Oklahoma at least found a crack in Georgia’s armor Saturday afternoon, and Rocky Beers was the one who punched through it.
After getting buried in a brutal first half and heading to the locker room down 28-0 at No. 2 Georgia, the now unranked Sooners finally got on the board in the third quarter.
On 3rd-and-6 from the Bulldogs’ 17-yard line, with more than 10 minutes left in the period, Beers hauled in a pass from John Mateer and then made the most of it. The senior tight end had plenty of room on the left side, then used a sharp bit of footwork to slip around a Georgia defender and finish the 17-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the corner of the end zone.
The score made it 28-6, though Oklahoma still had work to do. The two-point try that followed came up empty.
Still, the touchdown gave the Sooners something to cling to after a half that had gone almost entirely Georgia’s way.
Not long after that, though, the momentum vanished. Following a Georgia punt, Oklahoma had another chance to trim the deficit, but Beers went from touchdown maker to turnover source when he coughed up a pass from Mateer and handed the ball back to the Bulldogs.
Georgia cashed in on the mistake with a field goal to push the lead to 31-6, and that was enough to shut the door on any idea of a late Oklahoma surge.
For the Sooners, it was already a steep climb in Athens. If this loss stands, it would be their second of the season and their SEC opener, a result that would leave them with even more ground to make up in the conference race.
In Other News...
Kirby Smart Gave Georgia Fans A Pregame Moment Worth Remembering
Before Georgia took the field against Oklahoma, Kirby Smart and several Bulldogs made sure the afternoon started with something bigger than the matchup in Athens. They spent time with Liora Haynes, a 10-year-old fan and leukemia survivor, giving her high-fives and sharing several minutes with her family as she got a full Bulldog experience.
It was the kind of pregame scene that tends to linger long after kickoff, especially on a day with so much attention on the 3:30 p.m. EST start. For Georgia, the moment offered a reminder that some of the most memorable parts of a game day can happen well before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Fans Will Love How Nick Chubb Is Being Sent Off
Nick Chubbs NFL run officially came to an end this week, and the way Cleveland is handling it should resonate loudly back in Athens. After eight seasons in the league, including seven with the Browns and a final stop with the Texans, the former Georgia star announced his retirement and signed a one-day contract with Cleveland so he could retire as a Brown.
The Browns also plan to honor him at their upcoming home opener, a fitting sendoff for a back who built a career around production and toughness. For Georgia fans, it is another reminder of how much Chubb meant at every level, from his college days with the Bulldogs to a pro career that left its mark in rushing yards and touchdowns, even as his final chapter now gets its own proper curtain call. [Read more 🡒]
Georgias Biggest Oklahoma Question Could Change The Entire Game Plan
Nate Fraziers status has become one of the key things Georgia is watching as it turns toward Oklahoma, with the running back still listed as questionable after limping off the field in the previous game. Kirby Smart has sounded optimistic about where Frazier stands, but Georgia has not gone so far as to confirm he is fully healthy, which keeps a cloud over a spot that has carried real weight in the offense this season.
Georgia does have the kind of running back depth that can soften the blow if Frazier is unable to go, but there is no getting around his importance as the teams leading rusher. If he is limited or unavailable, the Bulldogs may have to lean into a different version of their game plan, one that asks more of the rest of the backfield and changes how they approach one of their biggest tests ahead. [Read more 🡒]