Bye Week Couldn't Come At Better Time For Georgia
Enough was enough in 2013. Tired of Florida always, and Georgia seldom having a week off headed into the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," then head coach Mark Richt and athletic director Greg McGarity got their way.
Since then, Georgia has enjoyed a bye week every year (except 2020) before the trip to Jacksonville. Years like this year are exactly why the Bulldogs yearned so heavily for a midseason break right before playing arguably their biggest rival.
Georgia is banged up, to say the least. The Bulldogs have dealt with injuries all year, but the frustration nearly reached a boiling point Saturday during the 37-20 win over Vanderbilt.
Offensive tackle Xavier Truss and Heisman candidate tight end Brock Bowers both suffered ankle sprains. Bowers will undergo tightrope surgery and may miss the rest of the regular season. Kendall Milton was a slight casualty of Saturday's game as he aggravated his existing MCL injury amid his best game of the year.
Those injuries came on top of an already lengthy injury list. Ladd McConkey is three games back after missing the first four with a back injury. He's made several notable catches, especially in his return game at Auburn. He's yet to play a complete game, and he took several hard hits against Vanderbilt. McConkey, a third down threat, was noticeably absent on some third downs Saturday. Smart mentioned it continuing to be an issue regarding sudden tightness in his back.
Running back Roderick Robinson and starting offensive tackle Amarius Mims both suffered high ankle sprains in week three against South Carolina. Robinson had an impressive first two games, running for 88 yards on 14 carries (6.3 ypc) with a pair of touchdowns.
Despite the length of the list, the Bulldogs have been fortunate on the injury front in some ways. Earlier in the year, safety Javon Bullard got away with only missing two games after his week two injury. Only one of those games was against an SEC opponent.
While Milton has been banged up, his injuries haven't been severe and he's at least contributed in most games this year. Milton's midgame removal from the rotation Saturday was more precautionary. He was a stud in Nashville, rushing for 53 yards on just five carries with one touchdown, good for 10.6 yards per carry. When he started feeling the MCL "tighten back up," coaches decided they'd rather get the most out of Milton when they absolutely needed it.
However, the "luckiest" bit of news on the injury front was true freshman tight end Lawson Luckie's debut during the Kentucky game. The Norcross product left high school with a load of hype, but a preseason injury kept him on the sidelines for Georgia's first five games.
He's a special talent, and Georgia is richer with him available. Plus, the Bulldogs already had sophomore Oscar Delp and fellow freshman Pierce Spurlin available. If Bowers had to get hurt, this was the best week. Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has an extra week to formulate plays that showcase all three talented tight ends.
All-in-all, despite the injuries, Georgia is 7-0 and ranked No. 1 in both polls. It's a testament to elite recruiting, conditioning, player development, and injury rehabilitation that Georgia invests so heavily into.
After taking this Saturday off, Georgia travels to Jacksonville, Fla. next weekend to play the unranked Gators. Florida is overachieving with a 5-2 record and is coming off a close victory over South Carolina. The Gators also have a notable win over No. 17 Tennessee.
