NEW ORLEANS – The fact that Georgia won’t have safety J.R. Reed available for Wednesday’s Sugar Bowl against Baylor caught many off guard when UGASports broke the news on Saturday afternoon.

At least one teammate seemed equally surprised.

“I found out maybe yesterday, but I’m happy for him,” sophomore cornerback Tyson Campbell said. “He’s been a great leader for us, but we’ve got a game to play.”

Reed would tweet out a message saying the reason he’s missing the game is due to a foot injury that he suffered in practice.

With Reed out, look for freshman Lewis Cine, Chris Smith, and Otis Reese to jockey for playing time against the Bears, opposite junior starter Richard LeCounte.

“Lewis is a competitor,” Campbell said. “He’ll be prepared. We’re prepared for this game. That’s the thing. We’re all focused, we’re focused on this event, we’re focused on this game. We’re ready to finish the season off right.”

Tyler Clark’s absence means the Bulldogs will have a sizeable hole on their defensive line, but it’s one David Marshall believes Julian Rochester will help fill just fine.

“It’s the next man up, and Julian is one of the guys who will get that chance,” Marshall said of Rochester, who will still qualify for a redshirt after playing in just three previous games.

Rochester, who has started 19 games over his career, has made six tackles in his three games.

“He (Rochester) and whoever else we play will be ready,” Marshall said. “It’s a boon having somebody like that with so much experience, who we can put in.”

…Georgia held the first of two practices at the Superdome on Saturday. The session included a mandatory 15-minute viewing session by the media, with Bulldog coaches conducting circuit drills with players from different positions working out together, supposedly to make it tougher for the media to tell which Bulldogs were and were not there.

…Running back D’Andre Swift (shoulder) still appeared limited during Saturday’s workouts. Swift was seen taking part in one running back drill, but watched the others during the media’s 15-minute session.

…On Sunday, media will get the opportunity to interview Georgia offensive coordinator James Coley, along with Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Snow; on Monday, Bulldog defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, and with either Baylor co-offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon or Glenn Thomas taking their turns. Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart and Baylor’s Matt Rhule will make their only other appearance before the press Tuesday morning.