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Georgia looking to get healthy after a few bumps and bruises

Jeremy Johnsonby: Jeremy Johnson8 hours agoJeremyO_Johnson
Earnest Greene Georgia
Georgia offensive lineman Earnest Greene III (71) during Georgia’s game against Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Conor Dillon/UGAAA)

Georgia had a few big names on the mend going into Saturday’s matchup with Tennessee. The Bulldogs enter a bye week with an opportunity to get those players even healthier for the coming weeks.

Georgia won’t play a real game again until Sept. 27. Both Earnest Greene and Juan Gaston had missed major stretches of the first two games. Greene was nursing a stiff back, but started on Saturday before exiting in favor of Michael Uini.

Gaston did not start, but he did play a good bit. The player who started in place of Gaston, Dontrell Glover, suffered a bit of an ankle tweak during the game, which brought Gaston in and out throughout the day.

Gaston is still working to get all the way back, according to Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.

“Well, Juan is trying to get healthy,” Smart told reporters on Tuesday. “He came in, Donnie got a little banged up, and he came in and helped Donnie out there for a period of time. Then he had another ankle that was bothering him, and he came out, and they just kept going back and forth. But he’s not completely all the way healed and is trying to get well. So we’re just trying to get all those guys back so they can get better.”

Greene is also still trying to work back fully and get into game shape.

“With Earnest, we took some time there in the Austin Peay to try to get him better and do some things with him rehab-wise and try to get him back,” Smart said. “He certainly was not 100 percent and tried to go out there and go and give us all he could. I think his endurance and the stamina part was hard in that kind of game, to go out there and just jump back in and play. Then you need to work on it and try to figure out what the best lineup is for everybody.”

Georgia avoids a major hit in backfield

Georgia running back Dwight Phillips came off the field with a hitch during the game as well. He did not log another carry after that.

Phillips only carried five times for 29 yards on Saturday. Smart doesn’t feel too worried about Phillips’ status going forward. The sophomore running back was on the practice field on Monday.

“He seems fine,” Smart said. “He did some work yesterday. He’s got a midfoot that’s bothered him some, but he didn’t hold him back for much yesterday.”


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