No. 2 Georgia rolls past No. 10 Ole Miss, 42-7

By John Frierson, UGAAA, Photo by Kameron Taylor

OXFORD, Miss. — After building a 28-0 halftime lead over No. 10 Ole Miss on Saturday night at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the No. 2-ranked Georgia football team rolled to a dominant 42-7 win thanks to a stellar performance from the offense and defense in front of a sellout crowd of 68,814.

A week after holding Florida scoreless through three quarters in a 28-7 win, Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) led 35-0 entering the fourth quarter Saturday. Ole Miss (6-3, 4-3) came into the game averaging 37.1 points and 439.6 yards per game, but the Bulldog defense held it to 252 yards and one score. Georgia limited Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, the SEC’s second-leading passer at 273.6 yards per game, to 18 of 34 passing for 170 yards. The Bulldogs finished with five sacks for minus-40 yards.

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton threw for 186 yards and four touchdowns, including three to wide receiver Talyn Taylor. The Bulldog rushing attack powered its way to 295 yards on 48 carries, with an average of 6.1 yards per rush. Nate Frazier led the way with 107 yards on 16 carries, including a 46-yarder on Georgia’s first play of the game. The Bulldogs outgained the Rebels 481-252.

In a rematch of a College Football Playoff quarterfinal last season, won by the Rebels, 39-34, the game couldn’t have started better for the Bulldogs. After forcing an Ole Miss three-and-out on the game’s opening drive, Frazier ran for 46 yards to get the offense rolling. Later, on third-and-7 at the Rebel 23, Stockton hit Taylor for 11 yards. The Bulldogs capped the drive with a 4-yard Craig Dandridge Jr. touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead with 10:16 to go in the first quarter.

Georgia’s defense forced another Rebels punt on Ole Miss’ second drive, and the Bulldogs again drove for a score. After starting at its 4-yard line, Georgia got a 6-yard Frazier rush, a 13-yarder from Stockton and a 19-yarder from tight end Jaden Reddell. On the next play, Stockton hit Taylor deep on the right side for a 58-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 6:18 left in the quarter.

Ole Miss’ next drive ended with a missed 56-yard field goal, giving the Bulldogs the ball at their 39. A 23-yard completion from Stockton to Reddell later gave Georgia first down at the Rebel 8 on the final play of the first quarter. Two plays later, Stockton hit tight end Ethan Barbour for a 3-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead with 14:16 left in the half.

Georgia had to punt on its next drive, and London Humphreys downed Drew Miller’s boot at the Rebel 2. That led to a third three-and-out forced by the Bulldog defense, and Georgia took over at the 50 with 6:29 to go until halftime. A pass interference penalty on third-and-3 gave Georgia a first down at the Rebel 28. A few plays later, Stockton ran the ball in from the 15 for a 28-0 lead with 2:42 left in the half.

Ole Miss drove deep into Georgia territory late in the half, but safety Khalil Barnes sacked Chambliss for a 16-yard loss back to the UGA 30. On the next play, safety KJ Bolden intercepted a Chambliss pass and returned it to the Rebel 44 with 46 seconds left.

Georgia’s Rasean Dinkins made the first big play of the second half, stripping Chambliss, recovering the fumble and returning it 17 yards to the Ole Miss 22. On third-and-goal from the 6, Stockton scrambled away from a heavy rush and found Taylor in the middle of the end zone for a touchdown and a 35-0 lead with 1:37 to play in the third.

Ole Miss finally got on the scoreboard with 10:43 remaining when Shekai Mills-Knight ran the ball in from the 8, making it 35-7. Georgia answered on the ensuing drive with a 65-yard touchdown pass from Stockton to Taylor, pushing the lead to 42-7 with 9:06 to go. Taylor finished with four catches for 140 yards and three scores.

Linebacker Chris Cole led the defense with nine tackles and 1.5 sacks. Ten different Bulldogs had at least three stops.

The Bulldogs are back between the hedges next week when they host No. 18 Missouri. The Tigers lost at home Saturday, 34-20, to No. 7 Texas.