Kirby Smart Gives Injury Update on Georgia RB Trevor Etienne

LIMITED TIME: Get Dawg Post coverage for $1 RIGHT NOW

ATHENS- UGA Football coach Kirby Smart commented on running back Trevor Etienne’s rib injury that he sustained in the first half of the game against the Florida Gators.

“I feel good about it," Smart said. "He felt good yesterday and did some things yesterday with our guys. The trainer feels good about it. The big thing is being able to sustain pain."

Etienne, Georgia's lead back, did not return to the game after exiting in the first half against his former team. There was a lot of hype and expectation for the junior ball-carrier facing the team he played for the previous two seasons. He finished the contest with seven carries for 31 yards. 

Etienne is far and away Georgia’s leading rusher on the season with 443 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. 

Real Georgia Fans Don’t Miss the Dawg Post Newsletter - Sign up now!

With Branson Robinson and Roderick Robinson still out due to injuries they have sustained, Georgia turned to true freshman Nate Frazier and walk-on Cash Jones for production. Each of them scored a touchdown in the third quarter to give Georgia momentum.

Frazier finished the game as Georgia’s leading rusher with 81 yards on 19 carries.

http://instagr.am/p/DB9VWi7PJM4?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

This is what Smart said about Frazier, who registered a personal foul as well, after the game:

“Yeah, I mean, he’s got to grow up. I mean, we’ve been trying to grow him up the whole time. It’s probably me more than anything. Josh does a good job trying to get him in there. We’ve got to show confidence in him and play because a back can’t make it through this league trying to do it by himself. And I thought he did some good things tonight. He had a couple mistakes. I’m not talking about the penalty. He had a couple mistakes that can cost us. He has really gotten better at his protection. I’m fired up about him in protection. He is not shy of contact. But he’s got to get vertical and not try to outrun everything to the sideline.”

Jones doesn't usually run the ball. He is more of a receiving throat. He finished the game with three catches for 37 yards and that score. 

This is what Smart said of Jones after the game:

“It was a great throw. I think it was an underneath, angle route by Cash. He ran a great option route, and that’s not an easy throw. You’d say, well, that’s just a little five-yard throw. Well, he’s got to put touch to get it over the defensive line. He’s got to put it in a position that Cash has somebody covering him, and that’s why Cash did a great job breaking the tackle. The guy tried to drag Cash down, and Cash beat him, and did a great job. Cash is good at those routes, and so is Etienne.”

If Etienne misses times, it will be Frazier and Jones that hog the touches.