Brock Bowers injury: Experts believe that Georgia has the talent to survive

When it was announced Monday that Georgia tight end Brock Bowers would undergo tightrope surgery to repair his ankle, it certainly seemed like it would mean trouble for the Bulldogs.

The junior from California leads the team this season in receiving touchdowns (4), receiving yards (567), and catches (41). He was a first team All-American last season and in the mix this year for the Heisman Trophy. His injury in Saturday’s win against Vanderbilt cast doubt on the hopes of Georgia hanging on to their perfect season and first place ranking.

While losing Bowers is significant, several experts believe that head coach Kirby Smart has built a machine that can thrive until Bowers can return.

ESPN analyst Booger McFarland expressed confidence that Georgia will continue their winning ways while Bowers recovers from the surgery.

“The way they run the football, they’re averaging six yards per carry,” McFarland said Tuesday on ESPN’s College Football Playoff: Top 25. “The way they play defense. Yeah, they might have to adjust the game plan a little bit. But guys, who are we kidding? We know that the Georgia Bulldogs will be way more talented than every team on this schedule, allowing them to plug and play other guys.”

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit expressed cautious optimism during the show about Georgia’s chances without their star receiver.

“You take that aspect away from their offense; it puts more on their passing game and their true running game with the backs,” Herbstreit said on Tuesday. “And you know the defense will do what they do; they’ll always keep them in every game they play.”

“I have a wait-and-see and see what kind of impact this actually has on them without big number 19 out there.”

ESPN analyst Joey Galloway said Bowers’ absence now could improve the team in the long run when he returns.

“I know that’s kind of hard to wrap your brain around the fact that you take away one of the best playmakers in college football from a team and it somehow makes them get better,” Galloway said on Tuesday’s show. “Now, they won’t be better when he’s not in there, but they will be better for having to find another way to get people the ball. Which then, when he comes back, is going to be a really good offense.”

Coach Smart spoke with reporters on Tuesday, saying no player can replicate what Bowers brings to the team.

“If they think one guy is going to replace Brock Bowers, they’re wrong,” Smart told reporters during his Tuesday press conference. “If anybody thinks they have to be Superman, they don’t need to be on our team. Because they’ll be disappointed. Superman is not real. He’s dead. He’s not alive. He’s not real. You can’t try to be that guy.

“There is no player we’re asking to step up and do more than you can. As a collective effort, every player is going to do more. That includes defense getting turnovers and special teams getting better field position. Other guys get the opportunity to touch the ball and make the most of it.”

Georgia’s next game is on October 28th in Jacksonville for the “World’s Largest Cocktail Party” rivalry against Florida. After that, the Bulldogs will host No. 20 Missouri and No. 13 Ole Miss before finishing the regular season on the road against No. 17 Tennessee and in-state foe Georgia Tech.

If Georgia wins the SEC East, they will play on December 2nd in the conference championship game in Atlanta. Whether Bowers will be ready for that game, or a potential College Football Playoff, is yet to be determined.

“To get healthy, you need to get back moving that ankle as soon as you can, meaning get on it, get weight bearing, and we’ve had guys go through this process,” Smart said regarding Bower’s recovery. “The key is, we’re trying to get him back healthy. There is no timeline for when he comes back to play. The timeline is when he’s healthy, and I don’t think you could put a timeline on it because historically, there have been guys that came back really fast and have come back really slow. Each one is different.”