Georgia football has been dealing with a wave of injuries recently. While these injuries don’t excuse their loss to Ole Miss on Saturday, they likely contributed to some of the team’s struggles.
In his postgame interview, head coach Kirby Smart provided updates on three key players who have been battling injuries. Some of his decisions to play these players now seem questionable, but hopefully, all three will be fully healthy for next week’s game.
RB Trevor Etienne
“It’s hurting him some,” Smart said, according to 247sports.com. “He wasn’t able to do much during the week. He got to run a lot, but he didn’t get to rep, take shots, or experience the physical contact you typically need on Tuesday and Wednesday.”
Running back Trevor Etienne was thought to be healthy and ready to play after suffering a rib injury during the first half against Florida last week. However, that wasn’t the case.
Smart revealed that Etienne practiced on a limited basis but was unable to take hits during the week, which raised concerns about his readiness. This became evident during the Ole Miss game, where Etienne only had six carries for 24 yards. He also caught three passes for 10 yards—far below the level of production expected from a player of his talent.
The hope is that Etienne can fully recover and be ready for the Tennessee game next week, as Georgia’s offense desperately needs his contributions.
Offensive Line injuries
OL Tate Ratledge
“Tate (Ratledge) didn’t practice all week. We thought he’d be able to go like he did against Florida. He was not able to take many reps, but we thought he’d be able to go in the game just based on experience. He struggled, that foot was still not completely healed, and he’s out there giving us all he can,” Smart explained.
This injury appears to have been mismanaged by Smart and his staff. Ratledge clearly struggled throughout the game, repeatedly getting beaten by Ole Miss defenders, which led to key plays for the Rebels.
Given that Ratledge didn’t practice all week, it’s questionable why he was played at all. Not only was he clearly not at his best while playing injured, but it also posed a risk of aggravating the injury further.
It may have been smarter to sit Ratledge out in hopes of getting him fully healthy for next week’s game.
OL Micah Morris
“Micah (Morris) is still dealing with an injury, too, from the Florida game. So those two guys struggled,” Smart said.
Guard Micah Morris had started the previous five games for Georgia before sustaining an injury against Florida. This injury was not publicly known until Morris was a surprising addition to the Bulldogs’ injury report midweek.
Although Morris was deemed healthy enough to play against Ole Miss, like Ratledge, he struggled due to the lingering injury.
These offensive line injuries came at a tough time, as the Ole Miss defense dominated throughout the game. The subpar offensive line play was a major factor in Georgia’s loss, so the hope is that both Morris and Ratledge can recover and strengthen before the Tennessee game next week.
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