Saturday was a night to celebrate for No. 5 Georgia (9-1) as it closed its SEC schedule with a huge win over No. 10 Texas (7-3). UGA’s victory over the Longhorns gives it a 99% chance to make the College Football Playoff, according to ESPN’s Playoff Predictor. This would be the 5th appearance under Kirby Smart. Finishing 7-1 in the SEC, the Dawgs have solidified their case to play in the conference championship, but will have to wait and see if they earn a berth to Atlanta.
Amid a dominant team performance, UGA suffered a major potential loss of one of its best players. On the second defensive drive for the Dawgs, star linebacker CJ Allen suffered a knee injury after a crucial third-down tackle to force a Texas punt.
Allen, who leads the team with 78 tackles, did not return to the game.
Allen had 3 total tackles in the contest before heading to the locker room in the first quarter. The Butkus Award semifinalist was seen using a crutch to walk on Saturday night post-injury.
CJ Allen’s Status After Injury:
After the 35-10 victory in Sanford, Kirby Smart told media:
“Something to do with his knee. They were taking him to get an MRI. He said he was good after the game, so we’ll see.”
Monday, ahead of a 12:45 p.m. ET Week 13 kickoff against the Charlotte 49ers (1-9) for UGA’s senior day, Smart gave an update – though not much of one – on Allen’s status.
“He will be week to week and we will see when we get him back,” Kirby said.
UGA is a 44.5-point favorite (ESPN Bet) this Saturday in its last home game of the regular season, so it is unlikely that Allen will see action.
Georgia will then face Georgia Tech (9-1) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the regular-season finale, with the postseason ahead. The junior’s absence beyond this week would be a huge loss for the Bulldogs.
CJ Allen leads the team in tackles (78), sacks (3.5), and forced fumbles (2).
