Quintavius Johnson doesn’t need a reminder about what Georgia has left on the table against Ole Miss. He’s lived it.
The Bulldogs’ edge rusher said the pain of those last two losses still sits with him, especially the Sugar Bowl defeat that ended Georgia’s season last year.
“Just that feeling knowing we fell short after all the work that we put in,” Johnson said of the post-game locker room after the Rebels ended the Bulldogs season last year in the CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal.
He also pointed back to his freshman year in Mississippi, when the crowd stormed the field after the game.
“Even going back to my freshman year, playing in Mississippi, getting the field stormed, it gives us a chip (on the shoulder) as younger guys and people coming up in this program - it gives us a chip.”
Now the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs get another shot, this time at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday in Vaught Hemingway Stadium. It’s a chance to answer those losses and give Kirby Smart his first head coaching win there.
Johnson has been one of the players driving Georgia’s defensive surge, most recently with the strip-sack that helped spark the Bulldogs’ 27-8 win over Florida. That hit led directly to Chris Cole’s 66-yard fumble return touchdown, one of the game’s defining plays.
For Johnson, the formula against Ole Miss starts with everyone doing his part.
“It’s knowing this defense is a one, 11-man job,” Johnson said. “It’s trusting my teammates to do their job while I do mine.”
Georgia’s pass rush has backed that up. The Bulldogs are seventh nationally with 3.25 sacks per game, with 26 sacks through eight games after finishing with 20 in 14 games last season. Johnson, who is tied for third on the team with three sacks, said that production comes from the group working in sync.
“It’s just all rushing as a unit and knowing that we’ve got a job in this rush,” said Johnson.
“If that (job) is for you to get to the throwing shoulder, or the quarterbacks’ feet - just affecting the quarterback with the pass rush - we know we have guys in the secondary that can play ball.”
Georgia’s current roster includes a long list of players who were on the field for the last two Ole Miss games, including the 28-10 loss in Oxford in 2024 and the 39-34 Sugar Bowl defeat on Jan. 1 last season.
In the Sugar Bowl, Earnest Greene lll played 74 snaps at right tackle, Gunner Stockton logged 74 at quarterback and seven on special teams, and Dontrell Glover had 64 at right guard with seven on special teams. Lawson Luckie played 41 snaps at tight end, Juan Gaston had 36 at right guard, and London Humphreys saw 33 snaps at wide receiver and eight on special teams.
Nate Frazier played 28 snaps at running back, while Ethan Barbour had seven at tight end. Sacovie White-Helton played four snaps at wide receiver and eight on special teams, Elyiss Williams had three at tight end, Talyn Taylor two at wide receiver, Jaden Redell two at tight end and six on special teams, and Landon Roldan one at wide receiver and eight on special teams.
On defense and special teams, KJ Bolden played 72 snaps at free safety and 12 on special teams, Rasean Dinkins had 60 at cornerback and eight on special teams, and Johnson played 58 at edge and 16 on special teams. Ellis Robinson IV logged 48 at cornerback and three on special teams, Joseph Jonah-Ajonye had 48 at defensive end, and Chris Cole played 48 at outside linebacker and 15 on special teams.
Elijah Griffin had 43 snaps at defensive tackle and five on special teams, Demello Jones had 43 at cornerback and four on special teams, and Raylen Wilson played 32 at linebacker. Josh Horton had 17 at defensive tackle, while JJ Hanne and Zayden Walker each played 12 snaps, Hanne at defensive end with seven on special teams and Walker at linebacker with 10 on special teams. Justin Williams also played 12 snaps at linebacker and 19 on special teams, Nnamdi Ogboko had 10 at nose tackle and five on special teams, Justin Greene had six at defensive end, and Chase Linton had five at linebacker and seven on special teams.
Among the special teams-only players, Michael Uini and Jahzare Jackson each played seven snaps, Bo Walker had eight, Peyton Woodring had 15 and Terrell Foster had 12.
In Georgia’s 2024 trip to Ole Miss, Earnest Greene lll played 49 snaps at left tackle and one on special teams, Lawson Luckie had 33 at tight end, Nate Frazier played 28 at running back, and London Humphreys had 23 at wide receiver. Drew Bobo logged 16 snaps at right guard and six on special teams.
On defense and special teams that day, Raylen Wilson played 29 snaps at middle linebacker and one on special teams, KJ Bolden had 26 at free safety and two on special teams, Chris Cole played 20 at linebacker and 17 on special teams, Jordan Hall had five at defensive tackle, Johnson played at edge and had 11 special teams snaps, and Gabe Harris Jr. played three snaps at edge.
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