No. 2 Georgia to be without key RB Bowens against No. 6 Alabama

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  Mark SchlabachOct 7, 2026, 08:41 PM ET

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  • Senior college football writer
  • Author of seven books on college football
  • Graduate of the University of Georgia

Georgia will be without one of its key running backs when it plays at No. 6 Alabama on Saturday night.

Junior Chauncey Bowens, who leads the No. 2 Bulldogs with six rushing touchdowns in five games, will miss Saturday's game against the Crimson Tide (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC), according to the SEC's initial availability report.

Bowens, who has run 35 times for 124 yards and is the team's primary short-yardage and goalline ball carrier, was injured in last week's 38-14 victory against Vanderbilt.

Leading rusher Nate Frazier wasn't listed on the availability report after missing most of the past two games with bruised ribs. Frazier didn't play in Georgia's 41-13 win against Oklahoma on Sept. 26. Against the Commodores, Frazier had only two carries for 9 yards in the second half.

Frazier, a junior from Compton, California, leads the Bulldogs with 211 rushing yards with five touchdowns.

Frazier's return would be a welcome development as Georgia prepares to play Alabama's defense, which ranks third in the SEC against the run, allowing only 78.6 yards per game.

Junior Dwight Phillips Jr. had taken on a larger role in Frazier's absence. He was Georgia's leading rusher with 84 yards with one touchdown against Oklahoma. Frazier caught five passes for 75 yards with one touchdown and ran for 27 yards against Vanderbilt.

The Bulldogs have looked to get Phillips the ball in open space because of his speed. He is the son of Dwight Phillips, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist in the long jump.

Georgia signed Kentucky transfer Dante Dowdell out of the portal during the offseason. He has missed the entire season while recovering from injuries he suffered in an ATV accident near his home in Picayune, Mississippi. Details of the accident aren't known.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart told ESPN in July that Dowdell was being treated at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, which specializes in treatment and rehabilitation, including spinal cord and brain injuries.