The No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs (7-2) are at risk of missing the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row if they can’t defeat No. 7 Tennessee (8-1) on Saturday. This challenge has become even more difficult as Georgia’s top rusher, Trevor Etienne, was ruled out due to injury on Thursday.
The 5-foot-9 junior has accumulated 477 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, which has been crucial for the Bulldogs in a competitive SEC. Coming off a disappointing 28-10 defeat to Mississippi in Week 11, another loss would likely end Georgia’s chances in both the conference title race and playoff contention.
Backup Nate Frazier will now take over the rushing duties; he has so far gained 333 yards and scored three touchdowns this season. While Tennessee boasts the ninth-best rushing defense in FBS, Georgia’s rushing offense ranks 104th, averaging 124.1 yards per game with Etienne in the lineup.
Georgia may find a glimmer of hope since the Volunteers might also be missing a key player on Saturday. Freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava has appeared on the injury report, being listed as questionable while he is in concussion protocol after missing the second half of last week’s game against Mississippi State due to a tough hit.
Saturday’s game can be viewed as an SEC elimination matchup, as both teams are fighting for two coveted spots in the conference championship game in Atlanta.
