The Georgia pass game could get a lift if receiver Adonai Mitchell is able to return from the high ankle sprain he suffered the second game of the season and be ready to go against Tennessee.
Mitchell did not play in the past two games against Florida or Vanderbilt and saw just three snaps against Auburn (Oct. 8) since suffering the injury against FCS Samford.
Coach Kirby Smart said Mitchell was going to work “on the side” earlier this week, and the Bulldogs’ most explosive perimeter threat has been limited in his actions.
The No. 1-ranked (AP, Coaches’ Poll) Bulldogs play No. 1-ranked (CFP Rankings) Tennessee at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Sanford Stadium.
Mitchell, who made a soaring 40-yard TD catch in the CFP Championship Game, was the feature receiver at the start of the season and has been sorely missed.
Defenses have been pressing Georgia receivers on the perimeter, daring sixth-year quarterback Stetson Bennett to throw over the top.
A serviceable Mitchell would make UGA more inclined to take opponents up on that challenge.
Georgia’s pass protection has been elite, keeping Bennett clean with the lowest pressure rate in the SEC.
Of course, the biggest injury news of the week was the severity of Nolan Smith’s pectoral injury, which will require season-ending surgery on Thursday.
Smith led UGA with 7 tackles-for-loss and 3 sacks when he was injured on the fifth snap he took in the win over Florida last Saturday.
Tentative availability report
• OG Xavier Truss (toe), probable
• RB Kendall Milton (quad), probable
• OLB Chaz Chambliss (hamstring), probable
• TE Arik Gilbert (personal), questionable
• OT Amarius Mims (knee), questionable
• WR A.D. Mitchell (ankle), questionable
• OLB Nolan Smith (chest), out
• SS Dan Jackson (foot), out
• RB Andrew Paul (knee), out
• OT Earnest Greene (back), out
• SS Drew Bobo (labrum), out
• LB CJ Washington (neck), out
Leave a Reply