ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart provided an update on Georgia’s injury situation heading into the UMass game.
Most pressing was the status of wide receiver Dillon Bell. He left Saturday’s game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. On Monday, Smart said Bell had an ankle sprain and that it would not require ankle surgery.
Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported that the ankle injury is not believed to be that serious and that Bell could possibly be back as soon as the Georgia Tech game.
Georgia running back Trevor Etienne did not play in the win over Tennessee. He has been dealing with a rib injury that he suffered against Florida.
Smart said Georgia was hopeful to get Etienne back. ESPN’s Holly Rowe reported that Etienne had fractured ribs.
Nate Frazier led Georgia in rushing on Saturday, carrying the ball 19 times for 69 yards in the win. His final carry of the night went for a touchdown. Chauncey Bownes notched 5 carries for Georgia in the win.
The Bulldogs could possibly get running back Branson Robinson back this week as he has missed last four games with an MCL injury.
On the offensive line Smart provided an update on Earnest Greene and Micah Morris. Neither played in Saturday’s win over Tennessee. Greene had been dealing with a shoulder injury, while Morris picked up a lower-body injury against Florida. Morris has missed the last two games.
“You know, Earnest was going to be a game-time decision,” Smart said. “He’s still struggling with that arm that he was out there giving everything he had against Ole Miss. He didn’t have complete strength in his left arm, which is hard to use a left tackle, and we’re hoping that he continues to gain strength.Micah was close to being able to go and might have been in emergency Saturday, but he’s not completely healthy. He’s going to be out there working today and trying to get back in.”
With Greene out, Monroe Freeling started and played every snap for Georgia at left tackle. Georgia did not rotate at all on the offensive line on Saturday, playing the same five offensive linemen throughout the game.
“Those guys, they took a lot of criticism from people,” Smart said on Saturday. “And really unwarranted, in my opinion, because it’s funny when you talk to people that actually know football, they know how hard it is to play in that environment. And then people just say, ‘Sacks, they couldn’t do this, they couldn’t do that.’ When you get behind in the game, it makes it hard. Tonight, they played aggressively, they played well.”
Georgia did see Anthony Evans and Cash Jones return to the lineup on Saturday after previously being listed as questionable. Evans missed the last two games with a hamstring injury.
Smart added that Joenel Aguero was available to play after having a pin/screw inserted into his hand. He would’ve had to play with a club.
“He got injured in the Ole Miss game, but he’s available to play,” Smart said. “So he had to get a, I don’t know the technical term for it, I don’t have it with me, but he got a pin put in his hand, pinky. And he was cleared to play, but was going to struggle to play in a club. And so he practiced last week and was available to play, but he didn’t get to really use the hand real well, it was a little tender. So he’s in the same situation this week, but he’s post screw getting put in. So we think he’s going to be closer to being able to play.”
Georgia’s game against UMass is set for 12:45 p.m. ET. The game will on the SEC Network. Because this is not an SEC game, there will be no availability report.
Georgia football injury report following game against UMass
- Dillon Bell -- ankle
- Earnest Greene -- shoulder
- Micah Morris -- ankle
- Roderick Robinson -- toe
- Branson Robinson -- knee
- Joseph Jonah-Ajonye -- foot
- Trevor Etienne -- ribs