What went wrong for Georgia vs. Ole Miss?
The No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs were defeated by the No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels, 28-10, in Oxford. Lets take a deep dive into why.
Lost the battle of the trenches
This game was going to be won the trenches, and Ole Miss dominated. Offensively, Georgia had no answer to the Rebels' defensive line. When the game started in heavy rain, you knew it would be a ground and pound game. It started out well for UGA, but the tables turned.
Ole Miss' defensive line lived in the backfield, causing the Georgia offense to be put in third and long instead of third and manageable. Princely Umanmielen and Jared Ivey had two sacks and two tackles for losses. This was arguably the worst performance by the UGA offensive line in the past three years. Left tackle Earnest Greene struggled.
On the defensive side, Chaz Chambliss and Nazir Stackhouse combined for a sack, and Jalon Walker tipped a pass into a Dan Jackson interception that led to Georgia's first (and only) touchdown of the game. Other than the first possession it seemed as the UGA pass rush was nonexistent today. Jaxson Dart found holes in the rush to escape the pocket. Also, the Rebels rushed for 134 yards yards without their starting running back, Henry Parrish Jr.
Turnovers
Turnovers have been a consistent issue for the Bulldogs this season. Ball proved costly with freshman running back Nate Frazier having a crucial fumble just as Georgia was building serious momentum. The turnover came during a promising third-quarter drive that spanned seven plays and looked poised to put points on the board.
Frazier’s miscue, combined with quarterback Carson Beck’s struggles, marked a day plagued by fumbles. Both players lost two apiece, leading to valuable possessions for Ole Miss. These errors handed the Rebels the ball at pivotal moments, stalling the Bulldogs' progress and putting additional pressure on their defense.
Dropped Passes
Dropped passes have been a persistent issue for this Bulldogs' wide receiver room and they continued at critical moments against Ole Miss. Georgia leads the nation with 29 drops this season. It highlights the team’s need for more consistent execution in the passing game.
In a game in which every possession mattered, tight end Ben Yurosek had a significant drop on second down during a drive on which putting points on the board was essential. This missed opportunity set the offense back, putting added pressure on the following downs.
Another pivotal drop came from Dillon Bell on a third down, a catch that would have extended the drive and potentially led to points. Instead, the very next play saw quarterback Carson Beck’s pass intercepted by John Saunders Jr. These dropped passes underscored how thin the margin for error is for the Bulldogs, and cleaning up these mistakes is essential if they hope to make the playoff.
This article originally appeared on Bulldogs Wire: What went wrong for Georgia vs. Ole Miss?
