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Georgia football: MVP's from the Liberty Bowl win over TCU
Dec 30, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; TCU Horned Frogs linebacker Ty Summers (42) and TCU Horned Frogs cornerback Jeff Gladney (12) bring down Georgia Bulldogs running back Sony Michel (1) during the first half at Liberty Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Georgia football defeated TCU 31-23 in the Liberty Bowl Friday afternoon with 164 rushing yards by Nick Chubb and three sacks by Trenton Thompson
Georgia football was involved in a war Friday afternoon. Kenny Hill and the Horned Frogs put up a great fight and had Georgia on the ropes for most of the ball game, and at times almost landed knock out shots.
But thanks to exceptional play from several players, the Bulldogs were able to regain and extend their lead in the fourth quarter to win. Here are a few of those players.
Dec 30, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb (27) before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Liberty Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Chubb
It was a rough first half for Chubb. In the opening quarters, he only had 13 yards on six carries. But he compiled 129 yards in the second half with longs of 48, 13 and 27 yards. In the end, Chubb had 143 yards on 17 carries with one touchdown.
It was a great performance by him to end the 2016 season and gives him momentum headed into his senior year. But more importantly, he helped his first year head coach win his first bowl game.
Oct 15, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) is sacked by Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Lorenzo Carter (7) during the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Lorenzo Carter
Carter was challenged by coach Kirby Smart after Christmas to step up and dominate. Carter responded with two tackles to open the game and a pair of forced fumbles throughout the game that proved crucial to the Bulldogs winning.
One of those fumbles came in the closing minutes of the second quarter when Carter tackled TCU quarterback Kenny Hill. That kept TCU from taking a possible 23-14 lead into halftime.
On the other side of the intermission, Carter forced a fumble 18 yards downfield which was recovered by Dominick Sanders. That began a Georgia drive hat ended with a 4-yard pass from Jacob Eason to Javon Wims to give Georgia a 21-16 lead.
Dec 30, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle Trenton Thompson (78) sacks TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Kenny Hill (7) during the second half at Liberty Bowl. Georgia Bulldogs defeated the TCU Horned Frogs 31-23. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Trenton Thompson
In the regular season, Thompson only had two sacks. Against TCU he had three. Two of those sacks were probably the most important plays of the game. Both came late in long drives by TCU, both led to 40-plus-yard field goal attempts, and both field goals were missed.
Two sacks definitely kept 14 points off the board for TCU. But with the inconsistent kicking by TCU, Thompson’s sacks prevented any points from being scored at all. For that, he earned defensive and all-around MVP honors for the Liberty Bowl.
Dec 30, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Sony Michel (1) carries the ball for a touchdown against TCU Horned Frogs cornerback Ranthony Texada (11) during the first half at Liberty Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Sony Michel
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Michel earned offensive MVP honors for his performance against TCU. On 15 carries he had 18 yards with a touchdown and he also caught two passes for 39 yards with another touchdown.
Michel scored both of Georgia’s first half touchdowns. The first was a 4-yard run in the first quarter after a 77-yard catch by Isaiah McKenzie. The other was a 33-yard pass from Eason where he bowled over defenders at the goal line to cut TCU’s lead to 16-14.
Michel is also returning for his senior year and like Chubb, this game gives him a lot of momentum headed into 2017. They are already one of the most talented duos in college football. But if they stay healthy and Georgia ‘s offensive line improves, they’ll be the undisputed best tandem in the nation.
