No. 2 Georgia to Host No. 9 Ole Miss in Critical SEC Matchup

The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels (8-1, 5-1 SEC) travel to Athens Saturday to play the No 2. Georgia Bulldogs (9-0, 6-0 SEC) in Sanford Stadium. This is the first time the Rebels and Bulldogs will meet since the 2016 season when the Rebels recorded a 45-14 victory.

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Last Week’s Wins

Both the Bulldogs and the Rebels recorded close wins at home Saturday.

Georgia hosted Missouri (7-2, 3-2) and won 30-21. It was a back-and-forth game all afternoon with five lead changes through three quarters. Going into the fourth quarter, Georgia led 24-13, but Missouri quickly narrowed the lead to 24-21 with a touchdown and successful two-point conversion.

In the middle of the fourth quarter, Georgia led 27-21 after a field goal, but Missouri received the ball with a chance to take the lead. Though, the infamous Georgia defense came up big when defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse intercepted Missouri quarterback Brady Cook’s pass. This interception set up a field goal to ultimately seal a 30-21 Georgia win.

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Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3) traveled to Oxford for a matchup with the Rebels. Ole Miss rallied and came out on top 38-35 after losing the lead late in the fourth quarter.

Ole Miss held a substantial lead through almost the whole first half. The Rebels led 20-7 when a late touchdown from the Aggies narrowed the margin to 20-14 going into halftime. By the end of the third quarter, Ole Miss led 31-21. The Rebels were silenced in the fourth as the Aggies scored two consecutive touchdowns to steal the lead 35-31. Ole Miss quarterback Quinshon Judkins ran for the game winning touchdown.

On the last play of the game, Zxavian Harris deflected a 47-yard field goal attempt to prevent overtime and secure a Rebels 38-35 win.

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Preview

In its last home game of the season, Georgia will host the Rebels. This game carries weight on both sides of the ball, as both teams look for a spot in the SEC Championship and playoffs. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin are well-acquainted. They both coached at Alabama on Nick Saban’s staff.

In a press conference, Smart recognized the importance of this game and the national recognition this matchup is receiving.

For the third straight week, Georgia will most likely be without star tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers underwent ankle surgery to repair a high ankle sprain on his left ankle. Smart answered questions regarding Bowers’ return to the field but did not have a sure answer about the date of return.

Both offenses have been dominant this year. Georgia is averaging 39.3 points and 493 yards per game while Ole Miss is averaging 38.8 points and 478.9 yards per game. Smart made no mistake in recognizing the importance of Kiffin and the Rebels’ run game, which averages 181.2 yards per game

The Georgia defense, however, has been almost unstoppable. The Bulldogs are allowing 100 rushing yards per game, so it may be a challenge for the Rebels to get their run game going, especially in front of an electric Sanford crowd.

Playoff Implications

Ole Miss has just one loss this season against No. 13 Alabama in Week 4. With the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, the Rebels jumped from No. 10 to No. 9. The Rebels must win in Athens to keep their playoff hopes alive. Not only can they solidify January football aspirations, but a win over the back-to-back national champions would also cement Ole Miss dominance within college football. A win would break Georgia’s 26-game win streak and surely drop the Bulldogs in the rankings.

Georgia will have the chance to secure the SEC East and beat a Top 10 opponent for the first time this season. A win over Ole Miss could secure the No. 1 spot in the CFP rankings as No. 1 Ohio State plays unranked Michigan State Saturday.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Athens.