Kirby Smart 'feels good' about Kendall Milton injury status
The running back situation at Georgia has been touch and go all season and it was that way again in the second half of the Bulldogs 37-20 win at Vanderbilt. Senior running back Kendall Milton, who averaged over 10 yards per carry on five totes in the first half, did not see a snap in the second.
Kirby Smart told reporters after the game that he had aggravated a sprained MCL suffered in week three against South Carolina. On Tuesday, Smart’s only bye-week meeting with the UGA beat, the eighth-year head coach provided an update on his running back and veteran leader.
“He did some stuff,” Smart said of Milton. “He was able to go out there and practice. I feel good about Kendall. It was not a high rep day, but pretty sure he went.”
Milton’s first half against Vanderbilt isn’t the only time he has looked impressive of late. After missing the UAB game with that MCL injury and only playing five snaps with no carries against Auburn in week five, Milton looked as healthy as he has all season in the Bulldogs’ 51-13 shellacking of Kentucky, carrying the ball eight times for 47 yards and a touchdown.
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The California hasn’t been able to catch a break in 2023 or any of his three previous seasons with the Bulldog. Milton fought through hamstring injuries during spring drills and preseason camp this season. Going back to 2022 he dealt with a groin injury midway through the season and a hamstring during camp.
His first two years at UGA saw Milton battle multiple sprained MCLs, both sustained during the season. The end of the 2023 season was one of the healthiest stretches of his career. Milton averaged at least eight yards per carry in four of Georgia’s final eight games, including an eight-carry, 113-yard showing vs. LSU in the SEC Championship game. The Bulldogs won that won 50-30 for their first league title since 2017.
Getting Milton back at full speed would be welcome news for a Georgia offense that lost it’s look-to playmaker in the Vanderbilt game. Junior tight end Brock Bowers left the contest with a high-ankle sprain and will have tight-rope surgery to speed up the healing process. He’s expected to make a full recovery but he will be out for at least a few weeks.
