WATCH: Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley says Georgia and Oklahoma are ‘the standard’ for RBs
Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley knows what it means to face Georgia, because it presents the same challenge it usually does: You’re going to have to slow down some superb running backs.
The Bulldogs, who are fifth among Power 5 teams and 11th in the FBS in rushing yards per game (263.5), boast the well-known backfield that includes seniors Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, along with freshman D’Andre Swift.
Speaking with the media on Thursday, Riley notes that they’re just the latest in a long line of backs that have suited up for Georgia, which he believes shares the title of Running Back U with Oklahoma.
Coach Riley has a lot of respect for the Georgia rushing attack.
Live now on https://t.co/XhOdff0PQn pic.twitter.com/obAaeuJHOv
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) December 14, 2017
“Yeah, the tailbacks obviously, they got three guys that can play for anybody in the country,” Riley said. “We’ve always felt like, in recruiting backs, we felt like we’ve always had a pretty good thing here, and we always have kind of felt like us and Georgia have been the standard with tailback recruiting.
“And just overall depth, if you look over the last several years, I always respected the guys they’ve been able to bring in there and the quality depth. They’ve just had consistently good players there for a long time, and that certainly shows up on tape.”
Oklahoma isn’t too shabby on the ground either, leading the Big 12 with 215.9 yards per game.
As far as stopping the run, the Sooners are sixth in the conference. On four separate occasions, Oklahoma allowed 200-plus rushing yards (vs. Tulane, at Kansas State, at Oklahoma State and vs. West Virginia).
Meanwhile, Georgia has posted 200 or more in all but two games. One of those contests was at Notre Dame when it ran for 185, and the other was at Auburn. In the second meeting with Auburn in the SEC Championship Game, the Bulldogs trampled the Tigers for 238 yards.
