No. 1 Georgia loses tight end Brock Bowers to sprained left foot against Vandy

Updated Oct. 14, 2023 4:05 p.m. ET

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Preseason All-American tight end Brock Bowers hurt his left ankle midway through the second quarter Saturday against Vanderbilt, knocking him out for the rest of No. 1 Georgia's game.

Coach Kirby Smart said after the 37-20 win that Bowers has a sprained ankle, citing X-rays that were negative, though the Bulldogs didn't know how severe it was. Bowers will have an MRI to further check the injury.

“It’s looks like it’s lower, but we don’t know,” Smart said.

Bowers was hurt at the end of a 14-yard gain on an end-around down to the Vanderbilt 11. He was tackled by Vanderbilt safety Savion Riley on the sideline, and the junior was slow to get up and limped heavily once he did.

Bowers initially walked onto the field. Then he went down onto both knees and punched the turf.

Trainers came out to him, then Bowers was able to walk to the sideline, where he went straight into the team medical tent. Bowers limped heavily with help toward the Georgia locker room outside the stadium late in the first half.

He ran twice for 11 yards and caught four passes for 22 yards before being hurt.

With Georgia up 24-7 at halftime, the defending back-to-back national champs certainly didn't need Bowers to return Saturday. They have an open date before playing Florida on Oct. 28 in Jacksonville.

Bowers was coming off his third straight 100-yard receiving game and came into this game with 24 catches for 410 yards and four TDs in that span. He was the first Georgia player with three 100-yard receiving games in a row since Terrence Edwards in 2002.

He has 10 career 100-yard receiving games and currently leads Georgia with 37 catches for 545 yards with four TDs.

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