ATHENS - Eli Drinkwitz didn’t waste any time sizing up the task in front of Missouri.
When the Tigers head to Sanford Stadium on Saturday afternoon, they’ll be staring at the No. 1 team in the country, a Georgia program Drinkwitz described as the standard everyone else is trying to catch.
“When we talk about Georgia, zero doubt they’re the benchmark for the league right now in the way Coach (Kirby) Smart runs his program,” Drinkwitz said.
He pointed to the way Smart has shaped the Bulldogs on all three sides of the ball.
“The philosophical identity he has in his offense, defense and special teams and the way his team plays consistently down in and down out - it’s what everybody in our conference is chasing.”
Georgia enters the matchup at 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the SEC, while Missouri comes in at 6-3 and 3-2. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs also bring the nation’s top ranking in the CFP poll and the Sagarin computer rankings into the game, while Missouri sits at No. 18 in the CFP and No. 19 in the Sagarin ratings.
Drinkwitz also made it clear he’s been impressed with Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, who leads the league with 20 touchdowns and also tops the conference in passer rating.
“I think their quarterback is playing at an outstanding level, not nearly enough talk about him being a candidate for the Heisman Trophy,” Drinkwitz said. “When you look at how they’ve won championships in the past, it all starts at that position.
“He is consistent as a thrower. He is sharp as a playmaker.
Utilizes his legs as an extra offensive weapon. He does not make mistakes in the pass game.
Gets them right in the run game checks. I think he is a really, really good player.”
Georgia’s offense, under coordinator Mike Bobo, has also created plenty of problems with its versatility. Drinkwitz said the Bulldogs can morph from one look to another without losing their edge.
“They’ve developed multiple identities on offense with the three tight end look, and obviously, I think congratulations to another Kansas City kid, (Jaden) Reddell, who’s playing unbelievable for him too,” Drinkwitz said. “But they’ve got multiple abilities to create challenges for you with their three tight end sets and run the ball with their running backs and their offensive line, or they can go spread out wide with their wide receiver sets.”
The Bulldogs and Tigers have met 13 times, with Georgia holding a 12-1 edge. Their last matchup came in Athens in 2023, when Georgia pulled out a 30-21 win.
That game turned on a memorable fourth-quarter interception by defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse off Missouri quarterback Brady Cook. Carson Beck finished that night 21 of 32 for 254 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
Georgia is coming off a 42-7 rout of Ole Miss, a game in which the Bulldogs led 35-0 after three quarters. Stockton threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score, while Georgia’s defense piled up four sacks against Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
Missouri arrives after a 34-20 loss to Texas. Austin Simmons completed 23 of 44 passes for 252 yards in that game.
A few more numbers frame the challenge for Missouri. Kirby Smart is set to coach in his 37th game with Georgia ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25, putting him fourth all-time behind Nick Saban, Woody Hayes and Bobby Bowden. Since the start of the 2020 season, Georgia owns an 81-10 record, the best in the nation.
Stockton is also closing in on a couple of spots in the Georgia record book. He needs 19 completions to pass Quincy Carter for eighth on the school’s all-time completions list and 100 to move past Matthew Stafford into seventh.
Peyton Woodring is 17 points away from passing Rodrigo Blankenship on Georgia’s all-time scoring list. Woodring already owns the UGA and SEC record for consecutive PATs with 220, and he is the most accurate field goal kicker in school history at 85%.
As for the Bulldogs as a team, the numbers are just as imposing. Georgia leads the SEC in scoring at 41.1 points per game, scoring defense at 14.0 and rushing defense at 83.8 yards per game. The Bulldogs are also second in the league in rushing offense at 210.7 yards per game and total offense at 454.2 yards per game.
The game will be televised by ABC, with radio coverage on the Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network. Sirius XM will carry it on 179 or 230. The weather forecast calls for sunny skies and 55 degrees.
In Other News...
Georgia Suddenly Faces O-Line Uncertainty Ahead Of Missouri
Georgias offensive line suddenly has a little more uncertainty heading into Missouri after center Drew Bobo was added to the availability report as questionable. Bobo has started every game this season, so his status matters not just for the middle of the line, but for the overall continuity of an offense that has leaned on him as a steady presence.
If Bobo cannot go, Georgia would likely turn to Cortez Smith or Malachi Toliver at center, a change that would force the Bulldogs to adjust on the fly in a game where communication up front could matter plenty. The availability report also listed outside linebacker Amaris Williams as out, adding another absence for a team already managing its lineup as it prepares for Missouri. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Already Has A New Name Leading Its NFL Draft Buzz
Georgias draft pipeline is already drawing attention again, and this time the spotlight is landing on a younger name than many fans might expect. Linebacker Chris Cole has been put in the top 10 of ESPNs early 2027 draft rankings by both Jordan Reid and Mel Kiper Jr., a sign that the Bulldogs may already have another high-end NFL prospect in the making. Its the kind of early buzz that keeps Georgias recruiting and development machine in the national conversation, even before the next wave of draft-eligible players has fully settled in.
Cole is not the only Bulldog getting noticed, either. Nate Frazier, Ellis Robinson IV and KJ Bolden all showed up in the rankings as well, while Gunner Stockton and Raylen Wilson were mentioned as players who could hear their names on the second day of the draft. The assessments point to a roster with plenty of future pro talent still taking shape, and for Georgia, the bigger question is how many of those names keep climbing as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Just Delivered The Road Win Bulldogs Fans Had Been Waiting For
Georgia finally checked off one of the tougher boxes on its SEC road calendar, leaving Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with a win for the first time since 2011. It was the kind of result Bulldogs fans had been waiting on for years, and it came with the sort of control Kirby Smart has long wanted from his team away from Athens.
The Bulldogs did not just survive on the road, they took command early and never really let Mississippi settle in. Georgia put up 42 points while holding the Rebels to seven, with Talyn Taylor and Gunner Stockton helping drive the offense in a performance that gave Smart his first victory as a head coach at that stadium. [Read more 🡒]