ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Nate Frazier ran for three touchdowns, Gunnar Stockton accounted for a pair of scores and Georgia marked its return to No. 1 by racing to a 31-point lead in the first half on the way
to a 48-21 victory over Missouri on Saturday.
The Bulldogs (9-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 1 CFP) scored on their first five possessions in another dominant win, ensuring this trip to the top of the rankings will last more than one week.
A month ago, Georgia moved up to No. 1 for the first time this season — and promptly took a shocking home loss to unranked Auburn.
No such issues this time with another set of Tigers (6-4, 3-4, No. 22 CFP).
Frazier scored on three short runs and finished with 72 yards on 14 carries. Stockton was 18 of 24 for 252 yards and a TD, with a rushing score for good measure. The Georgia defense dominated until garbage time, holding the Tigers to 286 total yards.
The tone was set on the very first play from scrimmage. Austin Simmons was picked off by Georgia's Raylen Wilson, who returned his first career interception 30 yards to the Missouri 7. Two snaps later, Frazier ran it in from the 4 to give the Bulldogs the lead just 1:01 into the game.
It only got worse for Mizzou.
Stockton scored on an 8-yard touchdown run, Frazier capped an 87-yard drive with a 3-yard TD, Peyton Woodring booted a 41-yard field goal and Stockton capped the barrage with a 12-yard scoring pass to Isiah Canion just past the midway point of the second quarter.
By halftime, with Georgia holding a 31-7 lead, thousands of red-clad fans in the crowd of more than 92,000 were already headed for the Sanford Stadium exits, content that the Bulldogs had this one all wrapped up.
Simmons threw for 175 yards and three touchdowns, but most of his production only made the final score a bit more respectable.
Missouri: The Tigers have dropped three of four during a brutal run, putting a once-promising season into salvage mode. Losses to Ole Miss, Texas and Georgia have shown Missouri is still not ready to compete with SEC's elite programs. Even though the Tigers weren't affected by the national air-travel shutdown the previous day, it was hard to tell from the way they sleepwalked through the first half.
Georgia: That stunning loss to Auburn seemed to be just what the Bulldogs needed to put their season into overdrive. They have romped to three straight victories since then, blowing out Florida, Ole Miss and now Mizzou by a combined score of 117-36. They look very much like a team that could head into the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed, with a strong shot at their third national title in six years.
Missouri: Hosts No. 13 Kentucky next Saturday.
Georgia: At No. 20 South Carolina next Saturday looking to clinch the outright league championship and a spot in the SEC's final title game on Dec. 5.
___
Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.
