‘It’s going to be a great deal for us:good news for Georgia Bulldog

However, the Bulldogs haven’t had to try to win without standout tight end Brock Bowers since the 2021 season began.

The obstacle that Georgia, ranked first, must overcome in order to become the first team in the history of The Associated Press poll to win three national titles in a row. The last team to achieve the feat was Minnesota (1934–1936).

On October 16, Bowers, the top tight end in the FBS and the leading receiver for the Bulldogs, had TightRope surgery to treat a high left ankle sprain. Bowers was also the recipient of the 2022 Mackey Award. The game against Florida at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday is the first of at least four to six weeks that he is anticipated to miss.

Coach Billy Napier of the Gators stated, “Obviously, this is not only one of the best players in America this year, but last year as well.” “I mean, this is one of the best players of all time, if that makes sense.”

It is impossible to exaggerate Bowers’ significance to Georgia’s offense. In addition to leading the team with four touchdown receptions (and one more rushing), he ranks second among FBS tight ends with 41 receptions for 567 yards. In 52 targets, he has only had two drops. Furthermore, he is among the game’s top blockers.

Furthermore, Bowers isn’t your usual tight end in the open field. With 415 yards after contact, he is fourth among all FBS players and first among tight ends. Bowers is fourth among all FBS players and has more than twice as many catches (16 total) than any other tight end in terms of forcing defenders to miss tackles.

It makes sense that ESPN pundit Mel Kiper Jr. believes Bowers is the fourth-best prospect available for the NFL draft in 2019.

“This guy is a really, really unique matchup relative to his ability to run routes and get open, his ability to run after the catch,” Napier stated. The man is receiving sweeps from them. The guy was receiving the ball from them. He’s an excellent blocker. He is resilient. He possesses an excellent foundation. made it very difficult to defend him.”

It’s fortunate for the Gators that they won’t have to stop him on Saturday. The most receiving yards a Georgia player has ever had against Florida came from Bowers’ five receptions for 154 yards and one touchdown in Georgia’s 42-20 victory over Florida the previous season. Bowers ran a wheel route down the left sideline for his 73-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Amari Burney, a linebacker for the Gators, tipped the ball in the air. After the ball ricocheted off Burney’s helmet, Bowers tipped it to himself and brought it in. All Napier could do was shake his head in shock.

In what way then do the Bulldogs attempt to replicate Bowers’ output? Georgia had an extra week to prepare after he was hurt in the first half of a 37-20 victory at Vanderbilt on October 14. That is good news for the team.

For the past three seasons, Georgia’s offense has primarily been constructed around 12 players: two tight ends, two receivers, and one running back. The next in line at tight end are rookies Pearce Spurlin III (two catches for 29 yards) and Lawson Luckie, followed by sophomore Oscar Delp (13 catches for 160 yards with two scores). Both were ESPN 300 prospects and placed in the top eight nationally among tight end prospects.

Kirby Smart, the coach of Georgia, stated, “If they think one guy is going to replace Brock Bowers, they’re wrong.” We don’t need anyone on our team who believes they have to be Superman because they will be let down. There is no such thing as Superman. He’s passed away. He’s not here. He isn’t real. You’re not going to be that guy.”

For the previous two seasons, Bowers might as well have been donning a cape. Georgia’s offense is likely to use more wide receivers in his absence. Due to a back injury, Junior Lad McConkey missed the first four games but is now back. With 58 receptions for 762 yards and seven touchdowns last season, he was second on the team in receiving, just behind Bowers.

Receivers like Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Dominic Lovett (transfer from Missouri), and Raray Thomas (transfer from Mississippi State) may also see increased playing time.

“Our offense is not built around, like, one person doing one thing,” Smart stated. Plug-in technology is the foundation of this task, which can be completed by 10 people, 11 people, or 13 people. All good offenses, in my opinion, are like that.”

Three-time Georgia opponent as a head coach claimed the Bulldogs have enough playmakers to cover for Bowers’ absence. It’s possible that Georgia planned 12 to 15 plays for Bowers to receive the ball during the game. He frequently drew the attention of multiple defenders and was a human cheat code for determining coverages.

“I’ll be honest, sometimes when you lose a great player like that, you end up becoming a little better on offense because you’re just not always trying to get him the ball,” said the coach. “Now you’ve got to spread it out and you become a little more dynamic.”

Carson Beck, the quarterback for Georgia, will need to find other receivers to get the ball since Bowers is out.

“I’ve got one really good receiver and that’s the only guy my quarterback ever looks at,” said the coach. “He only tries to pass the ball to that one guy. We play [the receiver] every snap, and he’s beat up, so I have to keep him out of practice. The quarterback has to give it to everyone else during practice, and when he does, we end up with a better looking team.”

Without a doubt, the team that played the Bulldogs this season will miss having Bowers on the field, according to a seasoned SEC assistant. “They’re going to be hurting from losing Bowers,” said another SEC assistant.

“Wow, what a big piece,” exclaimed one of the helpers.

Most of the time, Beck looked to Bowers when the Bulldogs needed a first down or a big gain. For the rookie starting quarterback, who has completed 73.6% of his passes for 2,147 yards with 12 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, he served as a safety net.

On September 30, Bowers had six catches on the final three scoring drives of Georgia’s difficult 27-20 victory at Auburn. This included the game-winning 40-yard touchdown with 2:52 remaining. Bowers finished the game with eight receptions for 157 yards and one touchdown.

When Bowers might return, Smart won’t say. The hardest part of the Bulldogs’ schedule is about to start. Following their matchup with the Gators, they travel to take on No. 21 Tennessee on the road and host No. 12 Ol Miss and No. 16 Missouri.

It’s uncertain if Bowers will return for any of them.

“There is no player that we’re asking to step up and do more than you can,” Smart stated. “Every player will contribute more when working together. This includes special teams gaining better field position and defense forcing mistakes. Other guys have the chance to make the most of it by touching the ball.”