Will Georgia football survive toughest part of its schedule with star Brock Bowers out?

The timing of tight end Brock Bowers high-ankle sprain that will knock him out of the lineup couldn’t have been better in one respect because it came before Georgia football’s only bye week of the season.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo doesn’t have to game plan for an opponent this Saturday so there’s time to retool after losing one of college football’s best players. Bowers played nearly every significant snap for Georgia this season, but went down with the injury in Saturday’s 37-20 win at Vanderbilt.

On the other hand, the timing of the injury considering what’s ahead is daunting because it will test the Bulldogs and could put in jeopardy Georgia's 34-game regular season winning streak as the team chases a third straight playoff bid.

More: How would Georgia football fare if star tight end Brock Bowers has to miss games?

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What will Georgia football do without Brock Bowers?

Georgia’s toughest three opponents on the schedule are still ahead in November and Bowers may not be back for any of them after undergoing surgery for a high ankle sprain on Monday.

Florida, on Oct. 28, is the fourth best team on Georgia’s schedule based on Jeff Sagarin's ratings (No. 39) and fifth best by ESPN’s SP+ by Bill Connelly (No. 31).

Then comes home games against Missouri Nov. 4 (No. 37 Sagarin, No. 26 SP+) and Ole Miss Nov. 11 (No. 14, No. 20) and at Tennessee (No. 13, No. 12).

Florida, coming off a 41-39 win at South Carolina Saturday, certainly won’t miss having to try to stop Bowers. He had 5 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown against the Gators last season in a 42-20 win last season.

Georgia has other playmakers in the SEC’s top-ranked passing offense, but Bowers brought something different.

Just look at the play where Bowers was injured in the second quarter at Vanderbilt.

It didn’t come on a catch or while blocking, but after a play in which Georgia got the ball in the versatile Bowers’ hands.

He lined up in the slot and took a pitch from running back Daijun Edwards while Bowers was running the opposite direction. He was tackled on the Vanderbilt sideline and came up limping.

Georgia didn’t specify that Bowers underwent TightRope surgery but that’s the procedure offensive tackle Amarius Mims and tight end Lawson Luckie underwent after high ankle sprains the last couple of months.

Luckie underwent surgery on Aug. 16 and traveled with the team for the game at Auburn more than six weeks later.

No timetable was offered for Bowers return by Georgia.

If Bowers has a similar recovery to Luckie, he could return for the SEC championship game Dec. 2 in Atlanta. The timeline for recovery is four to 12 weeks, according to an orthopedic surgeon that spoke to the Athens Banner-Herald after Mims’ injury.

Georgia is 7-0 and 4-0 in the SEC, but had its hands full at times with three lesser SEC opponents in South Carolina, Auburn and Vanderbilt. It posted a 10-point win against the Gamecocks, a 7-point victory against the Tigers and a 17-point final margin against the Commodores.

Bowers being sidelined will be the biggest test of Georgia’s “next man-up,” mentality that players often reference.

That means Georgia will look to sophomore Oscar Delp for more as he becomes the top tight end. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Delp has 13 catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

He played 64 snaps against Vanderbilt, according to Pro Football Focus. He had averaged 32.5 the first six games.

Luckie stepped in and played 10 snaps Saturday in just his second college game.

Georgia also can turn to freshman Pearce Spurlin, who has two catches for 29 yards in three games played.

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey has played the last three games but he has continued to miss practice time as Georgia is cautious with the back injury that sidelined him the first four games.

McConkey had four catches for 58 yards at Vanderbilt — all in the first half.

“The deal with Ladd, he gets tight at halftime,” Smart said after Saturday’s game. “You know, he stiffens up and has to try to stay loose. A little bit of stamina because he doesn't get to practice as much as the other guys.”

It certainly would help if Georgia can get speedy wide receiver Arian Smith going. The big-play threat hasn’t made many big plays this season.

He had just four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown and no catches the last three games.

Georgia of course has veteran Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and transfers Dominic Lovett and Rara Thomas at wide receiver and Dillon Bell is a wide receiver even though he’s the team’s fourth-leading rusher and has played running back.

Maybe the off week is a time to prep C.J. Smith or Anthony Evans into bigger roles at wide receiver.

“To be honest all the weapons haven’t even touched the field yet,” running back Kendall Milton said after Georgia crushed Kentucky on Oct. 7.

Maybe so. Getting Bowers back on that field, whenever he’s ready, is the weapon Georgia fans will be thrilled to see again before he takes his talents to the NFL.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Brock Bowers injury: Will UGA football win with star sidelined?