Dawgs Earn Three SEC Weekly Honors

FOOTBALL

Three Georgia football players have earned Southeastern Conference Player of the Week honors following the Dawgs’ fifth consecutive win, according to a league announcement on Monday.

True freshmen tailbacks Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley were two of three players to be named Tri-Freshmen of the Week. Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel, who was also named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week, split the honor with the Dawgs.

Senior cornerback Sanders Commings was also named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week alongside Ole Miss freshman linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche.

This is the third honor of its kind for Gurley and the first for Marshall. Gurley, a Tarboro, North Carolina, native, and Marshall, a Raleigh native, are also roommates in their first year at UGA.

This marks the first SEC weekly award for Commings. He is the first Defensive Player of the Week winner for the Dawgs since junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones earned the SEC as well as the national honor after Georgia’s win at Missouri.

Gurley ran 24 times for 130 yards, which tied his career high, and three touchdowns, including a 51-yard scoring run, against Tennessee. This was Gurley’s fourth game over 100 yards in his five collegiate contests. He is leading the SEC in four categories, including rushing yards per game (107.2yds.) and scoring with 60 points.

Marshall exploded for a career-high 164 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries (16.4 avg.) against the Volunteers. Marshall’s second 100-yard game of his career is the biggest rushing output for Georgia since Washaun Ealey racked up 183yards versus Georgia Tech in 2009. Two of Marshall’s scoring runs were for 75 yards and 72 yards.

The Georgia tailback duo has been the catalyst for a Georgia offense that has scored more than 40 points in five consecutive games for the first time in school history. The Dawgs have also amassed at least 560 total yards in each of their last three victories.

Commings tallied five tackles, including four solos, and had a pair of interceptions in the final 6:00 of the game to help the Dawgs extinguish Tennessee’s comeback attempt. His first pick came with the Dawgs up a touchdown with six minutes left with the ball near midfield. Commings then intercepted quarterback Tyler Bray again with seven seconds left to clinch the seven-point victory for Georgia.

This marked the first time a Dawg had two picks in a game since Bacarri Rambo recorded a pair against Ole Miss last season. Commings helped anchor a defense that held Tennessee to just 14 points in the second half after the Volunteers scored 30 in the first two quarters.