Missouri heads to Athens with the task that has tripped up plenty of teams this season: trying to slow down Georgia when the Bulldogs are rolling.
No. 1 Georgia enters at 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the SEC, sitting atop the AP poll for the second time this season and doing it as the conference’s lone one-loss team.
The Bulldogs briefly held the top spot earlier this year after their primetime win over Alabama on Oct. 10, only to lose the next week to unranked Auburn, 27-24. Since then, Georgia has steadied itself and is coming off a 42-7 win over Ole Miss on Saturday.
For Missouri, this trip also means a rare look at a familiar SEC heavyweight. The Tigers and Bulldogs have not played in three years, and the history between the programs has leaned heavily toward Georgia.
Their first meeting came in the 1960 Orange Bowl, when Big Eight runner-up Missouri fell to SEC champion Georgia, 14-0. In the 12 SEC matchups since, Missouri’s only win came in 2013 in Athens.
That also remains the only time the Tigers have topped 30 points against the Bulldogs.
What makes Georgia so difficult is the balance. Kirby Smart’s teams have built their identity around development, with 11 transfers on this year’s roster, and the Bulldogs keep leaning into a run-heavy offense under coordinator Mike Bobo. Screens, timing throws and play-action all remain part of the mix, and Georgia showed against Ole Miss that it can still hit explosive plays when the moment is right.
The numbers back that up. Georgia is averaging 41 points per game, fifth-best in the country, while Missouri sits at 30.2 points per game, 53rd nationally.
Gunner Stockton is again running the offense, and he’s doing it with the added element of quarterback runs. He’s averaging 206 passing yards per game and has thrown 20 touchdowns against four interceptions.
The ground game is a major piece of the puzzle, too. Nate Frazier and Dwight Phillips Jr. lead a rushing attack that ranks 16th in FBS at 210 yards per game.
Through the air, sophomore Talyn Taylor is the top receiver after a 140-yard, three-touchdown performance against Auburn. Senior Lawson Luckie anchors a deep tight end group that also includes Raymore-Peculiar product Jaden Reddell.
Georgia’s defense is just as intimidating. Linebacker Chris Cole and safety KJ Bolden, both Bednarik Award semifinalists, headline a unit that thrives on pressure.
Under Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann, the Bulldogs attack with blitzes and simulated pressures, and the sack production is spread all over the roster. Sixteen players have recorded a sack, with middle linebackers Cole, who has five, and Raylen Wilson, who has four, leading the way.
That defense has been elite across the board. Georgia ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense at 14 points allowed per game, rushing defense and total defense, and it is 29th in passing defense at 187 yards allowed per game.
The Bulldogs are also dealing with a few injury situations. All-SEC cornerback Ellis Robinson IV left the Ole Miss game with a thigh/hip injury and has not finished the last two games.
Running back Chauncey Bowens, who has six touchdowns, has been out since Georgia played Vanderbilt on Oct. 3.
Starting freshman wide receiver Craig Dandridge also exited the Ole Miss game with a hamstring injury.
Turnovers may be one of the few areas where Missouri can try to keep this close. Both teams have protected the ball well this season.
Missouri has only been in the negative in turnover margin once, in the opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Georgia’s only negative turnover game came in its loss to Auburn, when it had three turnovers and did not force any.
The Bulldogs are also tied for second in the nation with nine fumble recoveries.
In Other News...
Mizzou Gets One Huge Georgia Question And One Brutal Injury Blow
Missouri got one encouraging update and one painful setback coming out of the Texas game, with receiver Cayden Lee cleared to keep going after a knee injury and edge rusher Langden Kitchen ruled out for the rest of the season. Eli Drinkwitz said Lees knee has no structural damage, which at least keeps one piece of the offense intact as the Tigers move deeper into the stretch run.
Kitchens loss lands harder because he was part of the starting edge group and now leaves Missouri to reshuffle a defense that already has to manage the week-to-week grind of the SEC. On the other side of this matchup, Georgia is carrying its own injury uncertainty with two players on the report, including one questionable and another already done for the year, so both teams are walking into this one with more health questions than they would like. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris Unbeaten Start Faces Its First Real Home Test
Missouris women have opened the regular season 3-0, and the early returns have given Kellie Harper plenty to like. The Tigers are averaging 90.0 points while allowing 65.7, and Harper has pointed to cleaner offensive execution and better ball movement since the close game against Howard as signs the group is settling in.
Now comes the first real chance to see how that start holds up at home. UT Martin and Lindenwood are next on the schedule, and both bring enough recent form and stylistic quirks to make these games more than routine tuneups, especially for a Missouri team trying to keep building rhythm while protecting its unbeaten record. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Could Be Running Out Of Proven QB Options
The quarterback market is tightening fast, and Missouri fans watching the transfer portal know how quickly that can reshape the board. Mississippi States Kamario Taylor is reportedly finalizing a deal to stay with the Bulldogs, a move that would put him in line to become the highest-paid quarterback in college football and take one more big name off the market. Around him, other notable passers have also chosen to remain put, including Missouris Austin Simmons and Oregon States Braden Atkinson, underscoring just how many programs are opting to keep their own answers in place.
For teams still searching, the pool of proven options is shrinking by the day. That matters in Columbia too, because the portal has become a race for quarterbacks and the supply is not matching the demand. With several programs still looking for help and fewer impact arms available, the pressure on the remaining targets only grows, and the next wave of decisions could determine which schools are left scrambling for a fallback plan. [Read more 🡒]