Kirby Smart shares why two key starters did not play against Charlotte
ATHENS — Georgia was not playing with its full complement of players against Charlotte.
It didn’t matter, as the Bulldogs cruised to a 35-3 home win. But with Georgia Tech in just six days, the health of this team is of note for the Bulldogs.
Linebacker CJ Allen and running back Chauncey Bowens both sat out on Saturday. They left the game against Texas with injuries.
On the offensive line, neither center Drew Bobo nor offensive tackle Earnest Greene played on Saturday.
“Both those guys, Drew is still dealing with a laceration in his hand that has created some problems for us that we’re trying to get him healthy from,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “Earnest should be back.”
Bobo suffered a cut on his hand in the win over Mississippi State. He was replaced in the Georgia lineup by Malachi Toliver. He made his first career start against Charlotte.
At right tackle, Juan Gaston got the start. Gaston has previous starting experience from earlier in the season when Greene missed time with a back injury.
The reshuffling on the offensive line didn’t slow the first-team offense all that much. Georgia scored four touchdowns on its six first-half possessions, all of which came on the ground. Nate Frazier rushed for the first two touchdowns, while Bo Walker collected the second two.
Walker saw an uptick in usage because of the absence of Bowens. The freshman running back finished with 48 yards on 9 carries. His two second-quarter touchdown runs were the first of his college career.
In place of Allen, Chris Cole got the start at inside linebacker alongside Raylen Wilson. Justin Williams also rotated in with the starting defense, which gave up just two first downs in the opening 30 minutes of the game.
Georgia did see two injured Bulldogs dress out on Saturday, with wide receiver Talyn Taylor and defensive back Kyron Jones both suiting up. Neither played in the win but it’s still a step in the right direction.
Taylor has not played since the Alabama game after suffering a collarbone injury that required surgery before Georgia’s Oct. 4 game against Kentucky.
Jones last played for Georgia against Auburn. He suffered a foot injury, but it did not require surgery. JaCorey Thomas replaced Jones in the starting lineup.
Charlotte represented a step down in competition for Georgia, as the Bulldogs had played eight consecutive SEC games before Saturday.
After winning the home finale, the Bulldogs will go on the road next week to take on the No. 16 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech takes on Pittsburgh tonight.
The game will be played on a Friday, with Georgia and Georgia Tech both having one less day to get ready for next week’s game.
The contest against Georgia Tech is set for a 3:30 p.m. ET start on ABC.
Georgia football injury report
- OL Drew Bobo — hand — did not play
- OL Earnest Greene — back — did not play
- DB Kyron Jones — foot — did not play
- Chauncey Bowens — did not play
- CJ Allen — knee — did not play
- DL Jordan Hall — leg — out
- WR Colbie Young — leg — out
- WR Talyn Taylor — collarbone — out
- TE Ethan Barbour — ankle — out
- DB 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.
