The toughest stretch of Georgia’s season awaits after this week’s open date with Florida, Mizzou, Ole Miss, and Tennessee looming.

That span just got a lot tougher with Monday morning’s news that all-everything Tight end and potential Heisman Trophy candidate Brock Bowers has a high ankle sprain and will require surgery.

Though UGA has not released details on a timeline of recovery, you’d have to figure a 4-to-6-week timeline. That means that Bowers might, with luck be back for the Tennessee game and also back for Georgia Tech and the SEC Championship Game, should Georgia make it there.

It also means that the trove of tight ends that Georgia has continued to target as recruits gets their time to shine. Chief among them is Oscar Delp. The silver lining in Bowers’ injury being early on Saturday was that Oscar Delp got work with the top offensive unit, catching a pair of passes for 32 yards. In four of Georgia’s seven games, he has more than one catch. Look for him to be targeted more as the No. 1 tight end with Lawson Luckie being further in the mix as well.

The other hope is that the further cohesion of Dominic Lovett and Rara Thomas will offset the absence of Bowers.

It’s a massive setback for the Dawgs, without a doubt. Bowers has at times been a safety valve for Georgia’s offense. Now, they will have to find another way to get things done.

The off week could not have been better-timed, that’s for sure.

Go Dawgs!