Kirby Smart and Georgia Bulldogs reveal surprising new pecking order in running back room amid blowout win over Kentucky

Chauncey Bowens is the new feature running back for Georgia Bulldogs

Travis May — College Football Managing Editor
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The Georgia Bulldogs easily crushed the Kentucky Wildcats, 35-14, on Saturday in a game that should have ended with a much wider margin of victory. Gunner Stockton’s bounce-back game proved he’s now putting everything together as the team’s much-needed field general, which was good to see, but that shouldn’t overshadow some significant news at Georgia’s running back position.

Following running back Nate Frazier’s fumble against Alabama in Week 5, he was essentially benched, and breakout second-year rusher Chauncey Bowens blew up for over 140 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, averaging nearly 10 yards per carry. It was assumed Bowens would be getting a more permanent, expanded role, especially after Kirby Smart talked through Frazier’s struggles with confidence this week. However, it was surprising to see the pecking order completely shift in favor of Bowens as the team’s new feature running back.

Key running back stats for Georgia against Kentucky

  • Surprising star RB Chauncey Bowens led all Georgia running backs in touches against Kentucky with 16 one week after he put up over 140 yards from scrimmage against Alabama
  • Nate Frazier had just eight touches on the entire game, only two carries in the first quarter
  • Chauncey Bowens’ efficiency came back down to earth as he averaged just 4.7 yards per carry to Nate Frazier’s 4.9, but Bowens owns the edge on the season (5.5 to 5.1)
  • Josh McCray remains the Bulldog’s third running back since he just saw two carries prior to the fourth quarter
  • Dwight Phillips now finds himself buried as the team’s fourth running back, logging just two carries in the last two games combined (one against Kentucky,) following an impressive start through three weeks

Georgia has their new feature running back in Chauncey Bowens

Smart still respects and appreciates Frazier, complimenting him on his hard work several times this week, but it’s clear he favors Bowens right now as the team’s new feature running back.

Bowens got his first start and owned much of the team’s early action, although Frazier and Josh McCray logged carries on the team’s first drive, too. By the end of the first half, it was clear that the team’s new pecking order at running back had been decided. Bowens had logged nine touches already. All other running backs on the team had eight combined.

While Bowens didn’t blow Georgia fans away with highlight run after highlight run like he did against Alabama, he did showcase much more wiggle than expected, forcing multiple missed tackles and posting three carries of 10+ yards again. He now has 11 carries of 10+ yards on just 56 rushes this season.

Frazier was still significantly involved in the offense, handling most of one drive in the second quarter. Still, Smart is obviously giving him some motivation to get his act together and space to regain confidence with his fumbling issues.

The good news for Frazier is that McCray and Dwight Phillips are now both miles behind him and Bowens. McCray saw just two carries prior to the fourth quarter. Phillips’ only carry of the game went for -3 yards, and he now has just two carries in the last two weeks combined (he will have to wait his turn to break out).

It’s hard to confidently say if this new pecking order at running back will be permanent for the Bulldogs, but it’s nice to see that Smart can trust at least one star playmaker in his backfield with Bowens continuing to impress.

We’ll be back with more Georgia Bulldogs coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

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