No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Georgia: Bulldogs’ rally shakes up SEC race and more takeaways

ATHENS, Ga. — In a top-10 showdown loaded with offensive fireworks, No. 9 Georgia outscored No. 5 Ole Miss 43-35, delivering the Rebels’ their first loss of the season and shaking up the SEC race.

Defense appeared optional for most of the game, with both teams combining to score on the first 11 possessions. Georgia finally forced the first punt early in the fourth quarter with a clutch three-and-out, followed by a nine-play, 67-yard scoring drive to give the Dawgs a decisive 40-35 lead.

Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC) trailed 35-26 in the second half after Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1 SEC) scored touchdowns on its first five drives, but held the Rebels scoreless on their final three possessions to pull off the late comeback.

“I told the guys that was a culture win. Because we don’t win that game if we’re not physically tough and mentally tough,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We call it ‘hard to kill.’ And the one thing about is we’re hard to kill.”

The Bulldogs outgained Ole Miss 510 yards to 351 and racked up 200-plus through the air and on the ground. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton finished 26-for-31 for 289 yards with five total touchdowns and zero turnovers, out-dueling Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, who was 19-for-36 with three total touchdowns and zero turnovers.

The Rebels were unstoppable on offense to start the game, converting all five third-down attempts in the first half. But Ole Miss was 0-4 on third down in the second half, and momentum flipped on a fourth-quarter three-and-out that forced a punt and gave Georgia a chance to take the lead. The Dawgs outscored Ole Miss 17-0 in the final quarter.

The victory earns Georgia some payback after Ole Miss won last November at home, and keeps the Bulldogs in the thick of this year’s SEC championship battle, with Georgia and Ole Miss both looking up, for now, in the conference standings at Texas A&M and Alabama.

How Georgia’s win impacts Playoff picture

Georgia would not have been eliminated with a loss Saturday, but a comeback saved it from being on the brink.

The Bulldogs now have two ranked wins (Tennessee and Ole Miss), and if 10 wins is the benchmark, the path is there with remaining games against Florida, Mississippi State, Texas and Georgia Tech. (And Charlotte.) The only true road game is Mississippi State.

For Ole Miss, it was a blown opportunity, but doesn’t have to be turning point. The rest of its schedule is manageable, with only one more ranked team, next week at No. 14 Oklahoma, plus a road trip to rival Mississippi State. Win at least one of those, and take care of the other three (home games against South Carolina, The Citadel, Florida) would mean 10 wins.

The only concern — for both teams — is if the bubble is strong enough that 10 wins isn’t a sure thing, as it was last year for the three SEC teams that made it. Schedule strength will matter, and Georgia would seem to be better off — but there’s a long way to go.

According to The Athletic’s projections model, Georgia’s Playoff chances rose from 71 percent to 78 percent with the win, while Ole Miss fell from 72 percent to 63 percent. — Emerson

Defense optional

The cracks in Georgia’s defense have been showing for some time, going back to last year, and especially in the first half of games this year. But on Saturday it went from cracks to full-fledged deluge.

Georgia’s defenders, full of blue-chip recruits, looked overmatched against the Ferris State transfer playing QB for Ole Miss. Chambliss hit on quick underneath passes, with Georgia’s defenders appearing to be too loose in coverage. The result was Ole Miss in very few third-and-longs, or even many second-and-longs.

And when Georgia did have someone near the receiver, it missed too many tackles or took the wrong angle and then was out-run, as during the 75-yard touchdown.

Georgia finally got a stop on the sixth try, early in the fourth quarter: A three-and-out, three incomplete passes, a rare third-and-long resulting in a rare pass rush.

Then it happened again on the next drive: Another three-and-out, thanks to another third-and-long. And Ole Miss was punting, and for the first time all game, Georgia’s offense was taking the field with the lead, with 6:32 left.

Ole Miss, meanwhile, continues to have its own issues on defense. The Rebels took a big step forward last year under coordinator Pete Golding, producing the second-ranked defense in the SEC and dominating Georgia in last year’s game.

But without many of the stars of last year’s unit, especially in the front seven, Ole Miss has fallen to 13th in the SEC in yards per play. And while it’s been better against the pass, it was picked apart by Stockton and his receivers. — Emerson

Elite-looking quarterbacks

We’re a long way from wondering if Stockton and the offense will hold Georgia back. If anything, it’s the only reason its Playoff hopes are still alive.

And in a year where the SEC had so many big-name quarterbacks, the breakout star is a Division II transfer who began the season as a backup.

Last year Chambliss led Ferris State to the Division II national championship, beating Valdosta State — the school that gave Kirby Smart his start in coaching. On Saturday he dominated Smart and his once-vaunted defense.

When Austin Simmons didn’t start the second week against Kentucky, Chambliss got his chance and has’t let up. His height —generously listed by Ole Miss at 6 feet — is what kept him out of big-time football until now. But his arm and his accuracy are excelling, as he showed again on Saturday.

It looked like it would be enough for the road upset. But the other quarterback ended up making a few more big plays.

For all the touchdowns, the biggest completion may have been Stockton’s 36-yard pass to Dillon Bell with 4:15 left, on second-and-12. It moved the ball to near midfield, and then Georgia’s run game got it into field goal range.

That run game was there throughout the game, sometimes with Stockton doing it himself. Josh McCray also had a bruising fourth-down conversion in the third quarter.

But it was set up by a diverse and occasionally explosive passing attack. Zachariah Branch had some productive catches, including a nifty stop-and-run in the fourth quarter on the go-ahead drive. Lawson Luckie and fellow tight end Oscar Delp combined for nine catches and 95 yards.

When Georgia rallied to win at Tennessee in Week 3, it was via Stockton and the offense winning a shootout. And in rallying for another win on Saturday, it was the same story. Georgia has concerns on defense, but Stockton and company are doing their job. — Emerson

Kiffin trolls Kirby

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin embraces his reputation as a troll, particularly on social media. Saturday, TV cameras caught him in action on the sideline.

Smart made headlines in last week’s win over Auburn when he was initially granted a timeout by officials, then was given the timeout back when he argued he was telling the official that an Auburn defensive player was clapping and attempting to disrupt Georgia’s snap count. Replays show Smart appearing to signal timeout.

On Saturday, Kiffin called a timeout just before halftime in an effort to ice a Georgia field goal attempt. Broadcast cameras then caught the Ole Miss coach telling an official “I was clapping, I was clapping,” before Kiffin and the referee shared a laugh.

Georgia kicker Peyton Woodring converted the 35-yard field goal to cut Ole Miss’s halftime lead to 21-20. — Williams

Click here to read article