ATHENS - Kirby Smart brought Georgia home Sunday morning with a victory in hand and the kind of bruised roster that leaves a coach staring at the depth chart a little longer than he’d like.
The No. 1 Bulldogs came out of their 20-17 win at Alabama at 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the SEC, but they won’t get much breathing room before turning around to face Auburn on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Tigers were off Saturday, which gave them extra time to recover and prepare.
Georgia’s biggest concern right now is at tailback, where the room is stretched thin and has been since spring practice ended.
“We don’t have anybody to add there, Tyriq Green? He can’t move there,” Smart said, when asked how he would handle the shortage. “We have the guys we’ve got.”
Smart also declined to update the status of the injured backs, pointing instead to the SEC’s official injury report, which teams are required to submit Wednesday night.
Chauncey Bowens, who leads the team in touchdowns, was a surprise addition to last week’s injury report after the Vanderbilt game. He looked to have hurt his ankle late in the first half, then returned after halftime.
Nate Frazier, Georgia’s starting tailback in the season opener, was scratched just before the Alabama game when the Bulldogs were going through pregame warmups. He had been dealing with a rib injury suffered in the Sept. 19 win over Arkansas, and has 211 rushing yards on 26 carries with five touchdowns in three games.
“It’s a bad situation because we thought all week he was gonna play, and he didn’t feel like he could go,” Smart said after the Alabama game. “He was in pain.
It continues to be painful for him, and not a lot we can do. I mean, like I said, we’re a beat-up football team and we’re down three backs, really.”
Georgia had already lost Dante Dowdell before the season even began. The Kentucky transfer was injured in an ATV accident during the preseason and has not been available.
The Bulldogs are also dealing with issues at receiver. Isiah Canion, a Georgia Tech transfer who has been out with a right leg injury since the first quarter against Arkansas, was listed as questionable for much of last week before being ruled out Friday.
Thomas Blackshear is also out after hurting his shoulder against Vanderbilt. He was on the sideline in a sling, and finished that Oct. 3 game with three catches for 33 yards.
“It (Canion injury) is a lower extremity injury, we had to go all (last) week not knowing on Isiah, we knew on Thomas,” Smart said. “If you talk to Mike (Bobo) and the offensive staff its frustrating, because you don’t know who’s in and who’s out.”
In Other News...
Georgia Defense Just Sent A Clear Message In The Alabama Win
Georgias 20-17 win over Alabama looked like more than just another top-end SEC result. The Bulldogs defense spent the night making the Crimson Tide uncomfortable, and the bigger takeaway was how the group answered a challenge against an offense that had been piling up points all fall. Linebacker Chris Cole and safety Khalil Barnes pointed to the teams physical practice habits and sharp defensive focus as part of the reason Georgia was able to control so much of the game.
The real separation came after halftime, when Georgia tightened the screws and barely let Alabama breathe. The Bulldogs allowed only three points the rest of the way and shut out the Tide in the fourth quarter, which is the kind of finish that tends to travel well in this league. For Georgia, the win was important on the scoreboard, but the way the defense handled the second half may have said even more about where this unit is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Sounds Off After Ugly Alabama Postgame Incident
Georgias win over Alabama had plenty of football significance, but one ugly moment after the game quickly drew attention of its own. Linebacker Raylen Wilson was on the receiving end of a fan confrontation when his helmet was shoved by an Alabama supporter, and the whole incident was captured on video as the teams were leaving the field.
Alabama athletics later said it was disappointed in the fans behavior and was gathering information, while Kirby Smart addressed the episode in his postgame press conference. Smart condemned what happened and pointed to Wilsons calm response, a small bit of composure in a scene that otherwise said little good about the way the night ended. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Just Lost A Star Defender Before Facing No. 1 Georgia
Auburn will head into its Week 7 matchup with No. 1 Georgia without one of its top defensive players, after head coach Alex Golesh announced linebacker Xavier Atkins has been suspended for the game. The junior and first-team All-SEC selection was held out because of internal discipline issues, a notable loss for a defense that now has to prepare for the Bulldogs without one of its most proven playmakers.
Golesh said the suspension will be revisited after the game, leaving the door open for Atkins to return later in the season. For Georgia, it is one more development to monitor in a matchup that already carried major stakes, and for Auburn it raises the pressure on a unit that will need to absorb the absence of a centerpiece in the middle of the field. [Read more 🡒]