Georgia OLB Nolan Smith 'probably out' for Tennessee
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia will likely be without senior outside linebacker Nolan Smith when it hosts Tennessee on Saturday. Kirby Smart spoke with reporters on Monday where his tone and words were less than optimistic regarding the team leader in sacks and tackles for loss.
“He’s probably out this week,” Smart said on Monday. He said that after saying that Smith’s availability “does not look good” for Tennessee. Smart also noted that Smith has a pectoral injury and not a separated shoulder like he thought it was after the game.
Nolan Smith left in the second quarter after sustaining what looked like a shoulder injury. It is unclear whether he ever entered the injury tent but he eventually put his helmet back on and spoke with multiple coaches and players on the sideline. It wasn’t long after that the it was announced by the Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network that Smith would miss the rest of the game. Kirby Smart didn’t have many details after the game.
“I’m not even sure what it is,” Smart said afterward. I want to say it was a separated shoulder. I don’t know how severe it is. We’ll find out. I know that Chaz (Chambliss) came in and did a really good job. Beefy (Robert Beal) did a good job and filled in for him. Marvin (Jones Jr.) had the flu so we couldn’t get Marvin in there. We had several guys who were sick coming into the game.”
The Bulldogs had gotten quite a bit from Nolan Smith before his injury. He had two solo tackles, one for loss, and a quarterback hurry halfway through the second quarter.
Georgia’s defense responded well to Smith’s absence at first but started to give way some in the final two quarters. Florida gained 283 of its 371 yards in the second half. The Gators also scored 17 points in the third and fourth quarters but 10 of those game off Bulldog turnovers.
Nolan Smith is Georgia’s leader in sacks and tackles for loss. He has three sacks and seven stops behind the line of scrimmage to go with 16 total tackles, a pass breakup, and numerous quarterback hurries. A season ago Smith was one of two Bulldogs to piled up double-digit tackles for loss. He had 10.
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Smith had 3.5 sacks last season but two of those came in the post season. He had one each in Georgia’s College Football Playoff matchups with Michigan and Alabama. The one against Alabama was the last play of the National Championship game.
Smart told reporters last week that Nolan Smith is more than just a productive edge player for the Bulldogs. He has a larger role within the team.
“Leadership, toughness,” Smart said of Smith. “Nolan is a natural leader. He’s been that way since I met him when he was in eighth grade and he came up here to camp. He’s been a natural leader, comes from a great family, but his leadership is more important than his ability and his ability is pretty strong. He creates a toughness about the he holds people to a standard of the way you strike blocks, the way you close on counters, the way you rush with effort, special teams, I mean, he plays on all special teams. He’s just a core guy.”
If Nolan Smith is unable to play for Georgia this Saturday, that would be a significant blow. It is set to play No. 2 Tennessee inside Sanford Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
