3 takeaways from Georgia’s thrilling victory over Ole Miss

Georgia’s offense is trending in the direction thanks to a magnificent performance from their star tight end.
Ole Miss v Georgia
Ole Miss v Georgia | Todd Kirkland/GettyImages

Georgia football was able to emerge victorious Saturday night, knocking off Ole Miss 43-35. It may not have been easy, and the Bulldogs defense definitely made sure it wouldn’t be, but all that matters is that UGA ended up on top.

There are countless takeaways to be had from this game, but these three things stand out the most.

1. Offensive balance shines

Georgia’s offense again tried to strike a balance between run and pass, and that balance worked to perfection all night. Georgia's rushing attack ran for a total of 224 rushing yards, averaging about 4.9 yards a carry. Frazier led the way with 17 carries for 72 yards and 4.2 yards per carry. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs’ other rushers like Chauncey Bowens had 10 carries for 61 rushing yards for 6.1 yards per carry and Gunner Stockton had 10 carries for 59 yards and a rushing touchdown.

Georgia was dedicated on running the football all game and were very dominant in doing so even Ole Miss began keying in on the run late in the fourth quarter. This put more pressure on Stockton to deliver, and he did so in the passing game.

The passing attack found more success late in the game, led by Stockton who finished 26-of-31 for 289 yards and four passing touchdowns. Leading the way in the receiving corps was Zachariah Branch, who had eight catches for 71 yards, while Lawson Luckie added five receptions, 43 yards and three touchdowns.

Georgia all game long made sure that they were going to be balanced while focusing on running the ball, but they never forgot about the passing game either. Georgia had a total of 34 first downs, with 19 of them coming in the second half, and converted on six of their 11 third downs attempts.

2. Pass defense struggles again

The Bulldogs’ secondary had a rough day holding up under pressure. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss played well against this secondary, challenging Georgia’s defensive backs with short and intermediate routes constantly.

Chambliss went 19-36 for 263 yards and one touchdown. He also had 2 rushing touchdowns on the ground as well. Georgia's inability to consistently cover intermediate routes while giving cushion to receivers allowed big plays that shifted momentum early on.

While Georgia’s front seven and linebackers largely contained Ole Miss’s rushing attack on early downs, the back end of the defense got exposed in one-on-one situations. Georgia’s rush defense held Ole Miss to only 88 rushing yards and only 3.7 yards per carry, shutting down this rushing attack and making Ole Miss one dimensional in the second half.

The way this team adjusts in the second half is something to behold and astonishing to witness. The Bulldogs showed a lot of resilience on Saturday, battling back and fourth after trailing for most of the game. They showed that no matter what the score is, this defense will continue to keep fighting.

3. Lawson Luckie has a career day

Lawson Luckie had a career day for himself. The junior tight end finished with five receptions for 43 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Luckie was the red zone target all night long for Stockton and showed that he balled out when targeted for this football team.

Luckie was open in the red zone multiple times and Stockton found him to be a very reliable target when he needed something big.

He deserved this type of game for confidence and hopefully this will lead to him being included more in the game plan going forward.

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