Kirby Smart has concerns ahead of Georgia’s season opener, with injuries still looming over key players. He noted that preseason All-American punter Brett Thorson remains questionable as he works back from ACL and MCL tears. “He’s going to be clear to kick, but there’s more to it than kicking… I don’t know if we’re to that point yet,” said Smart. Although with redshirt freshman Drew Miller ready as a proven backup, the Bulldogs may not rush Thorson back. But Smart also shared that redshirt freshman Malachi Toliver, the projected backup center, is recovering from an ankle injury. Now, while health questions linger, Smart faces another pressing concern.

On the August 28’s Riding Home episode of UGA Football on Dawg Post, Dean Legge posed the question: Can Georgia get its run game going this season as it heads into the opener against Marshall? Here, UGA insider Matt DeBary didn’t hesitate and said, “Yeah, that’s all we’ve been hearing about all off-season, right? Kirby says we have to be able to run the ball. We have to stop it. It all comes down to, you know, winning the line of scrimmage.” Then he added that the formula remains simple. “Open up holes, have the backs stay healthy. They’ve got a lot of opportunity. There’s a lot of guys who, you know, appear to be at their best selves right now heading into the season.” And the depth, DeBary noted, gives Georgia options.

“You’ve got your lead dog, but a lot of tackle-breaking guys, guys who can get yards after contact. It’s fun to be explosive. It’s still important, but you need the chain movers. That’s going to help the offense. It’s going to help you in the red zone. They need to, Ryan. It has to take a step forward,” mentioned DeBary. Following that, Ryan Kerley stressed that Georgia needs to show its run game right away, and Marshall is the perfect test. Remember, last season, explosive runs were rare, with only a handful going for 30 or 40 yards. On top of that, Kerley noted that if the Bulldogs can’t break off big plays against a smaller, slower Marshall defense, it could be a bad sign for the rest of the year. However, he didn’t stop there.

Kerley pointed out that Georgia has options in the backfield with Nate Frazier, Josh McCray, Roderick Robinson II, Cash Jones, Chauncey Bowens, Bo Walker, and Dwight Phillips Jr.. But the pressure is on. “I’d like to see a little bit of Dwight Phillips as a gadget player, someone that can come in and give him a couple of big runs a game,” he said. Kerley also questioned whether Roderick Robinson can stay healthy and become the physical, goal-line back the Bulldogs need. Still, he warned that depth won’t matter if the explosive runs don’t show up against Marshall. “If they’re not ripping off their explosive runs against Marshall, I think there’s an issue.” So for Kirby Smart, that could be a major concern. But Smart is also paying attention to Marshall’s extensive roster changes.

“They’ve got an interesting roster makeup,” he said. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a roster that when we write on the depth chart transfer, it’s three-deep transfer, four-deep transfer, all these spots, a lot of transfers.” Now, for some, that looks like chaos. But for Smart, it screams unpredictability. No film to study. No rhythm to read. And in college football, unpredictability can be far more dangerous than pure talent. Here, Marshall’s 336-pound powerhouse sends a blunt warning to Kirby Smart.

The warning now hangs heavy over Kirby Smart

Well, Marshall’s KaTron Evans is bringing more than just his 6’3, 336-pound frame into Athens; he’s bringing a message. The redshirt senior lineman made it clear he believes the Thundering Herd can flip the script. “We’re gonna shock a lot of people, that’s what I’m gonna say,” Evans told reporters with a grin. Then he doubled down, adding, “I feel like the first week is the best time to have them.” And he might have a point. Georgia enters with a new QB in Gunner Stockton, still light on experience, while Marshall is rolling out a reloaded roster after a wild offseason. So, for Evans, that uncertainty isn’t a setback; it’s the perfect storm.

Interestingly, chaos, he says, creates opportunity. And that’s the warning Kirby Smart can’t ignore. Moreover, Evans isn’t losing sleep over Sanford Stadium’s 90,000-seat roar. “I’ve played in stadiums like this,” he said confidently. Then he pointed to his Jackson State days, where sellouts packed 60,000–70,000 fans. So, his message was clear: Georgia’s home-field edge won’t shake him. The noise won’t matter. But noise is the least of Georgia’s worries.

This is Gunner Stockton’s team, ready or not. But last year’s Sugar Bowl stumble against Notre Dame reminded Athens how slim the margin for error is. Eleven wins might shine elsewhere, but here, it’s a disappointment. Although the defense is still loaded, all eyes are on Kirby Smart to prove the machine keeps rolling. So, the question remains: can Marshall actually crash the party?