Georgia Football Is Getting Healthy Right At The Perfect Time

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ATHENS - Kirby Smart has his Georgia football team playing their best at the right moment.

They’re also getting healthier at the right moment. Wide receiver Isaiah Canion is back and saw the field against Ole Miss for the first time since week two of the season.

The Bulldog passing attack took a giant step forward against Ole Miss, and against Missouri this weekend, don’t be surprised if Canion gets involved in the gameplan early on. Still, Smart told reporters this week that his transfer wideout is still a work in progress.

“He's a work in progress,” Smart said this week. “I thought he really wanted to play two weeks ago against Florida, and I don't think he was 100%. He was trying to go and be available. Then he had a really good week of practice last week, and we said, ‘This guy's getting closer to 100%.’ He had some good days last week and got to play some more snaps. We weren't able to get him involved as we wanted to, but we know what's there.”

“We're dinged up all across the board at wideout,” Smart added. “We have guys all over the place that are injured, out, coming back, and we really need him to be back full strength to help us. He gives us so much more than just a wideout because he's bigger and physical, and he's older than some of our other guys.”

Another key player coming back on offense is running back Chauncey Bowens. The experienced ball-carrier was dressed for the Ole Miss game but was unable to get onto the field. However, that could change this weekend against Missouri.

“He's not 100%,” Smart told reporters. “Just because someone is dressed out and cleared does not mean that they're able to go out there and play and perform. He's working his tail off to get back. The fact that he was even available says a lot about his toughness and his want to be there for the team. He's working hard at that. He's trying to go. He's trying to do things. The training staff and the doctors and everybody we've met with are comfortable with where he is and what he's doing, but he is not 100% right now.” 

On defense, a name to keep an eye in is safety Tyriq Green. The promising freshman saw the field early on in the season but has been unable to play since the end of week two. While he may be young, it’s clear Smart is hoping to get his young defensive back sooner than later.

“He does a great job and he’s one of the most fun guys to coach,” Smart said this week. “He's really quiet and doesn't say a whole lot. He loves football and we're hoping to get him back. We think he would have probably been cleared to play last week. I don't know that we could have carved a role in such a short time that he was cleared. He's been working his way back. We're expecting to have him try to fill some more roles this week. We have to kind of see where he's at. Sometimes with that injury, it's the stop and start. It's the slamming on the brakes that hurt, not the accelerating. We'll see where he's at this week.”