Around the SEC: Can Georgia hang on without Bowers?

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October 18, 2023

Every Wednesday, we present “Around the SEC,” with the latest updates on where things stand in the best conference in the land.

In this week’s edition, Georgia had a costly road trip at Vanderbilt over the weekend, defeating the Commodores 37-20 but losing arguably the best player in college football, superstar tight end Brock Bowers, for at least the next 4-6 weeks to an ankle injury. Can the Bulldogs weather the storm and survive until Bowers returns?

There is no denying Bowers is the most important player on the roster for the Bulldogs. Through seven games, Bowers has caught 41 passes for 567 yards (first in the nation among tight ends) and four touchdowns. He was on pace to have an even better year this year than his dominant 2022, where he had 63 catches for nearly 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns.

When gauging Bowers’ value, look no further than the Auburn game. While he was a relative non-factor in the first half, he took the game over in the second half and Georgia was able to escape The Plains with a win.

Bowers had a high-ankle sprain in the win over Vanderbilt that will require surgery and the recovery is typically 4-6 weeks.

Georgia does get the benefit of a bye week this week, but enters the meat of its schedule in the four weeks. While they should be able to handle the rivalry game with Florida next week, after that it’s Missouri at home, who has been a nice surprise this season. Following Missouri, Georgia will face Ole Miss at home and Tennessee on the road.

On paper, Georgia has the talent to ride out Bowers’ absence. But missing such a huge part of the Dawgs offense, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is going to have to make some serious adjustments to be able to keep things rolling and avoid a regular season loss.

Follow Michael Brauner on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP

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