ATHENS — Georgia running back Trevor Etienne sounded an awfully lot like Blink 182′s Tom DeLonge when discussing where the Georgia rushing attack can improve.
“I’d say just doing a lot more of the small things right,” Etienne said. “Eliminating turnovers, executing, just going out there and starting faster, attacking early. Just the small things really.”
That will be harder to do this coming week, as the Bulldogs are missing a key piece of the running back room. Branson Robinson will miss the game against Texas with an MCL injury he suffered in the win over Mississippi State.
The injury will sideline him for the foreseeable future.
“I don’t know how many weeks it’ll be. He will not be available this week,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “Forecasting it out is impossible because the MCL is one of the ones that has to heal itself. We’ve had MCLs in the past anything from, you know, two weeks to three weeks. I don’t know what it’s going to be, but he is he’s going to be OK.”
The Georgia head coach did specify that the injured knee was not the same as the one that kept Robinson out for the entire 2023 season.
Through six games, Robinson had 73 yards on 25 carries. The redshirt sophomore had carved out a role as Georgia’s goalline running back, including scoring in the win over Mississippi State.
Georgia also appears to be without running back Chauncey Bowens at the moment, as he was not dressed out for Saturday’s game.
That would leave Georgia with Etienne, Nate Frazier and Cash Jones as the primary running backs.
“I mean, hate that for him, he’s a huge part of the running back room,” Etienne said of Robinson. “Just be ready when your name is called. Prepare, prepare, prepare. That’s something I harp on through every week. You never know when your number’s gonna get called, so just be ready when the time comes.”
Frazier perhaps stands to see an uptick in carries with Robinson injured. The freshman running back had 10 carries for 43 yards in the win over Mississippi State.
The freshman running back’s usage has been a talking point throughout the season, especially after his big game against Clemson.
“I’m expecting huge things,” Etienne said of Frazier. “Just trying to kind of tell him, bro, don’t let the moment get too big. Be prepared for this. You’re capable of doing great things, so just go out there and be yourself, have fun, play football.”
Jones will be the third down back for Georgia thanks to his pass-blocking and pass-catching abilities.
Etienne will still be Georgia’s top running back. He led Georgia in receptions on Saturday with 6. And while he only had 35 yards in the win over Mississippi State, he had the final touchdown of the afternoon.
The junior running back stepped in as the short-yardage running back for Georgia and burrowed his way into the endzone for a touchdown on fourth down.
“That was pretty crazy,” Etienne said. “I give all credit to o-line, man. Big Mike [Micah Morris], big guys getting behind me and pushing me in. I don’t think I would’ve been able to get in there without those guys, so just wanna give a huge shoutout and a huge thanks to those guys seeing that I was probably coming up short and helping me out with that.”
Georgia will need to have its best offensive effort of the season on Saturday. The Bulldogs are an underdog for the first time since the 2021 season opener against Clemson.
And even with Robinson healthy, Smart feels this Georgia team has yet to play a complete game.
The Bulldogs are going to have to do so, with all of their players,
“I want to see them play their best game against Texas,” Smart said. “I mean simply, stated, we have not played our best game. We have not put a complete game together, and that’s what every coach’s goal is.”
