auburn fan who is now commenting on ” LSU should have beat you”, and while Johnny Football and A&M put up 60 plus on the Tiger on Dye Field.
Both UGA and Bama are good teams, both will represent the Conference well in the BCSCG.
Big Mo
November 27th, 2012
2:47 pm
AJ Green is better, no point to even debate….
WDE
November 27th, 2012
2:48 pm
Oklahoma Dawg your right it would be funny if I was a Auburn fan . I’m a UGA fan and my initials are WDE and I use them as my handle to confound and confuse the Barners .
Mark (another one)
November 27th, 2012
2:51 pm
I watch these two and it is comparable to watching AJ Green and Julio Jones at receiver a few years back. Both are greatly skilled, and if they keep their heads on straight and keep developing, they will both be stars on Sunday. Anyone trying to say one is better than the other at this point is splitting hairs.
someone who knows
November 27th, 2012
2:53 pm
the NCAA will let Auburn and North Carolina slide with a slap on the wrist…but let Northern Arizona or Sacramento State color outside the lines, they will drop the hammer…its all about how much revenue you can contribute…
RammerJammer 14
November 27th, 2012
3:06 pm
Yeldon has 47 fewer rushing attempts than Gurley. Taking Yeldon’s 6.6 yards per and multiply that times 47 would equal 1157 yards for the season. Just slightly higher than Gurley. Just sayin… Both are awesome but to say it’s not even close means you have not seen Yeldon play. He is the next great one at Bama.
WDE
November 27th, 2012
3:19 pm
RammerJammer 14 no one that knows college football would not know Yeldon is the real deal, I have to think that if Gurley had your OL from day one to run behind his stats would be much better…I OL is much better than it was the first 4-5 games but still a ways behind your bunch they are just that good.
Longhorn Sally via Kansas
November 27th, 2012
3:28 pm
The UGA Offensive Line is not as good as you guys from UGA make them out to be. Every Game and I mean Every Game that UGA played that the opposing team got pressure on Murray he upchucks the ball and makes wild throws. Since the UF game UGA has had a cake walk and now the UGA nation is putting UGA up there like their O line is almight and great. Our O-line in Texas is as good as UGA’s and ours is horrible. Gurley may well get a 100 yards rushing but it will be his hardest 100 yards of the year.
RxDawg
November 27th, 2012
3:28 pm
@Oklahoma Dawg
November 27th, 2012
2:37 pm
Well I hope your right. Enough is enough with those arrogant cheaters. Justice needs to be served.
O'Ventbrel
November 27th, 2012
3:40 pm
They are essentially equal in size, talent and impact, just slightly different. Both are deceptively fast and agile for being over 6 feet tall and 220 lbs. Gurley is a bit more of a bulldozer tho, while Yeldon has the quicker feet.
WDE
November 27th, 2012
3:44 pm
BAMA MAN when you woke up after losing at home to a freshman QB what world did you think you were in?? Just show up on time Saturday and tell your bunch to bring their helmets they are going to need them.
HEY WDE
November 27th, 2012
4:22 pm
Go back to the trailer and praise your next coach Petrino as the entire football world laughs at you…
North Georgia Dawg
November 27th, 2012
4:24 pm
For those who still feel like whining because they think Florida should be in the national championship game and that Georgia’s schedule was too easy, look at this quote by Florida coach Will Muschamp: “We had our opportunity in Jacksonville, and we didn’t get it done.”That’s our fault. Nobody else’s.”
SEC Fan
November 27th, 2012
4:54 pm
Expect a great game on Saturday. Hope whoever wins does not suffer any injuries as know we all want to see a 7th consecutive championship win by an SEC Team.
Have a feeling whoever plays ND that they will have an issue going against SEC speed…
Brown Dog
November 27th, 2012
5:11 pm
Yards after contact will be a big deal on Saturday. The team that runs the ball will also help keep their quarterback from getting killed.
Longhorn Sally via Kansas
November 27th, 2012
5:16 pm
WDE
November 27th, 2012
3:44 pm
BAMA MAN when you woke up after losing at home to a freshman QB what world did you think you were in?? Just show up on time Saturday and tell your bunch to bring their helmets they are going to need them.
_____________________________________________________________
That “Freshman” is going to win the Heisman!
ugab
November 27th, 2012
6:05 pm
Alabama’s back are running behind the best OL in the nation. Uga’s OL are up and down. Uga’s OL will give up sacks and get ran over at times. Uga’s OL gets alot of penalties.(Theus) Uga’s OL will be strong, with depth next season. BUT, Uga’s D have a bunch of holes to fill next season. Its been a great season, beating all of our rivals.
Strat Cat Dawg
November 27th, 2012
10:13 pm
One of the main functions of sports blogs is to allow various trolls to make ridiculous statements to draw actual fans into angry retorts. GT and Bama trolls are just doing what trolls do. Yelling and complaining about them is what they live for. I seldom give them the satisfaction of acknowledging their presence except for the occasional sarcastic put-down. When they reply to it, I’m already gone.
Sbt 4 life
November 28th, 2012
4:18 am
Georgia is going to throttle Alabama, mark it down, nothing is going to keep them from winning this game
Cash
November 28th, 2012
4:19 am
Ha Ha, all those tech fans. GT BOB, go get a life man we are done with you for the year.