University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Shows Variety In Ground Game
October 04, 2025 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Chauncey Bowens' first carry Saturday went for 13 yards. His second gained 19. The redshirt freshman running back's strong start was part of a good day on the ground for the No. 12-ranked Georgia football team, which rushed for 180 yards and four touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 35-14 win over Kentucky at Sanford Stadium.
For Bowens, who made his first career start, those two runs did a lot of the damage in the Bulldogs' opening drive. Quarterback Gunner Stockton closed out the 12-play drive with the first of his two rushing touchdowns, a 7-yarder that put the Bulldogs ahead 7-0.
Georgia ran well against the Wildcats, establishing a ground attack with a mix of players that ultimately opened up the passing game for Stockton and the receivers. Bowens, who ran for a career-high 119 yards last week against Alabama, had 15 carries for 70 yards Saturday. Stockton added 48 yards on six attempts, and Nate Frazier ran seven times for 34 yards.
A pair of non-running backs did all of the scoring on the ground. Stockton scored the Bulldogs' first two touchdowns, on runs of 7 and 6 yards, and wide receiver Dillon Bell scored the next two, on 3-yard runs. Bell was also Georgia's top receiver, catching four passes for 68 yards.
"Gunner plays better when he gets a couple runs in and loosens up and feels good," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of his quarterback, who also completed 15 of 23 passes for 196 yards in three quarters of action, with a touchdown and an interception.
Bowens' past two games have been his best for the Bulldogs, showing both speed and power. He had his first career 100-yard game against the Crimson Tide, highlighted by a career-long 43-yard run, and he caught four passes for 22 yards. Against Kentucky, Bowens' early runs helped the Bulldog offense get off to a fast start and set the tone for the game.
Bulldog linebacker Raylen Wilson said what Bowens has done recently is what the defense has seen since the start of preseason practice.
"It's really nothing different," said Wilson, who had three tackles Saturday. "That's why he's playing how he is."
Bell, a senior, has been like a Swiss Army knife in the Georgia offense for much of his career, making plays in a variety of ways. As a sophomore in 2023, he had 25 carries for 157 yards and two rushing touchdowns, plus 29 catches for 355 yards and two scores. He also threw an 18-yard touchdown pass that season. Last fall, he had nine carries for 107 yards and a touchdown and caught 43 passes for 466 yards and four TDs.
So far in 2025, Bell has 11 receptions for 89 yards and five carries for 42 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 43-yard run against Alabama last week.
"I feel like the type of team we have and the receiving group we have, anybody can have a big day," Bell said. "It's just when the opportunity comes, you've got to present yourself and do what you do."
While Georgia's rushing touchdowns were scored by a quarterback and a wide receiver, its lone passing TD went to running back Cash Jones, who took a short pass and turned it into a 16-yard score to make it 35-7 late in the third quarter.
Georgia got behind early and trailed at the half against both No. 15 Tennessee and No. 10 Alabama. There was no slow start on Saturday. The Bulldogs not only scored on their first two drives to take a 14-0 lead, those two possessions combined for 25 plays and lasted more than 11 minutes.
Georgia wound up with an advantage in time of possession of more than seven minutes — 33:38-26:22 — and that gap was even bigger before most of the Bulldogs' starters sat out the fourth quarter, when Kentucky went on a mammoth 20-play drive that lasted 8:29. That drive ended with an interception by Ellis Robinson IV in the end zone.
Wilson said the defense loves it when Georgia's offense controls the ball and the clock like that. The defense also did its part, holding Kentucky to six plays or fewer on non-scoring drives six times in the first three quarters.
"I feel like they gave us good blows. There was a time when I was like, Dang, they have been on the field for a little minute. I'm wondering when we're about to get back out there," Wilson said.Â
Staff Writer
Chauncey Bowens' first carry Saturday went for 13 yards. His second gained 19. The redshirt freshman running back's strong start was part of a good day on the ground for the No. 12-ranked Georgia football team, which rushed for 180 yards and four touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 35-14 win over Kentucky at Sanford Stadium.
For Bowens, who made his first career start, those two runs did a lot of the damage in the Bulldogs' opening drive. Quarterback Gunner Stockton closed out the 12-play drive with the first of his two rushing touchdowns, a 7-yarder that put the Bulldogs ahead 7-0.
Georgia ran well against the Wildcats, establishing a ground attack with a mix of players that ultimately opened up the passing game for Stockton and the receivers. Bowens, who ran for a career-high 119 yards last week against Alabama, had 15 carries for 70 yards Saturday. Stockton added 48 yards on six attempts, and Nate Frazier ran seven times for 34 yards.
A pair of non-running backs did all of the scoring on the ground. Stockton scored the Bulldogs' first two touchdowns, on runs of 7 and 6 yards, and wide receiver Dillon Bell scored the next two, on 3-yard runs. Bell was also Georgia's top receiver, catching four passes for 68 yards.
"Gunner plays better when he gets a couple runs in and loosens up and feels good," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of his quarterback, who also completed 15 of 23 passes for 196 yards in three quarters of action, with a touchdown and an interception.
Bowens' past two games have been his best for the Bulldogs, showing both speed and power. He had his first career 100-yard game against the Crimson Tide, highlighted by a career-long 43-yard run, and he caught four passes for 22 yards. Against Kentucky, Bowens' early runs helped the Bulldog offense get off to a fast start and set the tone for the game.
Bulldog linebacker Raylen Wilson said what Bowens has done recently is what the defense has seen since the start of preseason practice.
"It's really nothing different," said Wilson, who had three tackles Saturday. "That's why he's playing how he is."
Bell, a senior, has been like a Swiss Army knife in the Georgia offense for much of his career, making plays in a variety of ways. As a sophomore in 2023, he had 25 carries for 157 yards and two rushing touchdowns, plus 29 catches for 355 yards and two scores. He also threw an 18-yard touchdown pass that season. Last fall, he had nine carries for 107 yards and a touchdown and caught 43 passes for 466 yards and four TDs.
So far in 2025, Bell has 11 receptions for 89 yards and five carries for 42 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 43-yard run against Alabama last week.
"I feel like the type of team we have and the receiving group we have, anybody can have a big day," Bell said. "It's just when the opportunity comes, you've got to present yourself and do what you do."
While Georgia's rushing touchdowns were scored by a quarterback and a wide receiver, its lone passing TD went to running back Cash Jones, who took a short pass and turned it into a 16-yard score to make it 35-7 late in the third quarter.
Georgia got behind early and trailed at the half against both No. 15 Tennessee and No. 10 Alabama. There was no slow start on Saturday. The Bulldogs not only scored on their first two drives to take a 14-0 lead, those two possessions combined for 25 plays and lasted more than 11 minutes.
Georgia wound up with an advantage in time of possession of more than seven minutes — 33:38-26:22 — and that gap was even bigger before most of the Bulldogs' starters sat out the fourth quarter, when Kentucky went on a mammoth 20-play drive that lasted 8:29. That drive ended with an interception by Ellis Robinson IV in the end zone.
Wilson said the defense loves it when Georgia's offense controls the ball and the clock like that. The defense also did its part, holding Kentucky to six plays or fewer on non-scoring drives six times in the first three quarters.
"I feel like they gave us good blows. There was a time when I was like, Dang, they have been on the field for a little minute. I'm wondering when we're about to get back out there," Wilson said.Â
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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