The Georgia Bulldogs will be missing a couple of guys in Fayetteville this weekend.
The Georgia Bulldogs are headed on the road this weekend with their SEC opener taking them out west to Fayetteville to take on a middling Arkansas Razorbacks program which does not have much energy around it.
On one hand, this is shaping up for a Georgia blowout, however this is also the exact type of game a team is capable of overlooking, something Kirby Smart knows as well as anyone. As it turns out, the Bulldogs will be down a couple of players on the defense again with the release of the official SEC injury report on Wednesday.
Georgia Missing Three Key Defenders Against Arkansas
The most significant absence is defensive back Tyriq Green, who left the game during the fourth quarter against Western Kentucky after he got rolled up on during a kickoff return. While Green may not be a starter on the defense, he is an important depth piece who would see time in the secondary if a starter was to go out at one of the safety spots.
Beyond him, it's two more players who have not yet been able to get on the field this season. Sophomore outside linebacker Chase Linton and true freshman defensive back Justice Fitzpatrick each are going to be on the shelf. Linton has not made his first appearance of the season with a lower-body injury he has been dealing with since the offseason, while Fitzpatrick has still not fully returned from a knee injury he suffered during his final season in high school.
In all likelihood, none of the three absences should impact things drastically for the Bulldogs defense, but it does mean there is a little bit less depth than Smart would like, especially if the game gets out of hand and he pulls starters in the second half.
Linton was a guy expected to potentially be a big piece of the defense in his second year on campus while Green has already gotten some time over the first two weeks of the year.
With neither on the field this week, it's just one more challenge for a Georgia team prepared to hit the road and really start attacking the meat of their season this weekend on the road in the SEC.
Fans will be watching closely in the weeks ahead to see if Green, Linton and Fitzpatrick can make their returns to practice and eventually get back on the field on game days.
