ATLANTA — Nick Chubb rushed for 222 yards in his return from a gruesome knee injury, including a 55-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter that clinched No. 18 Georgia’s 33-24 victory over No. 22 North Carolina in Kirby Smart’s debut as the Bulldogs’ coach Saturday night.
Chubb scored a pair of touchdowns for Georgia (1-0), sending the largely red-clad crowd at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game into delirium when he broke loose down the right sideline with 3:34 remaining and the Bulldogs clinging to a two-point lead over the Tar Heels (0-1).
Leaving no doubt he was fully recovered from a horrific knee injury that looked like it might be career-threatening, Chubb carried a staggering 32 times and was every bit as dominating as the Heisman-touted back he was before.
Georgia also got some promising play from freshman quarterback Jacob Eason, who didn’t start but was on the field as the Bulldogs rallied from a 24-14 deficit in the second half.
North Carolina ripped off 17 straight points, including a pair of touchdowns by T.J. Logan that included a 95-yard kickoff return to start the second half.
But a pair of pass interference penalties on freshman cornerback Patrice Rene set up a touchdown that got Georgia back in the game, and two more penalties — one an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on coach Larry Fedora — backed the Tar Heels up deep in their own territory, leading to a safety when Elijah Hood caught a short pass in the end zone and was quickly knocked down for a safety.
Fifth-year senior Greyson Lambert started at quarterback for Georgia, but Eason — a touted freshman from Lake Stevens High School that Georgia fans were clamoring to see — hooked up with Isaiah McKenzie on a 51-yard pass that set up William Ham’s go-ahead, 29-yard field goal with 5:27 remaining.
Eason finished the game 8-for-12 for 131 yards and a touchdown.
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