The last time Georgia faced Alabama, the Bulldogs walked off the field with a dominant 28-7 win in the SEC Championship Game. But as Kirby Smart prepares his squad for a massive Week 6 showdown in Tuscaloosa, the story on the ground looks completely different. Both No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama come in undefeated, but the Bulldogs now face a massive headwind on the outside.
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Kirby Smart is 2-7 against the Crimson Tide, while Georgia hasn’t won at Bryant-Denny Stadium since 2007. Though the Bulldogs opened the week as a 1.5-point favorite, the script flipped after early betting money came in on Sunday night. Georgia’s offense, which averaged 51.4 points per game, is down with one key outside receiver and top-scoring rusher, Chauncey Bowens.
“Georgia X-WR Isiah Canion has been ruled OUT for Saturday’s game after being listed as Questionable throughout the week,” Graham Coffey reported on X. “Backup X-WR Thomas Blackshear is also out after an upper body injury last week against Vanderbilt.”
“Georgia starting WR Isiah Canion has been ruled out against Alabama,” Pete Nakos reported via an X post. “Tide TE Josh Ford remains questionable after undergoing arm surgery following the Mississippi State game.”
Canion hurt his right leg early at Arkansas on September 19. The Georgia Tech transfer has missed the Oklahoma and Vanderbilt games, and is also out for the Alabama game. Blackshear became the key X receiver and played a team-high 39 snaps at Arkansas. Then he got hurt in the second quarter against Vanderbilt, right after a 16-yard catch on third down, and finished the game with “an upper-body injury.”
Now, freshman Craig Dandridge is expected to step in as the X receiver, along with Talyn Taylor and CJ Wiley behind him, with Landon Roldan also proving to be the right fit with a 55-yard catch against Vanderbilt. Canion and Blackshear have combined for just eight catches and 76 receiving yards, so beyond just missing a couple of tall targets, losing Canion and Blackshear hurts the dirty work on the outside.
These guys are responsible for sealing the edge on outside runs and holding down physical coverage corners. Without them locking down the perimeter, Alabama’s defensive backs can easily crash down on short routes and run plays without worrying about getting blocked deep downfield.
The Bulldogs are still averaging nearly 7 yards per play, while quarterback Gunner Stiockton ranked third nationally in passing efficiency. At 5-0, Georgia has shown it can move the ball despite having a reshaped offense after losing six of its top seven pass catchers from last season.
Dealing with sudden injuries right now feels a bit like the puzzle Kirby Smart solved back in August. When the team had to completely rebuild its pass-catching core after last season’s mass exodus, offensive coordinators had to plug in fresh faces on the fly. Doing that mid-season against Alabama’s elite secondary, however, is a whole different ballgame.
“To be a good offense nowadays, you’ve got to be dangerous,” head coach Kirby Smart said during a pre-Alabama press conference on October 5. “You’ve gotta have multiple weapons. You’ve gotta have multiple ways to get those players the ball.”
Georgia may also have to lean on the depth in tight ends and running backs, especially with tight end Josh Ford questionable after arm surgery following the Mississippi State game. Five different Georgia tight ends have caught touchdown passes this season, while Dwight Phillips Jr. offers another option after leading the team with five catches for 75 yards against Vanderbilt. Nate Frazier is also back from injury, with 211 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 26 carries, while Phillips and Bo Walker provide depth behind him.
Alabama allowed just 2.5 yards per carry, putting more pressure on Stockton to deliver through the air. He threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns against Vanderbilt, but doing it now without key receivers could be tougher, especially with the weather forecast adding another concern.
Smart names Alabama’s biggest strength ahead of Georgia showdown
Smart has plenty of respect for what Kalen DeBoer is building at Alabama, and he knows Georgia cannot afford to take the Crimson Tide lightly, as he spoke about the challenge of facing a physical team playing at a high level.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach DeBoer, the way they go about things,” Smart told reporters this week, according to Matt DeBary of Sports Illustrated. “They’ve got an extremely physical football team. They’re playing really high-level football right now. Their quarterback is playing amazing for them. So it’ll be a great challenge for us to go into a really tough environment to go play, and I know our players will be looking forward to it.”
After the Bulldogs’ five straight wins, Georgia will now put their thin WR depth to the test in the Alabama game. Georgia has to tighten up against the run, as their less-proven depth could struggle against the physical, heavy team.