ATHENS — One of the clear things Kirby Smart wants to get out of Georgia’s off week is a healthier football team.

“Recovery and conditioning level and getting healthy would be one answer, but getting better would be another answer,” Smart said. “But those two don’t necessarily co-exist well, so you have to be careful about who you’re talking about.”

Perhaps no injury currently looms larger than the right leg injury Georgia safety KJ Bolden is dealing with.

He did not play against Auburn after exiting Georgia’s game against Alabama late. The Georgia safety spent Saturday in street clothes will wearing a walking boot on his right leg.

“He actually cramped around halftime around the touchdown score right before the half, and then had an injury that came up toward the end around the sack, which he never had to go back in because we ended up keeping the ball during that time,” Smart said.

With Bolden out, Georgia started Ja’Marley Riddle in his place. He played 75 snaps in the 27-24 loss, with Zion Branch playing the other five.

Georgia very much missed Bolden’s playmaking ability, as the Bulldogs were unable to force a turnover. They also had several missed tackles. Riddle in particular gave up a fourth-down conversion after being in position to take down Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown.

“Always tough losing a guy like that,” Georgia safety Khalil Barnes said of Bolden. “Just telling him experience, really good communicator back there. And just a really valuable part of our defense. But I don’t think that Ja’Marley did a bad job at all, I don’t think Zion did a bad job at all. We practiced really good through last week, communicated really well, even in the game, communicated really well. It’s just in football sometimes things don’t go your way. You’re not always gonna play a perfect game. And I don’t think any of those guys are just a liability out there.”

As for when Bolden might return, Smart is eager to see how things progress for the third-year safety during Georgia’s off week.

The Bulldogs next take the field on Oct. 31 against Florida.

“In terms of him coming back, we’re hopeful to get him back,” Smart said. “I don’t know what I have to see. He’s just gotta recover and go through the doctor’s protocol.”

While Bolden may be Georgia’s most important injured player, the position facing the biggest questions at this point in time is the running back room.

Nate Frazier returned to action after missing Georgia’s game against Alabama with a rib injury.

He turned his nine carries into only 19 yards.

Smart though defended the third-year running back following the performance.

“I thought he did a great job,” Smart said. “I don’t go off of stats. I go off of looks, runs he got, plays he got. He ran hard. He ran tough. He got some really tough, hard yards. They’re a really good run defense. They play physical. They did a good job.”

As far as Georgia’s top option behind Frazier, Smart was cryptic as to when Chauncey Bowens might return. He has not played since Georgia’s win over Vanderbilt on Oct. 3.

“As far as Chauncey, time will tell,” Smart said.

Dwight Phillips has taken advantage of the injuries to Frazier and Bowens. He rushed for a team-high 68 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Auburn. He briefly left the game after colliding with the Auburn bench in the third quarter.

Despite the thin backfield, Georgia used Bo Walker on just two snaps on Saturday. That came a week after he ran the ball 10 times for 69 yards in a win over Alabama.

“This game, Nate was back healthy, playing,” Smart said. “It didn’t help any that we fell behind at some point and got behind trying to play catch-up some. Both Nate and Dwight are really good in the pass game and do a good job. Those are the guys we were going with, and it’s nothing that Bo did wrong or right or indifferent. It was an opportunity for Nate to come back.”

Smart also noted that the wide receiver room is equally banged up. Thomas Blackshear has missed the past two games after suffering a collarbone injury against Vanderbilt.

Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion has not played for Georgia since the opening series of the Arkansas game.

“He’s been great in the meeting rooms,” Georgia wide receiver London Humphreys said of Canion. “He’s still focused as if he was out there playing, you know, taking notes and everything he can. And then when it comes to the days closer to the games leading up, just being positive energy around.”

Smart also clarified again that quarterback Gunner Stockton was dealing with a stinger in his shoulder and not a concussion

Georgia will provide an official availability report on Oct. 28, ahead of its game against Florida. That game will be played in Atlanta.

Kirby Smart updates Georgia football injuries

Georgia football injury report