Georgia loses Smith as D braces for Tennessee

ATHENS, Ga. – Simply in time for its largest check of the season in opposition to No. 2 Tennessee’s top-ranked offense, top-ranked Georgia’s protection has misplaced outdoors linebacker Nolan Smith to a season-ending damage.

Smith, who leads Georgia with three sacks and is fifth with 18 tackles, suffered a torn proper pectoral muscle in final week’s 42-20 win over Florida. Georgia introduced Tuesday that Smith, a senior, could have surgical procedure on Thursday and is anticipated to make a full restoration.

Smith was one among solely three returning starters from the 2021 protection that led Georgia to its first nationwide championship since 1980. Regardless of having eight gamers from the protection chosen on this yr’s draft, together with 5 within the first spherical, Georgia (8-0, 5-0 Southeastern Convention, No. 3 Faculty Soccer Playoff) is second within the nation with its common of 10.50 factors allowed.

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Georgia coach Kirby Good stated after Tuesday’s observe Smith “has nice power proper now” and has continued to steer.

“I talked to him and requested to assist left spirits and push,” Good stated. “That has been his position when he’s practising, so I don’t need him to alter now that he’s not. He’s on the market flying round and serving to us out. It’s nice to have him take that on. Not all children do this. Typically you get dejected or down within the dumps. He isn’t like that.”

Saturday’s matchup supplies the chance for Georgia to show it once more has a championship-caliber protection. Tennessee (8-0, 4-0, No. 1 CFP), tied with Ohio State for No. 2 within the AP ballot, leads the nation with its common of 49.4 factors per recreation.

Senior Robert Beal and sophomore Chaz Chambliss, who have already got performed important roles, performed extra snaps after Smith’s damage final week.

Chambliss stated the expectation is to regroup after shedding Smith to the damage simply because the protection reloaded after shedding eight gamers within the draft.

“We didn’t drop as a result of it’s the usual right here,” Chambliss stated. “The protection has an ordinary that we’re going to be the perfect of the perfect and it doesn’t change by who’s right here or what number of draft picks; it’s simply the usual right here to have an awesome protection. We observe like that each single day and that’s why we haven’t dropped off.”

The lack of Smith provides problem to the already daunting problem of containing the Vols’ fast-paced assault led by quarterback Hendon Hooker. Tennessee leads the nation in complete offense and ranks second in passing.

Hooker handed for 3 touchdowns and ran for a rating in Tennessee’s 44-6 win over then-No. 19 Kentucky final week.

The win over Kentucky was the Vols’ finest defensive recreation of the season, however the focus will relaxation on the matchup between Tennessee’s offense and Georgia’s protection.

The Bulldogs’ secondary might be challenged to comprise Tennessee’s vast receivers, together with Jalin Hyatt, who has set a college document with 14 TD catches, together with two in opposition to Kentucky. The secondary is led by cornerback Kelee Ringo and security Christopher Smith.

“One factor is for positive, they’re going to get to cowl,” Good stated of his defensive backs. “They’re going to search out out. As a result of there’s no hiding anyone if you play these guys.”

Cedric Tillman, the Vols’ prime vast receiver final season, returned final week in a restricted position after lacking a lot of the season with a excessive ankle sprain. Tillman might play an even bigger position in opposition to Georgia.

When requested what makes the Tennessee receivers so troublesome to cowl, Good stated: “Pace, house, scheme, proficient arm.”

“You realize, you possibly can have the perfect receivers on this planet, and so they get open on a regular basis, when you don’t have anyone that may get it to them — they’ve anyone that may defend them and get it to him,” Good stated. “They do job of that. Once more, that’s the problem for us this week.”

The winner of Saturday’s recreation will take command of the SEC Japanese Division race for a spot within the SEC championship recreation.

Hooker stated the showdown represents “the highest model of soccer.”

“As you possibly can see, they’ve some nice coaches behind them, and so they play extraordinarily exhausting,” Hooker stated Monday when requested about Georgia’s protection. “That’s one thing which you can’t educate. The trouble and angle and toughness that they bring about to the sport is immaculate and that’s what SEC soccer is about.”