ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia wasted no time putting Missouri in a hole Saturday at Sanford Stadium, and the Tigers never came close to climbing out.
The top-ranked Bulldogs opened with an interception on the game’s first snap, scored on their first five possessions and were up 31-0 midway through the second quarter on the way to a 48-21 win before a sellout crowd of 93,033.
Georgia’s dominance showed up everywhere. The offense produced 468 yards, the defense limited Missouri to 286, and special teams chipped in with two Peyton Woodring field goals plus a pair of impactful returns from Sacovie White-Helton.
Gunner Stockton kept the Bulldogs humming, completing 18 of 24 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown while also running for an 8-yard score. Nate Frazier powered the ground game with three rushing touchdowns and 72 yards on 14 carries, and Dwight Phillips Jr. added 66 yards on seven attempts. Craig Dandridge Jr. turned in a career day with six catches for 85 yards, and he also added a 22-yard run.
The tone was set immediately. Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons threw his first pass straight to linebacker Raylen Wilson, who picked off the ball for the first interception of his career and returned it 29 yards to the Tiger 7. Two plays later, Frazier took a pitch from Stockton and finished the short drive for a 7-0 lead just 61 seconds into the game.
Georgia’s defense forced a three-and-out on Missouri’s next series, and the Bulldogs struck again without delay. Frazier picked up 15 yards to the Tiger 45, Stockton connected with Isiah Canion for 33 yards, and then Stockton kept it himself for an 8-yard touchdown and a 14-0 advantage with 10:33 left in the opening quarter.
The Bulldogs kept stacking scores. Their next possession ended with Frazier punching in a 3-yard touchdown to make it 21-0 with 2:03 remaining in the first.
Stockton had been sacked for a 5-yard loss to open that drive, but Georgia settled in quickly, with Stockton throwing effectively and Frazier and Phillips handling the run game. Stockton went 4 of 5 for 51 yards on the 11-play march.
Woodring added a 41-yard field goal with 10:43 left in the half to extend the margin to 24-0. By that point, Missouri had finished five possessions, and the longest had lasted four plays.
Stockton found Canion for a 12-yard touchdown with 6:52 remaining before halftime to push the lead to 31-0. Canion, a 6-foot-4 junior who had missed multiple games with an injury before returning last week against Ole Miss, had entered Saturday with only three receptions on the season. The score was his first as a Bulldog after two seasons at Georgia Tech.
Missouri finally answered on its next drive, getting a 15-yard touchdown pass from Simmons to Naeshaun Montgomery with 3:05 left in the half. It was the first first-half points Georgia had allowed in three games, after blanking Florida and Ole Miss for three quarters in the previous two matchups.
Georgia took a 31-7 lead into halftime and owned a 264-115 edge in total offense. The Bulldogs got the second half started with excellent field position after White-Helton ripped off a 58-yard kickoff return. He finished with 95 yards on three returns.
Georgia moved the ball to the Tiger 16 on a 22-yard completion to tight end Jaden Reddell on third-and-7, but the drive stalled there. Woodring still cashed in with a 40-yard field goal to make it 34-7 with 10:42 left in the third.
Frazier struck again midway through the third quarter. One play after powering through multiple Missouri defenders on a 17-yard run, he scored from 3 yards out to cap the series.
Earlier in that drive, Phillips broke free for 29 yards and Dandridge added a 22-yard gain. Frazier’s third touchdown put Georgia ahead 41-7 with 6:15 left in the period.
Missouri got one back when Donovan Olugbode caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Simmons with 45 seconds left in the third. Georgia answered with a six-play drive that featured a 26-yard completion to Dandridge, a 29-yard catch by Talyn Taylor along the right sideline, and a 5-yard touchdown run by Chauncey Bowens, who had missed the previous four games with an injury, to make it 48-14 with 12:53 remaining.
Justin Williams led the Georgia defense with 10 tackles, and Rasean Dinkins added six.
In Other News...
Georgia Suddenly Has A Real Offensive Line Decision Before Missouri
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For a team that likes to keep its protection and run-game structure as steady as possible, the timing is less than ideal. Georgia also listed Joshua Horton as questionable and Amaris Williams as out, so the Bulldogs may have to sort through multiple personnel issues at once before they take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Community Mourning After Tragic Loss Of Bulldogs Commit
The Georgia football community is mourning the death of Marcellus Young Casario, a defensive lineman at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School who had already committed to play for the Bulldogs. His commitment in June marked him as one of the programs promising future additions, and the news of his death following a medical emergency has sent a wave of grief through the school and the broader fan base.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School confirmed the incident and said emergency protocols were followed, while support has been made available to students and staff in the aftermath. For Georgia, it is a sobering reminder that recruiting news can give way to something far more painful, leaving the program and its supporters to absorb the loss of a player they expected to see in red and black. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Has One Lingering Injury Concern Before The Next Game
Georgias injury report ahead of the next game leaves at least one spot worth watching, with Drew Bobo listed as doubtful and Josh Horton still questionable. For a team trying to keep its footing in the stretch run, those designations matter because they can affect both depth and game-day flexibility, especially when the Bulldogs are already preparing for another SEC test.
The broader league picture added a little more uncertainty this week, too, after Ole Miss and Oklahoma had their game delayed because weather created travel problems and forced the SEC to announce a schedule change. Georgia is not directly involved in that matchup, but any shift in the conference calendar is a reminder of how quickly the rhythm of a season can change, and why the Bulldogs will be keeping close tabs on their own availability as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]