Georgia Bulldogs star interior defensive lineman Jordan Davis has been ruled out from Saturday afternoon’s game against the Gators, per a late morning report. After suffering an elbow injury in last week’s game, Davis was unable to practice throughout the week. Although his injury is listed as day-to-day, he’ll have to wait until next week to get back on the field.
As one of the best tackles in the nation, it’s safe to say Georgia will feel the loss of Davis’ on-field production. Standing at 6-foot-5-inch and weighing 330 pounds, he possesses surprising athleticism, agility, and lateral mobility. That cocktail of attributes creates an exceptional run stuffer.
It was unclear until shortly before game time whether Davis would be able to join in the ‘Dawgs afternoon effort in Jacksonville.
I’m hearing that #UGA will not have its outstanding DT Jordan Davis (elbow/arm injury) today against UF.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 7, 2020
“We’re hopeful he’ll be able to go,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday. “We’re trying to get him, even it’s just in a role. We think he could play a role in the game and hopefully he’ll be able to do that.”
Taking Davis’ talent out of the equation creates a new chink in Georgia’s heavily-armored defense. It lessens pressure on Kyle Trask to be on his best behavior in the passing game; if he hits a bit of a rough patch, the offensive play calling can more comfortably pivot to the run. It also makes the offensive line’s job easier and makes escaping on the pocket for positive yardage if Trask is too heavily pressured a more realistic possibility.
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