Kendall Milton’s performance against Kentucky may have been obscured by the big night enjoyed by Carson Beck. It could prove to be equally as big.
Injuries to the Bulldog running back room have at times made it difficult for Georgia to get that all-important area of its offense in gear.
Daijun Edwards has been solid since returning from an early-season knee injury. But after Roderick Robinson’s recent ankle injury and Andrew Paul still progressing, the Bulldogs have been in need of someone else to help Edwards shoulder the load.
Last Saturday, Milton was able to do just that.
Slowed by a knee injury of his own, Milton looked like his old self against the Wildcats, rushing eight times for 47 yards, scoring on a five-yard run in the second quarter to extend Georgia’s lead to 31-7.
“Before the game, everybody was in the locker room was like you’re going to have a game, you’re going to have a night. I just had to be patient and let everything come to me. The linemen kept in my ear; I’m very blessed to be in this situation,” Milton said. “I’ve had some adversity, a lot of tough situations. But one thing I’ve always kept in mind is God. No matter how tough things are, how sidetracked things get, always keep that faith, and keep that focus.”
Head coach Kirby Smart said Milton’s showing was a welcomed sight.
“I thought Kendall did a great job tonight. Kendall hit it, and Mike talked about it during the week. He said we’ve got to get somebody that can get us three, four, five yards. We can’t be behind the sticks like we were at Auburn. I thought Kendall brought a little hefty punch, stuck it up in there. He got a lot of yards after contact. It’s the first time that I thought he looked healthy all year.”
Hopefully, Milton can stay that way.
When healthy, Milton has shown he’s capable of being a key offensive part of Georgia’s running attack.
Considering the Bulldogs need a strong ground game to set up Beck and Georgia’s passing attack, fingers are definitely crossed.
The fact Georgia rolled up over 600 yards of offense against Kentucky is evidence of what the Bulldogs are capable of.
“I wouldn’t say we put the country on notice, but I kind of think we showed who we are,” Milton said. “A lot of people doubted us, a lot of people doubted our ability. Every year we lose a lot of people to the draft, to the portal. People question us, but I think we answered people now.”
Milton has dealt with plenty of questions himself.
Considering he’s been beset with injuries throughout his career, many have wondered if Milton could contribute when needed most.
“I could care less about the doubt. I’ve gone through certain things in my career at Georgia; I’ve been on the good side, and I’ve been on the bad side. One thing I’ve learned is you’ve got to control what you can control,” Milton said. “You can’t control what people say about you, you can’t control what people think about you. The only thing you can control is to show up every day, control how you work, and the results will show.”
