Kirby Smart still finds a way to win games like this.
No. 5 Ole Miss did not punt until there was 12:44 remaining in the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. The Rebels had every opportunity to score a signature victory against No. 9 Georgia under Lane Kiffin in a top-10 SEC showdown that featured little defense through three quarters.
Yet No. 9 Georgia still found a way to pull out a 43-35 victory and keep pace in the SEC race. The Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC) are inching closer toward a fifth straight trip to the SEC championship game. The Rebels (6-1, 3-1) might point to this game - much like No. 11 Tennessee and Auburn – as a missed opportunity against the Bulldogs. What's old is new, right?
We don't know if the Bulldogs are good enough to win their third national championship in five years – not in the shadow of No. 1 Ohio State, which now has allowed 5.9 points per game through seven victories. Georgia, however, might be on the short list of teams who can actually entertain a shot at the Buckeyes down the line.
Why? Kirby Smart still finds a way to win.
CFP STATUS: Miami | LSU | Vanderbilt | Ole Miss
Georgia vs. Ole Miss: Good offense or bad defense?
Ole Miss led 21-20 after a back-and-forth first half in which there was not a defensive stop. Seriously, no punts allowed.
Trinidad Chambliss and Gunner Stockton put on a show. Chambliss hit 14 of 20 passes for 137 yards and led three TD drives of 10 plays or more. Chambliss scored a 7-yard TD run on the opening drive, and Kewan Lacy scored two rushing TDs for the Rebels.
Stockton threw a 11-yard TD pass to tight end Lawson Luckie and added a 22-yard TD run. Stockton hit 14 of 19 passes for 154 yards in the first half.
The Rebels threatened to pull away when Chambliss hit a 75-yard pass to De'Shaun Sterling on the second play of the second half for a 28-20 lead. Yet Stockton continued to answer each time. A second TD pass to Luckie cut the lead to 28-26 heading into the fourth quarter.
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Georgia dominates fourth quarter
Georgia outscored Ole Miss 17-0 in the fourth quarter. Nate Frazier scored a three-yard TD run. Stockton hit Luckie for a third TD. Peyton Woodring – who hit three field goals – gave the Bulldogs a 45-37 lead with 2:06 remaining.
The story, however, was the defense. Georgia forced two punts and turned over the Rebels on the game's final possession. Ole Miss' last 11 plays amounted to 12 yards. Chambliss finished 19 of 36 for 263 yards and a TD, but the Rebels managed just 88 rushing yards. Georgia stood up on defense when it mattered most, and that is all that matters.
Big picture? It would be easy to say the SEC looks more like the Big 12 with high-flying offenses and questionable defenses. Georgia clearly does not have the game-constricting defense that led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. The Rebels don't have that either, not after Georgia rolled up 510 yards of total offense.
Stockton finished 26 of 31 for 289 yards and four TDs. The Bulldogs had 221 rushing yards, and Frazier had 17 carries for 72 yards. Maybe that offense is Georgia's best play down the line.
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Georgia proves SEC championship odds
Georgia beat Tennessee 44-41 on Sept. 13. The Bulldogs lost 24-21 to No. 6 Alabama the following week, which narrowed the margin for error in a hyper-crowded SEC race. This victory against Ole Miss was huge.
The Bulldogs have a bye week before the rivalry matchup with Florida and dates with No. 21 Texas (Nov. 15) and No. 12 Georgia Tech (Nov. 28) on the November schedule. The Bulldogs improved their playoff chances and have an inside draw on a potential rematch with the Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game.
Give Smart credit here. A week after Georgia escaped in a controversy-filled 20-10 victory against Auburn, the Bulldogs showed they still have what Ole Miss can't quite find.
This one has to hurt for Ole Miss, too. The Rebels had not won at Georgia since 1996, and Kiffin is still searching for that win that guarantees a College Football Playoff berth. Ole Miss plays at No. 14 Oklahoma in Week 8. That is the last marquee game left on the schedule.
Smart knows how to win games like this. He proved that once again Saturday.