In a battle of Bulldogs, No. 5 Georgia dominated Mississippi State in all three phases of the game.
The visiting Bulldogs played well on offense, defense, and special teams to pull off a 41-21 win in Starkville. They improved to 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the SEC with the lopsided victory over Mississippi State.
“I have a lot of respect for (MSU head coach) Jeff (Lebby),” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “ I told him before the game. His team has played valiantly all year. They've been in every game they've played. They're well-coached. They’ve got talented, skilled players. They're a good football team, and this is a tough place to play.”
The Maroon Bulldogs got on the board first as quarterback Kamario Taylor capped off a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a four-yard keeper. They led Georgia early, taking a 7-0 lead with 9:25 left in the first quarter. However, the visiting Bulldogs responded over the next few quarters, scoring 38 unanswered points.
Following Mississippi State’s first score, Georgia got a field goal from kicker Peyton Woodring.
The visiting Bulldogs were about to score on their next drive after the defense forced a punt, but a fumble from receiver Dillon Bell inside the Mississippi State 10 stunted it. Georgia got the ball back on the next possession, as defensive lineman Quintavius Johnson forced Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen to fumble.
Running back Chauncey Bowens then scored on a four-yard touchdown run to give the visiting Bulldogs the lead. They never relinquished it as they scored 28 more points before the Maroon Bulldogs got back on the road.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton then threw touchdown passes to tight end Oscar Delp and receiver Zachariah Branch to put Georgia up 24-7 at the half. The visiting Bulldogs then got two long scores to start the second half. Running back Nate Frazier scored on a 59-yard touchdown rush, the team’s longest of the season, and receiver Noah Thomas reached the end zone on a 64-yard run and score off a pass from Stockton.
Those two touchdowns put the visiting Bulldog up 38-7 with 9:58 left in the third quarter.
"I'm excited about that long run,” Smart said of Frazier’s run. “I don't know the last time we had a lot of what I call explosive runs, 15 yards or more, but not the big ones. And that's good. That's huge for us. We need more of that. We can be an explosive run team. We take a lot of pride in the turnover win-loss battle, the explosive positive-negative ratio differential between the teams, and the middle eight. Those are the three greatest indicators of who wins games. If we can win two out of those three, we're going to be a good team."
Georgia dominated the “middle eight,” which is the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half.
"I loved the middle eight. So proud of the middle eight,” Smart said. “I think that was the difference in the game.”
The visiting Bulldogs’ defense dominated Mississippi State after the first drive until late in the fourth quarter. The unit forced a turnover, produced a pair of sacks, and held the Maroon Bulldogs to 8-of-16 on third down.
Offensively, Stockton completed 20 of 29 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns, along with 31 rushing yards. Branch hauled in eight passes for 68 yards and a scored, followed by Thomas with three receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown. Frazier rushed for a career-high 181 yards on 12 carries with a score.
"I'm proud of our guys,” Smart said. “I thought that was a total team effort.”