Nate Frazier may be on the verge of giving Georgia exactly what it has been missing: another dangerous piece in a backfield that already looks ready to bully people.
Frazier was not listed on Georgia’s latest injury report, and that opens the door for the junior running back to return when the Bulldogs host Auburn on Saturday. He was also off last week’s report before sitting out against Alabama, so nothing is locked in yet. Still, the possibility of getting him back now matters.
Georgia showed on Saturday just how much life this rushing attack has even while shorthanded. In the win over Alabama, Dwight Phillips Jr. and Bo Walker helped the Bulldogs pile up 206 rushing yards as a team, with Phillips doing the heavy lifting.
He went for 120 yards on 17 carries, a huge answer from a team missing its top two running backs. Afterward, Phillips said Frazier was “very proud” of him after the game.
That’s the part that makes this week so interesting. If Frazier is back, Georgia suddenly has the kind of one-two punch that can change the way games are played in the second half. Chauncey Bowens is likely out for an extended period, so the Bulldogs are staring at Phillips and Frazier as the main pair going forward, with Walker and freshman Nick Peal filling in behind them.
The timing lines up with where Frazier was before the rib injury slowed him down. He was hurt in Georgia’s Week 3 win against Arkansas, then came back two weeks later for the second half against Vanderbilt, finishing with just two carries for nine yards.
Even with his name off the injury report this week, his status still isn’t a sure thing. He wasn’t listed last week either, but was apparently held out right before kickoff, and he was visibly emotional when that happened.
What Georgia had started to see before the injury was a more complete version of Frazier. The burst has always been there, but this season he was also running with more physicality, taking contact and pushing through it while still flashing the speed that has made him such a threat.
That fits cleanly with Phillips, who brings a different kind of stress to defenses. He’s a smaller back, not the type you expect to carry 20-plus times every week, but he can hit a crease and turn it into a problem in a hurry. If both are healthy, Georgia has the makings of a dangerous combination.
The bigger reason this ground game keeps humming, though, is up front. Georgia’s offensive line has been dominant enough to make the backs matter less and the lanes matter more. The Bulldogs are averaging 211.8 rushing yards per game, which ranks fourth in the SEC, and their 6.3 yards per carry leads the conference and is tied for first in the country.
That line was especially punishing against Alabama, and that may have been the toughest defense Georgia sees the rest of the regular season. The message for everyone else is pretty simple: expect more wide-open grass for these backs.
Auburn has already noticed. Head coach Alex Golesh pointed to Georgia’s front when discussing the challenge ahead, saying, "I think the offensive line has done a really, really good job of: one, protecting them. Two, creating a really physical advantage in the run game all year,”
The Tigers have had trouble against the run, allowing the conference’s third-most rushing yards per game at 149, and they’ll be missing star linebacker Xavier Atkins because of a suspension. Georgia, meanwhile, still has reason to trust its defense under D.J.
Durkin. Kirby Smart praised that group’s ability to chase and attack, saying, “They can fly to the ball,” he said.
“They play really hard. They attack the ball.
They blitz. They come after you.
They're aggressive.”
If Frazier is ready, this could be the first real look at Georgia’s latest backfield pairing with Bowens sidelined. And if the Bulldogs get that version of Frazier alongside Phillips, with Walker still in the mix, they’ll have another chapter in a long line of Kirby Smart running back tandems that have caused plenty of damage.
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Georgias win at Bryant-Denny Stadium was already a big postgame moment, but it quickly turned into something else when a confrontation with linebacker Raylen Wilson was caught on video and spread across social media. Alabama later identified the fan involved and took action, a response that brought some closure to an incident that never should have followed the game into the tunnel area.
Kirby Smart had already pointed to Wilsons composure in the moment, a steady response from a player who had every reason to be rattled by the exchange. Alabama also condemned the behavior as unacceptable, and the episode now stands as another reminder of how quickly emotions can spill over after a high-profile SEC matchup, especially when the cameras keep rolling. [Read more 🡒]
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For Georgia, that changes the equation in a hurry. A thinner backfield can put more on the quarterbacks plate, especially when the defense knows the game plan may have to be trimmed and every possession matters. Stockton has already put himself in the national conversation, but this next stretch will say a lot about how well he can carry it when the margins get tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Secondary Suddenly Has A Bigger Auburn Concern Than Fans Expected
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The bigger issue now is simply waiting for the next round of availability updates as the SEC continues to release injury reports before kickoff. Georgia will have to keep preparing for multiple scenarios, especially if Bolden cannot go, since the staff may need to adjust the secondary on short notice. For a defense that wants stability entering a rivalry game, the timing is not ideal. [Read more 🡒]