The Georgia Bulldogs will do battle with the South Carolina Gamecocks between the hedges on Saturday afternoon — and head coach Kirby Smart has published a concerning injury report. So is wide receiver Ladd McConkey playing? He is dealing with a back injury and is yet to see action this season. Let’s look at the most recent Ladd McConkey injury updates as we assess whether he will be available against South Carolina in Week 3.
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Ladd McConkey Injury Update: Is Georgia’s Running Back Playing Against South Carolina?
Ladd McConkey Injury Update
The Georgia Bulldogs have had to make do without their star slot receiver, Ladd McConkey, over the last two weeks. McConkey has been dealing with a back injury, and head coach Kirby Smart is calling him day-to-day. Before last weekend’s game against Ball State, Smart noted that McConkey had dealt with a similar injury last season.
It appears McConkey could be trending in the right direction. “We thought he might have been able to go last week,” Smart said, “[he] was a game-time decision.” Early this week, Smart added that “[w]e’re trying everything we can to get him back.” The fact McConkey has been a game-time call already suggests she should be able to play sooner rather than later.
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Is Ladd McConkey Playing Against South Carolina?
So is Ladd McConkey playing against South Carolina? The short answer is that we don’t know — and we probably won’t know until Saturday. McConkey racked up 58 catches last year, and his seven receiving touchdowns were tied with tight end Brock Bowers for the team lead, so his absence would be meaningful — but Georgia has started the year hot without him.
Georgia’s passing offense has still performed well to start the year — albeit against FCS and MAC competition. Quarterback Carson Beck has completed 72.15 of his passes for 9.7 yards per attempt. Wide receivers Dominic Lovett and Mekhi Mews lead the team in receptions (7) and receiving yards (102), respectively.
McConkey’s injury comes down to a risk-reward calculation. The Bulldogs blew out the Gamecocks by 41 points last year, and they did it on the road. McConkey contributed four catches for 52 yards to go with a 13-yard rush, which is solid but not unreplaceable production, especially given what Lovett and Mews have done. With the Dawgs listed as a 27.5-point home favorite, Smart probably won’t want to force the issue with his receiver.
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