Nick Chubb: Losing Ground in Heisman Race?

Nick Chubb averages 8.4 yards per carry, has rushed for 468 yards and 4 touchdowns in 3 games this College Football Season. According to ESPN Experts’ Weekly Heisman Poll that’s good enough for 2nd place entering Week 4. Is Nick Chubb losing ground in the Heisman race?

After LSU RB Leonard Fournette’s rampage of a rushing performance versus the Auburn Tigers (19 carries for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns), the ESPN Heisman Experts awarded Fournette 9 of the 10 first place votes for the award in their weekly poll, tallying 49 total points. Nick Chubb finished a close second with one first place vote, seven second place votes, totaling 36 points.

It’s near impossible to discredit Leonard Fournette’s combined rushing statistics in LSU’s two games against Mississippi State and Auburn (47 carries for 387 yards and 6 touchdowns), so I won’t. Also expect the Bayou Bengals true sophomore tailback to run some more against the Syracuse Orange in the Carrier Dome this Saturday.

More from UGA Football

Nick Chubb has rushed for over 100 yards in 11 straight games for the Georgia Bulldogs. While I am certain that he will again surpass the century mark on the ground, don’t expect Chubb to play much, if at all, in the second half of the Dawgs’ home game against the FCS’ Southern Jaguars.

While it is still way too early to assess Heisman Trophy race with any vindication, it seems that the SEC will have two tailbacks making the trip to New York in December in LSU’s Leonard Fournette and UGA’s Nick Chubb. Should Alabama bounce back from their home loss to Ole Miss, RB Derrick Henry could potentially make it an SEC trio.

Not until we see either back play against a Playoff Contender this fall, we won’t feel certain about who the better tailback is in the SEC. Though both Georgia and LSU are 2-0 in Conference Play, I no longer see any of the four teams they’ve played contending for an SEC Championship this year (Auburn, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt).

Live Feed

Dylan Raiola will be fine wherever he lands, and so will Georgia football /

Dawn of the Dawg

Georgia Football: Rumors swirling that Dylan Raiola will flip to NebraskaDawn of the Dawg

Georgia Football: College Football Is Dead, and I Don't Feel So Good MyselfDawn of the Dawg

Taking a look at the SEC Blueprint at SyracuseSouth Bound & Down

The Georgia Bulldogs were robbed of a spot in the College Football PlayoffSouth Bound & Down

Ranking every Georgia College Football Playoff game of the four-team eraDawn of the Dawg

Nick Chubb’s first real test against a solid run defense will come in Week 5 at home versus Alabama. Leonard Fournette will have to wait a bit longer until Week 7 when LSU hosts cross-divisional rival Florida in Death Valley.

While I now feel like this race will come down to the wire with the two best backs in the country, LSU having to cancel its Week 1 game against McNeese State might end up hurting Leonard Fournette in the long run. That could have been another 100+ yard rushing performance to add to his 2015 Heisman resume.

Though I do believe that Nick Chubb’s consistency will ultimately get him the award at the end of the year, Chubb is not the undisputed favorite to win the award any more. Leonard Fournette among others is having a monster year, too. Having to pick between two tailbacks that rush for over 8 yards per carry should lead to a tremendously exciting Heisman Trophy presentation in a few months.

Next: Georgia Bulldogs: Favorites to Win SEC?

More from ATL All Day

Home/UGA Football