Kirby Smart's evaluation of Georgia's health gets even worse

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kirby Smart's evaluation of Georgia's health gets even worse with Chauncey Bowens news

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Oct 14, 2026 8:51 PM ET

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs won the biggest battle of Week 6 of the 2026 college football season.

His team traveled to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Bulldogs walked away with a 20-17 victory and are now undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country.

That was a huge win for UGA, but there are greater battles that lie ahead for the Bulldogs. One has to wonder if they're in a "won the battle but lost the war" situation as it relates to injuries.

Smart certainly sounded like he was thinking that, even after the win against Alabama.

“We’re a beat-up football team right now, guys,” Smart said after the win, according to Thomas Goldkamp of On3. “We’ve got guys out left and right.”

That statement was perhaps a premonition for later in the week, because it's now being reported that junior running back Chauncey Bowens won't play in Week 7 against the Auburn Tigers.

Not only that, but there's no timetable for a return for the bruising back, who suffered a lower-body injury against Vanderbilt on Oct. 3.

NEW: Georgia RB Chauncey Bowens will miss Saturday's game against Auburn and his status moving forward is in doubt, @PeteNakos reports.https://t.co/CuSr3AfhWF pic.twitter.com/JnnmC3W81h
— On3 (@On3) October 14, 2026

Bowens has been a short-yardage beast for the Bulldogs in the red zone. He has only 35 carries for 124 yards on the season, which equals just 3.5 yards per carry.

With that said, he's notched six touchdowns for UGA, including three against Arkansas and two against Oklahoma. Before his injury, he had scored in three straight games, so he's been a big piece of the puzzle for the Bulldogs. That's not to mention his 10 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown.

Georgia Bulldogs dealing with injuries at running back

As UGA looks ahead to not just Auburn, but tough games coming up against Florida, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 13 Missouri in the next month, there's a world in which they'll have to keep winning without Bowens.

Ever the deep program, the Bulldogs have two junior running backs in Dwight Phillips Jr. and Nate Frazier. With that said, even Frazier has been banged up. He missed the game against Alabama with a rib injury.

The Bulldogs have been using a "running back by committee" approach this season, and that's sure to continue considering the injuries.

Phillips has rushed for 280 yards and a touchdown, while Frazier has 211 yards and five touchdowns under his belt. Then there's sophomore Bo Walker, who has rushed 30 times for 203 yards with no scores.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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