Georgia got a timely boost on the injury front heading into Saturday night’s trip to No. 10 Ole Miss.
After the Bulldogs’ 27-8 win over Florida and the open week that followed the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, Kirby Smart’s team is in its best shape in a while. On the SEC-mandated injury report, only LB Amaris Williams is listed as officially out for the No. 2 Bulldogs.
That’s a sharp turnaround for a Georgia team that has been dealing with key injuries throughout the season. WR Thomas Blackshear, TE Elyiss Williams, LB AJ Kruah, DB Tyriq Green and DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye were all listed as questionable entering the game.
RB Chauncey Bowens also showed up on the report again, but this time he was upgraded from the “out” designation he carried before the Florida game. Bowens has been sidelined for most of the season, but Smart has made it clear how much he values what the back can bring to the offense.
“I love Chauncey. Chauncey is one of the hardest workers on the team.
I think he’s a violent runner. He likes contact.
He seeks contact,” Smart said after Bowens went for 11 carries for 39 yards along and three touchdowns in September against Arkansas.
Georgia has already had to lean on other backs when injuries hit. RB Nate Frazier missed time earlier this season, and Dwight Phillips and Bo Walker handled most of the workload in the middle part of the year.
That duo helped fuel a rushing effort that nearly reached 200 yards in the Bulldogs’ 20-17 win at No. 5 Alabama in October.
There’s also good news for the receiving corps, with long-injured WR Isiah Canion listed as probable. The Georgia Tech transfer has been limited since September.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, is dealing with its own injury issues. The Rebels have nine players officially out, with star RB Kewan Lacy the biggest name on that list after separating his shoulder in the loss at Texas in October. Lacy has been a major piece of the offense, though Shekai Mills-Knight and Makhi Frazier have filled in and played well while he’s been dealing with injuries for much of the season.
Even so, Ole Miss will feel the absence. Lacy was a major factor in the Rebels’ Sugar Bowl win over Georgia in New Orleans in January.
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The concern is not just about who is unavailable for this game, but how long the group can keep its shape as the season moves on. Brent Key said the line will have to keep adjusting, with one young blocker now being managed carefully after making his first career start, a reminder that Georgia Techs depth up front is being tested at exactly the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]