A relatively smooth football season for Georgia suffered a sizable setback last Saturday when the undefeated Bulldogs were throttled 36-16 at LSU.
For left tackle Andrew Thomas, the obstacles arrived a bit earlier.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound sophomore from the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia sprained an ankle during the third quarter of Georgia's 41-17 win at South Carolina on Sept. 8, which caused him to miss the remainder of that game and the 49-7 rout of Middle Tennessee State the following week. He returned to the starting lineup at Missouri on Sept. 22, only to leave the game in the first quarter after reinjuring the ankle.
"It's pretty frustrating," Thomas said. "I just continued to work hard and supported my teammates until I got back."
The Missouri setback did not result in Thomas missing any starts, but his ankle appears to be a lingering issue.
"He's playing really hard, but the injury has been more of a concern," Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. "He has to push through, because he's still not 100 percent over it. I think a lot of people assume he is, but he has to wear two braces, and he got rolled up early in the LSU game.
"It was bothering him after the second or third play, but he pushed through it and is practicing this week. He is physical and athletic and does a good job of getting to the second level for us, and he continues to be one of our leaders."
Thomas is in his first season at left tackle after starting all 15 games at right tackle for the 2017 Southeastern Conference champions. This season, the Bulldogs had per-game averages of 485.2 total yards and 245.2 rushing yards until last Saturday, when they were held to season lows of 322 total and 113 rushing.
Georgia's tailback tandem of Elijah Holyfield and D'Andre Swift was a bright spot at LSU, totaling 128 yards on 19 carries (6.7 per rush). The Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1) are off this weekend before facing Florida in Jacksonville on Oct. 27.
"I think we're still trying to find our identity on the offensive side of the ball," Thomas said. "We want a balanced offense that is very physical and can run the ball at will."
Thomas was replaced temporarily after his two ankle injuries by freshman Cade Mays, but Mays is now at right guard, where redshirt sophomore Ben Cleveland started this season's first four games before sustaining a broken fibula at Missouri. Smart has no timetable for Cleveland's return but said he is no longer on crutches or needing a boot and that he is doing some underwater running.
"We have a lot of guys who can play and a lot of guys who can contribute," Thomas said. "In these games, though, we have to start a little faster. It takes us too long to get going sometimes.
"Our goals will continue to be very physical and to play with great technique and to outhit our opponent."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.