DAWG GONE: Chubb out runs Southern in Sanford Stadium

There are always consequences looming in the locker-room to face the No.7 team in the nation, the Georgia Bulldogs.
For Southern on Saturday, September 26, in Athens, GA, that consequence was called experience. It has been 50 years since Southern has last stepped toe to toe with one of the Southeastern conference’s finest and disappointment wasn’t a drawback.
It has been told to never predict on Southern because Southern will change expectations.
That was proven at Sanford Stadium in front of a sea of red and white that day when Southern fell 48-6.
In the first half, Southern performed with the best of them even when Georgia strived to tie legendary, Herschel Walker’s 100 rushing yards for 12 consecutive games back two decades ago.
Southern led with 81 rushing yards before the half after Georgia halfback, Nick Chubb, was perceived to trample on the Southern defense. Georgia only captured 35 rushing yards in which Chubb only primed 31 yards before halftime.
“We learned that we had to tackle low, especially with someone like Chubb because he will brush you off,” said defensive tackle Gabe Echolls.
Sophomore Aaron Tiller as well as senior linebacker, Daniel Brown, knew how it was to achieve a sack on Bulldogs quarterback, Greyson Lambert.
“We played a top ten team in the nation and we can show the world that we aren’t going to be pushed around,” said Brown.
Southern came into the half knowing that senior, wide receiver, Willie Quinn was not going to rush the ball into the end zone during kick return. Unlike Jackson State, the Bulldogs kicked the ball solely down the field.
Southern defense held off the Bulldogs in their first drive when Marshall Morgan kicked a 47-yard field goal. On their second drive and: 42, Chubb caught the 24-yard pass to scale past SU defense. In the last minute of the first quarter, Sony Michel, rushed the ball for seven yards to have SU diverge into a 17-point deficit.
Overall no one would forget Southern’s fourth drive of the game. This drive was for 14 plays, 75 yards, and 7:59 for a solitary touchdown.
That touchdown was performed by junior, running back, Lenard Tillery as he carried Jonathan Abram and fell 16 yards into the end zone that ceased the 17-point deficit in the first quarter.
“When I saw the Big G, I had to get in. I remembered the time when I was close to the goal line in the SWAC Championship and I couldn’t let that happen again,” said Tillery.
However, Southern failed to drive the ball into the goal line to attribute two more points.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs only sequestered another field goal and didn’t even grasp the end zone when Morgan kicked a 25-yard field goal.
Southern held down their composure before the half 20-6.
After the first half, sophomore quarterback, Austin Howard went 8 of 19 completions without a single touchdown to boot with 69 yards and had to settle down in the half after suffering a bruised shoulder. Sophomore Deonte Shorts and freshman backup quarterback, Jarrod Hayes. Shorts and Hayes both went 1-2 for completions but Hayes captured 10 yards in his gameplay.
In the second half and in the third quarter alone, the Bulldogs bounded out of the gate and proved to be the SEC team that they are. Chubb burst through the line and committed a 9-yard run for the score of 27-6. Malcolm Mitchell with 8:45 left caught a 23-yard pass to scale the score 34-6. At 5:44, from a swift possession from Southern, Chubb busted through the line and ran a 49 yard rush and scored in a swift :34. Michel ended the scoring game for Georgia after he received a 58-yard run and attained the last scoring drive of the night of 48-6.
Also wide receiver, Devon Gale took a nasty hit on special teams near the two-minute warning of the third quarter and was escorted by a stretcher. He joins Demetrius Carter on the injury list for the season. Updated news said that he sustained neck fractures and is laughing in the hospital.
Chubb did tie the record that night and slipped his card in to become a Heisman contender after two decades (1980-81) of attempting to ascend the ranks.
At the end of the night, Chubb burst out of the huddle and combined a total effort of 15 carries for 131 yards with two touchdowns.
At the end of the night, Southern was outran 261 to 105 rushing yards in which Tillery led with 75 rushing yards for SU.
“Georgia has some good backs,” said head coach Dawson Odums, “They wore us down in the first half and too advantage of us in the second half. They showed in the second half on why they play big boy football.”
“We have no regrets of the team because Georgia is deserving of their rankings. Our guys competed and my philosophy at the end of the game is that nothing is going to prevent us from going into the next game because we welcome adversity,” finished Odums.
Southern (2-2) suffered roughly against the Bulldogs and settles into the bye-week after a September to remember before facing their conference opponent, Alabama State in Montgomery, Alabama on October 10.