Georgia Bulldogs lead rusher Trevor Etienne exited Saturday’s 34-20 win over the Florida Gators early with a rib injury and did not return. 

He missed the entire second half but still was able to run the ball seven times for 31 yards against his former teammates. 

Following the win, head coach Kirby Smart said Etienne was a little bummed he didn’t finish the game but hinted that that injury isn’t anything too significant. 

“He has a lot of friends over there on that sideline,” Smart said. “He likes and respects those guys. Whether y’all believe it or not, and all the social media stuff, everything out there, the kid is a great kid. He’s got a lot of friends on that team. I think the game meant a lot to him. I think it really hurt him that he couldn’t continue. He was dealing with a rib injury a little bit, and he’s fine. He just had some pain in there.”

The Bulldogs are already down Branson Robinson and Roderick Robinson so losing Etienne would not be very good timing as the Dawgs look to finish their season strong. 

With Etienne sidelined, true freshman Nate Frazier took over Etienne’s snaps and finished with 19 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown.  

Wide receiver Dillon Bell also stepped up and had one carry for 33 yards. 

Additionally, true freshman Dwight Phillips scored a touchdown on his first career rush during a two-point conversion attempt to seal the victory. 

The Bulldogs, 7-1, stay on the road next week as they head to Oxford to take on Ole Miss (7-2). Hopefully, Etienne will be ready to go by then.