Georgia didn’t need a long offensive slog to put Oklahoma away. It needed four takeaways, and it got them in a hurry.
Behind a defense that kept ripping the ball loose and a steady enough day from Gunner Stockton, the No. 2 Bulldogs beat the Sooners 41-13 in Athens. Georgia scored 10 points directly off Oklahoma’s turnovers, and by halftime the game was already buried under a 28-0 cushion.
Stockton finished 14 of 25 for 171 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and the start was sharp: he completed his first nine throws. His first turnover of the season came on his 57th pass of the year, but by then Georgia’s defense had already taken over the afternoon.
Oklahoma’s John Mateer, who entered the game as one of the Heisman Trophy favorites, spent most of the day under pressure. He went 25 of 34 passing, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story - he also threw an interception and lost two fumbles that turned into 10 Georgia points.
The Bulldogs opened with a methodical 79-yard march, capped when Stockton converted a fourth-and-2 throw to Ethan Barbour at the Oklahoma 9 to help set up Chauncey Bowens’ 2-yard touchdown run. On Georgia’s third possession, Stockton rolled right and found Talyn Taylor for a 35-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to make it 14-0.
Then the defense started cashing in.
On a second-and-goal from the Georgia 4, Mateer tried to extend a play, double-clutched with two receivers open, and lost the ball. Chris Cole scooped it up and went 85 yards the other way for a touchdown. That pushed the lead to 21-0 with 8:58 left in the half.
Georgia wasn’t done. KJ Bolden intercepted Oklahoma’s next possession after Raylen Wilson hit Mateer as he threw.
Then, six plays into the Sooners’ next drive, Wilson got to Mateer again, forced another fumble, and Cole was there once more - this time returning it 23 yards to the Oklahoma 11. Two plays later, Bowens punched in a 6-yard score, and the Bulldogs were up 28-0 with 57 seconds left before halftime.
Oklahoma finally got on the board in the third quarter when Mateer hit Rocky Beers for a 17-yard touchdown. That drive came five plays after Stockton threw his first interception of the season, a pass over the middle intended for Lawson Luckie that was tipped by Kip Lewis and picked off by Omarion Robinson at the Georgia 35.
The Sooners tried for two, but Wilson and Elijah Griffin stopped Lloyd Avant short to keep the score at 28-6.
Georgia answered the fourth turnover of the day with another quick strike. Rasean Dinkins stripped Beers and recovered at the Oklahoma 28, setting up Peyton Woodring’s 45-yard field goal for a 31-6 lead.
Even with the Bulldogs leading comfortably, Oklahoma had outgained Georgia 210 yards to 173 through three quarters and held an 11-9 edge in first downs. None of it changed the scoreboard.
Dwight Phillips blew the game open in the fourth quarter, taking a handoff, turning the corner, and sprinting 54 yards for a career-long touchdown with 12:33 remaining. Woodring’s extra point was his fifth of the day and gave him an SEC record for most consecutive extra point kicks made without a miss at 201.
Woodring added a 49-yard field goal on Georgia’s next possession, coming three plays after Stockton connected with Taylor on a 41-yard deep ball. Taylor finished with a career-high 110 receiving yards on four catches.
Oklahoma added a late touchdown when Mateer found Manny Choice for 14 yards with 3:23 left.
Georgia returns next Saturday at noon or 12:45 p.m., depending on the television partners’ decision, against Vanderbilt in Sanford Stadium.
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 🡒]