Georgia put on a clinic in the fourth quarter against No. 5 Ole Miss to earn a big, come-from-behind win.
The Rebels led by nine points entering the final period of regulation, but the No. 9 Bulldogs scored 17 unanswered points to get the 43-35 victory. Their defense got the stops it needed while the offense kept shining.
Georgia head coach Smart spoke about his team's resilience after the game.
“That’s a culture win,” Smart declared. “You don’t win that game if you’re not physically tough, mentally tough.”
The Ole Miss offense was unstoppable through three quarters, putting up 338 yards and 35 points. The Rebels scored on their first five possessions, as Georgia’s defense couldn’t get a stop — but they did when it mattered most.
The Bulldogs scored to begin the fourth quarter when quarterback Gunner Stockton tossed a short touchdown pass to running back Nate Frazier, making it a 35-33 game after the extra point by kicker Peyton Woodring. Their defense then made its first stop, holding Ole Miss to a three-and-out on the next drive.
Georgia’s offense, which never punted, kept rolling.
Wideout Dillon Bell started the drive with a 17-yard run, followed by another big gain when playmaker Zachariah Branch caught a 13-yard pass from Stockton a few plays later. Stockton then connected with tight end Lawson Luckie for his third touchdown catch of the game, putting the Bulldogs in front with the lead.
Georgia’s defense then forced another three-and-out on the next possession. The Bulldogs aimed to seal the game on their following drive, holding a 40-33 lead. A 36-yard air strike from Stockton to Bell kept the drive alive, putting their offense in Ole Miss territory before they faced a 4th-and-3 from the Rebel 24-yard line.
Smart decided to attempt a field goal, which Woodring made, extending Georgia’s lead to 43-35. Ole Miss then got the ball back with 2:09 left but was unable to convert on fourth down as the Bulldogs got another stop.
Georgia’s offense then kneeled out the clock.
The Georgia defense held Ole Miss to just 13 yards in the final 15 minutes of the game, with the Rebels going 0-for-3 on third down and 0-for-1 on fourth down. The Bulldog offense also controlled the clock, holding the ball for 13:07 in the fourth quarter. They amassed 143 yards total, averaging 5.7 yards per play.
Smart credited the Rebels for a hard-fought game, but knew his team was prepared for a four-quarter fight.
“We call it ‘hard to kill.’ The one thing we are, we’re hard to kill. We won’t go away,” Georgia’s head coach said. “We’ve got to keep getting better. I’m so happy the players get a return on the work ethic, physicality we play with, and how we practice. It paid off on offense.
“Our ability to run the ball at the end of the day is probably the difference in the game,” Smart added. “We sure couldn’t stop them very often. We stopped them when we had to.”