Georgia’s hopes against Ole Miss may come down to two familiar faces who weren’t on the field the last time these teams met.
Center Drew Bobo and defensive end Gabe Harris are back in the mix for the Bulldogs, and both are set to play major roles Saturday night in Oxford. Bobo’s job is the straightforward one: keep Gunner Stockton protected and help Georgia establish the run over four quarters. Harris has a different assignment, one that could shape the game just as much - slow down Trinidad Chambliss and get after him whenever the chance is there.
Georgia learned the hard way what happens when both are missing. In the Sugar Bowl, the Bulldogs had trouble setting the edge without Harris, and Chambliss repeatedly found room to escape the pocket before letting his receivers work downfield.
When it was over, Georgia had not recorded a sack on him at all in the 39-34 Ole Miss win. The Rebels also ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns, with Kewan Lacy doing most of the heavy lifting on 22 carries for 98 yards and two scores.
Harris has since become a key piece of a Georgia defensive front that looks much different now. Over eight games, he has 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble. He also picked up SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after his performance against Florida, where he finished with one tackle, one sack, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble.
“Gabe, he’s a great, great player,” Georgia defensive tackle Elijah Griffin said. “Coming back and ultimately playing against Ole Miss - which he wasn’t able to because of an injury last year - I mean, I feel like it means something to him. I’m pretty sure he’s going to dominate like he always will.”
Bobo’s return matters just as much on the other side of the ball. He missed the Sugar Bowl because of a foot injury he suffered against Georgia Tech, and Georgia felt that absence late. In the fourth quarter, backup Malachi Toliver snapped the ball by mistake on fourth-and-2, turning the play into a scramble for Stockton that ended with a fumble recovered by Suntarine Perkins at the Georgia 23-yard line.
Back in the lineup by fall camp, Bobo has settled in as a steady force up front. He started the season wearing a club on his left hand for several games, but that’s no longer the case.
“He helps us bring more leadership and experience to the line,” Georgia right tackle Juan Gaston said of Bobo. “We have a few young players that still need help understanding the offense a little bit, and he just brings more leadership.”
Georgia knew the Sugar Bowl would be tougher without Harris and Bobo. What it couldn’t fully know then was how much those absences would cost. Now both are back in important roles, and if the Bulldogs are going to leave Oxford with a win, they’ll need both of them to show up again.
In Other News...
Georgia Just Put Serious Pressure On An SEC Playoff Contender
Ole Miss spent Saturday trying to protect its place in the SEC race, but Georgia left Oxford with a result that changed the conversation quickly. The Bulldogs rolled to a 42-7 win on the road, handing the Rebels a loss that not only knocked them to 6-3 overall but also sent a jolt through the playoff picture as the rankings shifted in the aftermath.
The fallout was immediate, with Ole Miss dropping to No. 19 in the AP Top 25 and No. 17 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, a slide that makes the path back to the College Football Playoff much tighter. The atmosphere around the game reflected the stakes too, as fans reacted to a lopsided afternoon that left the Rebels searching for answers and Georgia with a statement win that could echo well beyond one Saturday. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Just Landed A Massive Georgia Recruiting Surprise
Georgia just pulled off one of the biggest recruiting swings of the cycle, landing five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews after he flipped from Texas A&M. The No. 2 overall recruit and top-ranked tackle had originally committed to the Aggies in May, then backed off that pledge before choosing the Bulldogs, giving Kirby Smart and his staff a major boost up front.
Smart made sure to celebrate the addition publicly on social media, a sign of how much this one matters for Georgia's future in the trenches. Matthews is expected to sign officially in early December, and until then the Bulldogs will keep working to make sure this surprise win turns into a finished deal. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Heads Into Missouri With One Troubling Injury Question
Georgias trip to Missouri comes with a familiar late-season concern: the health of a secondary that has had to keep adjusting on the fly. Cornerback Ellis Robinson has left the last two games early, first after a knee injury against Florida and then after a thigh or hip issue against Ole Miss, leaving Kirby Smart to sort through another week of uncertainty at a position where stability matters. Smart also addressed the status of wide receiver Craig Dandridge, running back Chauncey Bowens, tight end Elyiss Williams and safety Tyriq Green as the Bulldogs continue to manage a growing injury list.
There was at least one encouraging sign in the recent game, with wide receiver Isiah Canion back from injury, even if his workload was limited. Still, Robinsons availability looms as the biggest question heading into Missouri, especially with Georgia trying to keep its defense intact while navigating a stretch where depth is being tested across multiple spots. [Read more 🡒]