If this was a game week, an injury to Georgia tailback Keith Marshall might send panic around Bulldog Nation.

Georgia opens it season in 12 days against Buffalo, and Marshall’s college debut is among the most anticipated from this year’s freshmen class.

So when Marshall left practice Monday during a drill against scout teamers, it didn’t go unnoticed.

Fellow freshman Todd Gurley said Marshall returned later.

Practice video shot by Dawgs247 showed that Marshall got up slowly after being knocked down by a scout team defender on a run in the full pads practice. He was helped up. Marshall ended up being scratched off the interview request list by Georgia tonight.

Coach Mark Richt didn’t comment on Marshall’s injury, but said he plans to reduce the practice time open to the media.

“No big deal,” Richt said. “Normally I think it was 15 minutes anyway and we had 20. Five too many, I guess.”

Georgia provides an official injury report compiled before that day’s practice so Marshall isn’t on there.

“You guys know more than I do,” Richt said when told Gurley had said Marshall returned. “We can talk about something besides injuries, that will be good.”

Marshall was the second tailback to go in the drill against the scout team after Ken Malcome. Gurley was the third tailback to get work. Richard Samuel was the No. 2 tailback in position drills earlier.

“When Keith came out, we got kind of tired there,” Gurley said. “Me and Ken we were like `Oh, man, we’ve got to get Keith back.’ He came back and everything was good again.”

–Please follow me at Twitter.com/marcweiszer