Georgia has returned to the Top 10 in the AP Poll after the Kentucky win. A much-needed victory after that brutal Alabama loss. As has been the norm, Kirby Smart went back to the basics. Hard, physical football. Georgia owned the line of scrimmage and rushed for 183 yards. RB Chauncey Bowens led the charge with 70 yards on 15 carries in his first game as the starter. But his debut came at the expense of keeping sophomore Nate Frazier out. Bowens opens up about Kirby Smart’s plans for the backfield.

Nate Frazier entered the season as an All-SEC player. So far, the RB has looked as unpolished as a rookie. In his last 116 carries, he had fumbled the ball 5 times. That led to Frazier inevitably moving from his RB1 position after the Tennessee game. Out came Chauncey Bowens, who lit up the field in his doomed attempt to save the game against Alabama. He logged 12 carries for 119 yards and also added a TD. Bowens took up the lion’s share of the work against Kentucky, too. But he didn’t have the stage entirely to himself, since Nate Frazier also pitched in a respectable production.

“I’ll just say it’s a standard we have. … Just that, keeping us fresh on top of that. Definitely that,” Bowens said at a presser. Kirby Smart spoke at length about Nate Frazier developing confidence issues in the season. He still chose to put him on the field against Kentucky. Frazier registered 7 touches and 34 yards and also dealt with an injury. But he had a larger yard per carry average than Bowens.

Bowens is clearly a star. He is leading the rushing corps as a freshman with 56 carries for 310 yards and 3 TDs. He scored more than 100 yards in a single game, which is something that Frazier has yet to accomplish. He has a better yard per carry average in the season. Smart deploying Bowens is only making the case for him to take on a bigger role. But the HC is not too keen on keeping Frazier out because of his flaws this season, either.

“There’s nothing he’s doing technically wrong. He’s just got to hang onto the ball,” the HC said after the Alabama game. The sophomore RB came in with 133 carries and 671 yards last season, breaking out against UMass with 21-for-136 and 3 TDs. Smart will hang on to the veteran as long as he can. He will likely find a balance between the two as the season progresses.

“You don’t get through this gauntlet of SEC games without having multiple backs and having guys ready, and I feel good about that room,” Kirby Smart said. The HC is clear about switching out RBs during the season, both because of their production and their health. When it comes to health, however, Kirby Smart had some upsetting injury news.

Kirby Smart fears for rookie WR Thomas Blackshear, who is out with injury

Receivers were going to be an area of scrutiny for Georgia this season. The Bulldogs signed up some good WRs in the 2025 class. Though not expected to make a big mark right away, Thomas Blackshear made for a good addition in the depth. But the rookie WR has been out since the beginning of the season. It was only after the Kentucky game that we now have new information about him.

Smart said that Blackshear is dealing with a groin injury. “He’s been trying to fight back from [going back to fall camp],” the HC added. The young WR came with a lot of promise, being coached by Mark Stroud. Blackshear came up with 38 catches for 866 yards in his senior year in high school, leading the receivers. In his junior and sophomore years, he logged 27 receptions for 551 yards and 41 receptions for 641 yards, respectively. All that production now stands to be wasted if Blackshear isn’t able to come back from his injury this year.

Georgia still has to win many more games to get over the trauma of losing to Alabama. But Kirby Smart will very likely mix up his rush attack for the remainder of the season, bringing in both Bowens and Frazier. However, he’ll also have to be on the lookout for the health of the receiver room. If an inexperienced group is forced to take charge during this intense period of the schedule, the offense will be under a lot of pressure.