ATHENS \u2014 It was not unreasonable this offseason to envision Nate Frazier as Georgia\u2019s leading rusher and Isiah Canion as the team\u2019s leading receiver. <\/p>\n
But entering Saturday\u2019s game against Oklahoma, the Bulldogs could be without both of those valuable weapons. <\/p>\n
Frazier picked up a rib injury in the third quarter of Georgia\u2019s win over Arkansas, while Canion is dealing with a right leg injury. Both are officially listed as questionable for Saturday\u2019s game, per the SEC\u2019s availability report. <\/a><\/p>\n Smart has stated that Frazier is expected to play. The Georgia coach said following the Arkansas game that both players could\u2019ve returned to the field. <\/p>\n Georgia does have options it can turn throughout the offense in the event it isn\u2019t able to lean on Frazier and Canion the way it would like. Frazier has 202 rushing yards and five touchdowns in three games. Canion has three receptions for 28 yards.<\/p>\n Running back is the easiest position to project. Chauncey Bowens had three rushing touchdowns against Arkansas, while carrying the ball 11 times for 39 yards. <\/p>\n While Bowens hasn\u2019t been the explosive runner Frazier has this season, he\u2019s been a very effective weapon as a pass catcher. He\u2019s caught six passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. <\/p>\n Bowens has carried the load for the Georgia offense before, such as when he ran for 119 yards on 12 carries against Alabama last season. <\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s a violent runner,\u201d Smart said. \u201cHe likes contact, he seeks contact. He got the beneficiary of some good blocking on a couple of those. He had a couple runs that I thought could have been even bigger. But he also bounced out on some and made some plays.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s also Dwight Phillip Jr. in the backfield. He had a strong offseason for the Bulldogs, who have used the third-year running back sparingly so far. He has only seven carries on the season for 49 yards. If Frazier is limited, perhaps Georgia could turn to Phillips in the hopes of creating an explosive run. <\/p>\n Georgia is a little thin in the running back room, with Dante Dowdell still recovering from multiple offseason injuries he suffered<\/a>. If Frazier is limited, that depth will be further tested.<\/p>\n When Canion left the Arkansas game, Thomas Blackshear served as his immediate replacement. He led all Georgia receivers in snaps played with 39, a clear sign that Georgia wanted to get him as much seasoning as possible. <\/p>\n The second-year receiver did not record a catch on his three targets against the Razorbacks. <\/p>\n \u201cHe works really hard over there, and we\u2019ve got a multiple offense where multiple people can play that position,\u201d Smart said. \u201cThomas has played it well. Will Taylor\u2019s played it well. So I\u2019m really proud of Thomas stepping up, getting an opportunity. I wish he had gotten to get some more throws because he has some great routes that didn\u2019t get rewarded.\u201d<\/p>\n Canion had not yet shown himself to be a favorite target of Gunner Stockton\u2019s. Craig Dandridge,<\/a> Sacovie White-Helton and Talyn Taylor are the only three receivers on the team that have at least five receptions to this point in the season. <\/p>\n While Georgia was very reliant on Zachariah Branch a season ago, so far the Bulldogs have taken a strength-in-numbers approach when it comes to the passing game. Of the 11 players who have caught a touchdown pass so far, only Taylor has multiple scores. <\/p>\n \u201cHe runs good routes,\u201d Smart said of Taylor. \u201cI think he\u2019s gotta continue to get better and improve, but it\u2019s on little things that he continues to grow and get more confidence in.\u201d<\/p>\n Five different Georgia tight ends have gotten into the end zone so far. Lawson Luckie, Ethan Barbour, Elyiss Williams and Jaden Reddell will all play meaningful snaps for Georgia against Oklahoma. <\/p>\n With the Oklahoma defense being the first that can truly test the Georgia offense, it will be interesting to see if Georgia finally taps into all the talent that is in that room. <\/p>\n \u201cEveryone does a great job of supporting each other and not getting upset when the other person shines,\u201d Luckie said. \u201cBecause that\u2019s a cancer that can\u2019t really spread through a locker room. So we\u2019re just working through it, trusting the process, and trying to stay as fresh as we can. And having the most fresh player on the field at any given moment, and get as many guys ready to play as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n Georgia isn\u2019t the only side entering this game with injury questions and concerns. The Sooners<\/a> are expected to be without their starting left tackle in Michael Fasusi. As for standout defensive tackle David Stone, he is listed as questionable after suffering a knee injury in practice this week. <\/p>\n