Georgia Football Battles Key Injuries Heading To Alabama - Will These Bulldogs Step Up?

These Bulldogs have a big opportunity to step up against Alabama

Chauncey Bowens | Dawg Post

ATHENS - The Georgia Bulldogs are a little banged up on the offensive side of the football right now. It's not an ideal situation for Kirby Smart as he prepares his team for the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide this weekend.

Smart told reporters this week that starting running back Nate Frazier, who carried the ball just twice during Georgia's 38-14 win over Vanderbilt, is close to being back to full health. He'll be needed in a big way on Saturday with Chauncey Bowens also battling an injury that he suffered in the fist half last weekend.

“The plan was to play him (Frazier) if we needed to, and Chauncey was a little banged up, and that was the scenario we thought we would use him in.”

With Frazier but out it's opened the door even more for reserve back Dwight Phillips Jr. The speedy third-year back has taken full advantage of his opportunities over the last two games, scoring a touchdown in each while also helping catch passes out of the backfield.

“Dwight’s awesome," Smart said about Phillips on Saturday. "He's a great kid to be around. We were trying to find ways to get touches and he capitalized on a lot of his moments when he got a chance. That's what part of being a good player is. You take advantage of the opportunity you're presented with, and he's done that.”

At wide receiver the Bulldogs took another hit at the "X" position. Transfer Isaiah Canion got the start there to open the season but has not played in the last three games. He caught just three passes for 28 yards before the injury. With Canion out that gave an opportunity to sophomore receiver Thomas Blackshear from Savannah. Blackshear saw the ball come his way multiple times against Vanderbilt, catching three passes for 33 yards before leaving the game with an "upper body" injury.

Now, it's sophomore CJ Wiley who has an opportunity to step up and make an impact as the next "X" receiver on the depth chart. The big 6-foot-4 210-pounder from Milton, Georgia brings plenty of speed and potential. He's only caught one pass so far this season, but he'll be in a position on Saturday to catch a lot more if he can create separation from the Alabama secondary.

“CJ is doing really good," Smart told reporters on Monday. "He's had a couple of his better weeks of practice this last couple weeks. He continues to grow and become more physical, and really pleased with how hard he's worked these really past four or five weeks.”