Georgia Bulldogs running back Chauncey Bowens did not appear on Georgia's final injury report before the Ole Miss Rebels game. However, he still did not play against the Rebels. Georgia coach Kirby Smart explained why Bowens, who has been dealing with a lower body injury, did not play this week during a press conference.
"He's not 100%," Smart said on Bowens. "Just because someone is dressed out and cleared does not mean that they're able to go out there and play and perform. He's working his tail off to get back.
"The fact that he was even available says a lot about his toughness and his want to be there for the team. He's working hard at that. He's trying to go. He's trying to do things. The training staff and the doctors and everybody we've
met with are comfortable with where he is and what he's doing, but he is not 100% right now."
Bowens adds an element of power to the Georgia backfield. With him out, Georgia relied heavily on Nate Frazier (16 carries for 107 yards) and Dwight Phillips (11 carries for 66 yards) against Ole Miss. The Bulldogs also got contributions from Bo Walker (six carries for 42 yards) in the comfortable win.
This season, Bowens has 35 carries for 124 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. When Bowens gets closer to being fully healthy, then he'll get more action. Bowens next opportunity to play will be this Saturday, Nov. 14 against the Missouri Tigers at 3:30 p.m. ET (televised on ABC).
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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Georgia explains why star running back did not play at Ole Miss
