Second-half team?
Try fourth-quarter team.
Offense was hardly the issue for Georgia on Saturday against Ole Miss, as the Bulldogs had no issue moving the ball to the tune of 510 offensive yards. But thanks to a lack of complementary football, Georgia needed yet another late defensive stand to pull through.
In fashion typical to this year, it was hardly pretty. But Georgia’s defense delivered when it needed to, forcing three Rebels drives to end on either a punt or turnover on downs in the fourth quarter.
That was enough for the Bulldogs to score 17 unanswered points in the final frame to win 43-35.
For three quarters, it hardly looked like Georgia would be able to win the game on defense, with the Ole Miss high-tempo offense able to essentially get what it needed when it needed it. In the first half, Georgia’s defense was unable to get a third-down stop.
Sound familiar?
The good news is that Georgia was able to stay with Ole Miss thanks to Gunner Stockton being able to move the ball up and down the field both through the air and his 59 rushing yards, a production that included a rushing score.
Yes, Georgia football, a program whose trademark is defense under Kirby Smart, found itself in a Big-12 style game of nobody stopping one another. The Bulldogs being in position to win it late came due to what Georgia did on offense during a game in which Lawson Luckie hauled in three touchdowns, a remarkable stat given that only one touchdown for Georgia this season had come to a tight end before Saturday. Luckie’s first touchdown catch, a scamper by Stockton, and a pair of Peyton Woodring field goals helped Georgia keep pace for a half, trailing 21-20.
If anyone had hopes of Georgia’s defense turning things around to begin the third quarter, it was clear that those hopes would be deferred. The Rebels needed just two plays to go up 28-20 on a 75-yard touchdown on a blown tackle. True to form, Georgia answered, driving for Luckie’s second touchdown catch of the day. Ole Miss answered to go up 35-26 with 6:40 left in the third quarter, keeping Georgia in a mode of needing a defensive stop that appeared to be non-existent.
That, however, would change.
It turned out to be the precursor of the Bulldogs owning the fourth quarter, as Georgia led a few seconds in the final 15 minutes on a three-yard screen to Nate Frazier, who led Georgia in rushing with 72 yards.
Then, Georgia took over on defense, getting a three-and-out with two quarterback pressures via Gabe Harris. That’d be the last thing the Rebels needed, as it not only gave Georgia the ball back, but lit a fuse for a Sanford Stadium crowd waiting to explode. Luckie’s third score of the day, this time from seven yards out with 7:29 gave them another reason to, as did another three and out followed by a Woodring field goal from 42 yards out with 2:06 left. Georgia’s defense finished the job from there, forcing a turnover on downs near midfield.
This Georgia team can frustrate you, and it’s hardly perfect. But it’s also resilient, and in case anyone forgot about that quality in this team, it was reinforced on Saturday in Athens.
Go Dawgs!
