From a football perspective, Georgia did not gain a lot by trouncing Tennessee Tech on Saturday, 48-3.

Sure, the Bulldogs were able to play a lot of people. In-game experience is important when trying to build depth, which will be needed to grind through another tough season in the SEC.

But considering the competition seen in practice every week, games like those against FCS Golden Eagles pale in comparison.

However, as one Bulldog admitted, this game had meaning.

For redshirt freshman Branson Robinson, his 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter after missing all of last year with a ruptured patellar tendon represented a major milestone in a comeback that remains a work in process.

“I thought it was awesome,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “Branson is still coming back to his old self, but I thought he had a good day. He had some good cuts and made some guys miss. He’s a great back, man. He’s just got to get back to full strength.”

Saturday was another step in that direction.

Robinson looked sluggish in the opener against Clemson, averaging just 1.7 yards per carry on seven attempts.

Against Tennessee Tech, Robinson carried three times for 24 yards, 13 coming on his touchdown run with 4:34 left in the third.

Though the game was well in hand at 45-0, Robinson’s teammates swarmed to the running back to congratulate him after the score.

“That’s connection, man,” Robinson said. “We’re always happy for a brother’s success. It’s been a long journey for me, and my teammates know that. They were happy for me.”

Bulldog fans know his story well.

Robinson was set to become another big piece of Running Back U. After scoring two touchdowns in the 2022 national title game against TCU, Robinson was primed to have a significant role before his injury in the 2023 preseason cost him the entire year.

Although the road back would be a bumpy one, Robinson kept telling himself one thing.

“Just not to rush the process, just make sure I’m ready once I come out here,” he said. “I’ve felt completely confident dating back to last week. So really, I’ve just been homing in on my rehab and everything like that. I really thank the training staff and everybody that was involved for helping me get to this point.”

Having a solid support system outside the walls of the team’s football facility hasn’t hurt, either.

Former Bulldog great and current Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb has been a particular source of inspiration.

Like Robinson, Chubb knows all about coming back from severe knee injuries.

He did so at Georgia and is currently on his way back from an ACL tear he suffered with the Browns.

The two speak regularly.

“Nick has been great. He had a gruesome injury in college, kind of similar to mine, so he helped me through the whole process at the beginning,” Robinson said. “He told me to just to hone in on my rehab and everything would take care of itself.”

So far, it has.

Though Robinson admitted to being “a little rusty” his first time out a week ago, getting to line up against the Tigers was a valuable first step in his comeback.

“For me, it’s going to be getting adjusted to the game speed,” Robinson said. “Thankfully, we played a quality opponent like Clemson, a very good team. I got a chance to shake out that rust and be ready for any opponent because they had a very good defense.”

Yesterday Robinson said he felt “completely confident” and back to where he needs to be mentally to sustain the pounding he’ll be taking as part of what looks to be another talented room of running backs at Georgia.

Moving forward, the Bulldogs should be the beneficiary.

“I’ll just do whatever the team asks me to do,” Robinson said. “I mean, I'm just here to win."