NEW ORLEANS - No. 3 Georgia Finishes 12-2: With tonight’s 39-34 loss, the third-seeded Bulldogs finish 12-2, and the Senior Class ends up with a 51-6 mark.
Georgia is now 5-3 in the CFP, 5-8 in Sugar Bowls and 38-23-3 all-time in bowl games. This was the first time the Bulldogs and Rebels faced each other twice in the same season. It was the first time Georgia lost a rematch in the Kirby Smart era as he is now 4-1 in those while his overall mark is 117-21.
*Reviewing The Offense: The Bulldogs tallied 355 yards on 69 plays (124-rushing, 231-passing) in a 37-34 loss.
*Down 34-31 with 3:13 left, Georgia converted a 4th-and-9 at its own 48 with a 17-yard pass to Branch. It was part of a FG drive that tied the game at 34.
*Down 34-24 with 9:02 in the 4th, Georgia went 75 yards in six plays, capped by an 18-yard TD pass to Zachariah Branch to trail 34-31 with 7:03 left.
*Down 27-24 with 11:29 in the 4th, Georgia went for a 4th-and-2 and its own 33, and Stockton was sacked for a loss of 8 at the UGA23.
*Georgia’s Peyton Woodring made a 37-yard FG to make it 24-19 with 30 seconds left in the 3rd quarter as the drive included a succesful fake punt.
*At the half, Georgia led 21-12. The Bulldogs tallied 190 yards of offense on 31 plays (85-rushing, 105-passing).
*For the fourth time this season, Georgia did not score in their opening quarter (also vs. UA, @ AU, @ GT) and so far it’s 2-1 in those games.
*Georgia was forced to punt on its first two drives, tallying a combined 37 yards on nine plays and then had 75-yard TD drives on its next two possessions.
*Down 6-0 with 2:13 left in the 1st quarter, the third drive resulted in a go-ahead TD. It featured a 16-yard rush by Nate Frazier, a nifty 13-yard reception by Colbie Young and a 12-yard rushing TD by Gunner Stockton to cap a 75-yard drive in seven plays in 3:36.
*Down 12-7 with 10:33 left in the half, Georgia reclaimed the lead 14-12 after a 75-yard TD drive in 12 plays that took 6:28. It featured a 3rd-and-5 conversion by Cash Jones for eight yards, a 3rd-and-13 conversion from the UGA35 following a 15-yard catch and run by Zacariah Branch that tied the school mark for single season catches with 76. Also, Jones came through on a 3rd-and-12 conversion with a 26-yard catch. The drive included a Nate Frazier tying his career-high with a 24-yard reception and ended on Stockton’s second rushing TD of the night, a 1-yarder.
*In the first half, redshirt junior QB Gunner Stockton was 9-for-13 for 105 yards and 15 yards on five carries with two rushing TDs.
*Sophomore RB Nate Frazier posted 128 all-purpose yards with 86 rushing on 15 carries and 42 receiving on three catches.
*Junior WR Zachariah Branch set the Bulldog single season mark for receptions tonight with (73+). The old mark was held by Brice Hunter (76 in 1993). Branch set the mark in the 2nd quarter on a two-yard catch. He finished with X for XX yards and one TD.
*A Look At The Defense: OM scored 39 points with 473 total yards (362-passing and 111-rushing), hitting a 47-yard FG with six seconds for a 37-34 lead. They registered a safety on the ensuing kickoff for the final.
*OM led 34-31 with 7:03 left, Georgia forced a three-and-out. OM took a 27-24 lead with 11:29 left in the game after a 75-yard drive and two-point conversion. Following a failed 4th-down attempt by Georgia at its own 33, OM needed just two plays for a TD and a 34-24 lead with 9:02 left.
*OM cut it to 21-19 with 4:51 left in the 3rd quarter, going 63 yards on seven plays including a 43-yard completion on 4th-and-3.
*Georgia’s leading tacklers were sophomore KJ Bolden with 10 and senior Daylen Everette with nine.
*In the first half, Ole Miss scored 12 points (TD plus 2 FGs) with 234 total yards (160-passing and 74-rushing).
*Down 14-12 with 4:05 left in the 1st half, OM’s Kewan Lacy had a fumble, caused by freshman Elijah Griffin, that was picked up by senior Daylen Everette, and he returned it 46-yard for a TD and a 21-12 lead. It was the first fumble return for a TD by the Bulldogs since 2024 when Chris Cole did it against UMass for 28 yards. It was Everette’s second career fumble recovery and first caused fumble for Griffin.
*Tonight was Georgia’s first “NOT” (Non-Offensive TD) of the season. In the Kirby Smart era, Georgia has 18 NOTs and six safeties.
*Georgia’s last fumble return for a TD in a bowl game came in the 2008 Sugar Bowl against Hawaii by Marcus Howard. Everette’s 46-yarder for a TD tonight was a Georgia bowl record.
*Ole Miss’ first drive resulted in a punt while the 2nd drive ended with a 55-yard FG and a 3-0 lead with 5:47 left in the 1st quarter. It marked the eighth time this season that the Bulldogs trailed early in a game involving an SEC opponent. In the first meeting with the Rebels in Athens, Georgia took a 3-0 lead in the first before the Rebels responded with a touchdown and a 7-3 edge after 15 minutes and then OM led 21-20 at the half and 35-26 entering the 4th quarter before Georgia rallied for a 43-35 win.
*OM pushed its lead to 6-0 tonight with a 56-yard FG with 2:13 left in the 1st quarter. Down 7-6 with 13:37 left in the 1st half, OM answered with a 75-yard TD drive in eight plays to take a 12-7 lead following a failed two-point try with 10:33 left in the half.
*Special Teams Update: Junior PK Peyton Woodring tallied 10 points on four PATs, two FGs plus handled the kickoffs. He was short on a 55-yard FG attempt for just his second miss of the year, ending a string of nine straight successful FGs. His only other miss came from 45 yards at Auburn. Later, he would make a 37-yarder and a game-tying 24-yarder with 56 seconds left to make it 34-all. He is 17-for-19 on the year.
*Senior Brett Thorson finished with five punts for a 48.5 average including a long of 54 with no returns and two placed inside the 20. His first punt tonight was caught at the 2 by junior WR London Humphreys.
*Junior Zachariah Branch had two punt returns for 23 yards.
*Georgia ran a successful fake punt as freshman Landon Roldan completed a 16-yard pass to TE Lawson Luckie on a 4th-and-5 from its own 27. It was Georgia’s first successful one since the 2024 SEC Championship Game against No. 2 Texas when Arian Smith had a nine-yard rush.
*Captains, Coin Toss And For Starters: Georgia’s captains were Drew Bobo, Gunner Stockton, CJ Allen and Christen Miller.
*Georgia won the toss and elected to defer the football until the second half.
*The longest starting streak on the team belongs to redshirt junior QB Gunner Stockton at 15 games.
*Redshirt freshman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye made his first career start. Jonah-Ajonye became the 20th first-time starter this season. Freshman safety Rasean Dinkins made his 2nd straight start. Freshman TE Ethan Barbour made his 2nd career start and first since the opener.
*Senior WR Colbie Young and freshman TE Ethan Barbour returned from injuries to see their first action in months. On Oct. 18 against Ole Miss in Athens, Young caught the opening pass for 36 yards and left with an ankle injury. Barbour was hurt on the final play of the 1st half against Austin Peay.
