JACKSONVILLE – Three Georgia running backs scored touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 34-20 win over Florida.

That number by itself is impressive, although not a total shock. But when you consider that the trio did not include Georgia’s leading rusher Trevor Etienne, it’s very surprising.

Etienne missed a little over half of Saturday’s game with a rib injury. He finished the day with just seven carries for 31 yards, leaving plenty on the plates of the rest of the Bulldog backs.

Freshman Nate Frazier received most of the work. He finished the day with a career high 19 carries and 82 yards, one short of his career high.

“He’s got to grow up,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said after the game. “I mean, we’ve been trying to grow him up the whole time. It’s probably me more than anything. Josh (Crawford, running backs coach) does a good job trying to get him in there. We’ve got to show confidence in him and play because a back can’t make it through this league trying to do it by himself. And I thought he did some good things tonight. He had a couple mistakes. I’m not talking about the penalty. He had a couple mistakes that can cost us. He has really gotten better at his protection. I’m fired up about him in protection. He is not shy of contact. But he’s got to get vertical and not try to outrun everything to the sideline.”

The penalty Smart referred to came on Frazier’s shining moment.

With Georgia trailing 13-6 in the third quarter, Frazier found the end zone from two yards out for his second career touchdown. He then let loose with a pair of gator chomps followed by a throat slash, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

“Just told him don’t be stupid, man,” Smart said. “We’re not selfish people at Georgia. We don’t, I mean, I’m not interested in all the shenanigans. We’re meat and potatoes. We roll our sleeves up, we go to work every day. I’m not interested in you gator chomping and throat slashing. It’s not respectful. I mean, I want to be respectful of the game and the people we play. And I think the best way to attack somebody is beat them.”

Georgia scored three touchdowns after Frazier’s score. Two were by other Bulldog running backs.

The first came from Cash Jones, who caught a short pass from Beck, broke a tackle, and dragged a couple of defenders into the end zone to give the Bulldogs a 17-10 third-quarter lead.

Then Smart turned to another freshman to put Florida away.

With Georgia leading 27-20 in the final minutes, Dwight Phillips took a handoff on a jet sweep from four yards out. His first career carry turned into his first career touchdown.

Smart credited the offensive staff for coming up with the special package for Phillips this week.

“You talk about everybody on that team loves that kid, little Peanut,” Smart said. “His parents are great people, both ran track at Kentucky. His dad’s an Olympic gold medalist, and just what a great story. I’ve never met a kid that everybody on the team likes as much as him, and he just works really hard. So I was really happy for him to get that play.”

Phillips’ score iced the game. It elicited a huge celebration from his teammates in the back of the end zone, as the Bulldogs lifted Phillips into the air.

“Dwight has a very funny personality,” receiver Dillon Bell said. “He’s a freshman, we love our freshmen. And when the freshmen go out there and make plays, it makes all of us proud. Every day at practice, no matter if it’s on special teams, scout team, no matter what, he’s doing what he’s supposed to be, working his butt out every time. So it was a very proud moment for all of us to watch him score a touchdown. Man, we were too lit. We all wanted to run on the field, but we couldn’t because we’d get a flag.”

Etienne’s injury doesn’t seem to be particularly severe. Still, despite Etienne’s absence combined with injuries to Roderick Robinson and Branson Robinson, the Bulldogs still showed their depth at running back in their fourth straight win over Florida.