Trevor Etienne helped spark Georgia’s offense on Saturday with a win over rival Auburn.
The No. 5 Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1 SEC) have struggled on that side of the ball, but Etienne racked up 124 yards of total offense and scored two touchdowns in a 31-13 victory over the Tigers (2-4, 0-3).
“I’ll say I had a good game, but I wouldn’t say I had a breakout game,” Etienne said. “It was alright.”
Etienne rushed for a season-high 88 yards on 16 carries with two scores via the ground. The 5-foot-9, 205-pound running back also hauled in a team-high six catches on six targets for 36 yards.
Etienne made a huge difference in the game. He picked up tough yardage in certain situations, which his coaches and teammates noticed. The junior made many defenders miss to move the chains.
“With Trevor, it was more than the touchdowns. Obviously, touchdowns are great, but that’s not what it’s about,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said after the game. “It’s about the hard yards. It’s about the third and ten catch he gets, making it fourth and one. It’s about the fourth and one play that he gets and makes one. He’s earned really hard yards. He’s a great leader. He’s a great kid.”
Etienne and Georgia’s offense set the tone early, scoring on its first possession, which the unit hadn’t done all year. The transfer tailback capped off an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard rush.
In the second quarter, Georgia faced a 3rd-and-1 with 1:01 left. Etienne caught quarterback Carson Beck’s pass in the backfield and gained 23 yards, followed by a six-yard reception on the next play.
Those two plays set up Beck to toss a touchdown pass to wideout Dominic Lovett for a score. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 14-3 over Auburn heading into the half with the big-time score.
The Tigers made it a game midway through the third quarter as running Jarquez Hunter broke off a tackle and went 38 yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 14-10 after a successful extra point.
Georgia responded with a scoring drive of its own on the next possession. A 21-yard run by Etienne put the Bulldogs at the Auburn two-yard line, setting up his one-yard score two plays later.
Etienne helped move the chains late in the final quarter on 4th-and-1, keeping the drive alive. Georgia capped off the drive with a 47-yard field goal from Peyton Woodring, making it a 31-13 game.
Offensive lineman Earnest Greene described Etienne as an “ultra-talented” running back after the game.
“As y’all can see, he’s ultra-talented, but he’s also a really good teammate,” Greene said of Etienne. “He’ll come up and talk to the [offensive line] about fronts, different looks, and stuff.”
Etienne thanked his offensive line and said he couldn’t succeed without his teammates up front.
“I get the credit for it, but it really goes to the O-line,” Etienne said. “They played great. They had a great game. I had the easy part.”