Who truly remembers “GUR-SHALL“?
It was a nickname bestowed upon two freshmen running backs when they enrolled at Georgia in 2012, Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. Gurley and Marshall were positioned to be Georgia’s thunder and lightning; however, Gurley would end up having the bigger impact.
Gurley rushed for 1,358 yards in 2012 and totaled two straight 900+ yard rushing seasons, prior to being selected by the St. Louis Rams in the 2015 NFL Draft. Marshall’s lone productive year with Gurley was in 2012. He accounted for 759 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Knee and ankle injuries have plagued Marshall in the last two years.
He mustered just 290 rushing yards and a touchdown on 68 carries. He has excelled in the classroom and looks to obtain a degree in Human Development and Family Science.
Marshall also got back in the training room and started a rehab process.
Fully healthy, he returned for his senior season. Sophomore Nick Chubb is the featured name, but Marshall is the emotional and vocal leader in Georgia’s rotation of talented running backs.
He has collected three rushing touchdowns this season, after not seeing the end zone at all in 2014. Marshall is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, the highest since his freshman season (6.5).
Todd Gurley brought a lot swagger back to Georgia, but one thing he did not deliver was a victory over Alabama. He came close as a freshman, totaling 122 yards and two touchdowns in the 2012 SEC Championship Game, yet a miss communication on the final play gave Alabama a 32-28 win. Marshall also played that day, logging just three yards on two attempts.
Gurley is in the National Football League, but fate has given Marshall another opportunity.
Half of the once dominant GUR-SHALL duo can help Georgia claim a signature win over Alabama this weekend. Saturday will be a moment for Keith Marshall to soak in.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine and SB Nation. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @ESPN_Future.
