Kirby Smart provides Georgia injury update on Chauncey Bowens, Juan Gaston
ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart provided an update on the Georgia injury situation as the Bulldogs begin preparing for Ole Miss.
Smart indicated running back Chauncey Bowens is dealing with a calf injury. Bowens had been Georgia’s leading rusher entering Saturday’s game. He had only four carries Saturday while playing 11 snaps.
“It bothered him some,” Smart said. “It bothered him some last week, but it never got to the point he wasn’t going to be able to play. But he was as effective probably early. We weren’t effective. I don’t know that it was him.
“But we struggled to run the ball a little bit early. When those other guys got going, we went with those guys. But he should be fine. He should be ready to go this week.”
Gunner Stockton led Georgia in rushing, finishing with 26 yards. Nate Frazier led Georgia in carries, finishing with 24 yards on his 10 attempts.
Georgia finished with only 79 rushing yards on the evening.
“It was not the running game that we’ve had in the past,” Smart said Saturday. “And theirs was, right? So, we showed them the stat that eight of the last 10 Auburn-Georgia games were won by the team that rushed the ball more. And that wasn’t the case tonight. I still think we’ve got a good running team, a good stop-the-run team. I think they had a really good plan. Some of their rushing yards were perimeter things, rockets we call them. And that hurt us. It wasn’t direct runs.”
Smart said that Juan Gaston is dealing with an ankle injury that forced him out of the game. Smart said Gaston will try and go at practice today.
“Yes, Juan, ankle, kinda reinjured, bothered,” Smart said. “He went back in. As I understand, he came back out and bothering him. He’s trying to go today. We’ll see where he’s at.”
On the offensive line, Monroe Freeling had been dealing with an ankle injury and did not start against Auburn. But he came in during Georgia’s third drive of the game and would go on to play the final 65 snaps of the game.
Freeling was named the SEC offensive lineman of the week for his play Saturday.
“After watching him Wednesday or whatever day it was, Thursday, when he just tried to run and work out, I was questioning whether we should even bring him on the trip,” Smart said of Freeling. “He texts me and says, ‘I’m going on this trip, and I’m playing, and I’m going to be ready.’ It just says a ton about his competitive character in a day and age when some guys have to look out for themselves or whatever, and he’s all about the team. He made it clear that he wanted to help the team win that game. He played a huge role in that game.”
Georgia has started six offensive line combinations this season but could be close to stabilizing that group. Earnest Greene did not play against Auburn but did dress out and travel with the team.
Greene has not played since Georgia’s game against Tennessee on Sept. 13 as he continues to deal with back issues.
The Bulldogs are coming off a physical game against Auburn, one they won 20-10.
This week’s game will be Georgia’s fourth consecutive SEC game. Ole Miss played Washington State on Saturday and was off the previous week.
Georgia’s game Saturday is set for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC.
Georgia football injury report
- OL Juan Gaston — ankle
- RB Chauncey Bowens — calf
- OL Earnest Greene — back
- OL Monroe Freeling — ankle
- WR Thomas Blackshear — groin — out
- WR Talyn Taylor — upper-body — out
- TE Ethan Barbour — ankle — out
- CB Ondre Evans — knee — out
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
