It has been two years since the Georgia Bulldogs won back-to-back National Championships, but this year’s squad has the makings of bringing the title back to Athens.
Their season began in earnest when they traveled to Neyland Stadium to play the then-No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers in week three.
After going down 21-7 in the first quarter, the Bulldogs rallied to take the Vols to overtime, where redshirt senior running back Josh McCray’s one-yard rushing touchdown sealed an unlikely victory. Their lauded defense was unusually shaky, allowing 496 yards. However, the Georgia offense managed to keep pace and gained 502 yards on the day.
Georgia followed that performance with their worst of the season, losing at home to then-No. 17 Alabama 24-21. Redshirt junior quarterback Gunner Stockton was outdueled by fellow redshirt junior and Heisman hopeful, quarterback Ty Simpson.
The Bulldogs never held a lead in that game and failed to score on any of their final three possessions en route to the first loss at Sanford Stadium in six years. Their defense continued to show cracks as it allowed the Crimson Tide to pick up 397 yards.
The Bulldogs proceeded to handle business ahead of their next challenge: No. 5 Ole Miss. The Rebels were one of the hottest teams in college football, being only two weeks removed from taking down No. 4 LSU, when they traveled to Athens.
The Rebels stayed hot early, taking a 35-26 lead at the end of the third quarter before getting iced by the Bulldog defense in the fourth, gaining just 13 yards across three possessions.
Stockton had his best game of the season against Ole Miss, tossing 289 yards and four touchdowns while completing 84% of his passes. The defense held a Rebel offense that averages 489.4 yards per game to only 351.
In Week 10, the Bulldogs managed a feat that the Longhorns could not, outlasting the rival Florida Gators. Redshirt freshman running back Chauncey Bowens ripped off a 36-yard rushing touchdown to put Georgia up 24-20 with 4:36 left.
Georgia’s defense sealed the game by forcing a four-and-out to leave Jacksonville with a win. Junior wide receiver Zachariah Branch made the biggest impact, hauling in 10 passes for 112 yards.
Georgia cruised past Mississippi State away in Week 11 and now prepares to face the No. 10 Longhorns in Sanford Stadium. The No. 5 Bulldogs look as dominant as anyone and have a resume to match. Still, they have proven vulnerable this season.
The question must be asked: can Texas exploit those flaws on Georgia’s turf?
