Only eight more days until Georgia takes on North Carolina in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome for the Sept. 3 opener. Looking ahead to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic, don’t be surprised if every UGA running back is available to face off against the Tar Heels.
According to UGA head coach Kirby Smart, the Dawgs backfield could be at full capacity by kickoff with the potential return of junior running back Sony Michel following his July 3 ATV accident.
“(Michel’s) doing a lot of positive things,” Smart said during Friday’s Paul Finebaum Show. “It’s just that he hasn’t been cleared to play yet, and it may even be a game-time decision.”
.@KirbySmartUGA says he has "great confidence in Sony Michel" & that he'll most likely be a game time decision. pic.twitter.com/4qaZfo8Mvo
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) August 26, 2016
“I’ve got great confidence in Sony, and Sony’s worked really hard to get in shape,” Smart said. “So the reports not being favorable, I don’t know if that’s accurate. The kid’s out there doing everything that he’s been cleared to do, it’s just that he hasn’t been cleared to do everything. So he looks great, he’s running, he’s in 7-on-7, he’s in a black jersey, he was returning kicks yesterday.”
That wasn’t the only good news to surface Friday as true freshman Elijah Holyfield is now back practicing with his teammates following an injury scare.
Elijah Holyfield back practicing 100 percent with Bulldogs today
— Anthony Dasher (@AnthonyDasher1) August 26, 2016
Meanwhile, freshman quarterback Jacob Eason continues to get plenty of looks under center with the first-team offense.
Jacob Eason went 1st getting reps at QB vs scout team at UGA practice. Greyson Lambert went 2nd. Then back to Eason again.
— Marc Weiszer (@marcweiszer) August 26, 2016
Only one Saturday left until Georgia football returns to the field for real, as the Dawgs have begun full prep for North Carolina:
UGA is now in full prep mode for UNC. Got to watch the secondary face the scout team who were wearing Tarheel numbers.
Now it's real.
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) August 26, 2016
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
