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Ole Miss 28-10 Georgia (Nov. 9, 2024) Game Recap

OXFORD, Miss. — — Jaxson Dart threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Antwane Wells Jr. in the third quarter, and No. 16 Mississippi knocked off No. 2 Georgia for a 28-10 victory on Saturday.

Caden Davis made five field goals as Mississippi (8-2, 4-2 SEC, No. 16 CFP) earned its third straight win. Ulysses Bentley had a 9-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

“We’ve played really well the last two games,” Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin said. “We dominated Arkansas and beat Georgia by three points. I’m really proud of how our team is responding.”

A rain-soaked Ole Miss student section stormed the field with 16 seconds left, leading to a delay. The scene was repeated after Dart’s kneeling ended it.

“Absolutely, we are peaking and I think everyone sees that,” Dart said. “I’m so proud of our guys and our coaching staff right now.”

Georgia (7-2, 5-2, No. 3 CFP) scored early in the first quarter on a 2-yard run by Nate Frazier. But Mississippi quickly took control from then on.

After the opening series, Ole Miss recorded five sacks and nine tackles for loss, forced four fumbles and intercepted a pass from Carson Beck. Jared Ivey and Princely Umanimielen had two sacks each and linebackers TJ Dottery and Chris Paul combined for 19 tackles.

“We stopped running and then we had some fun,” Ivey said. “After we were able to stop the run, we were able to get after the quarterback. Great work.”

Bentley’s TD run tied the score at 7, and Davis connected from 23, 43 and 53 yards to make it 16-7 at halftime.

After Peyton Woodring kicked a 23-yard field goal for Georgia, Dart completed an eight-play, 75-yard drive when he found Wells for the TD.

Dart was 13 of 22 passing for 199 yards with an interception. He also rushed for 50 yards as the Rebels finished with a total of 397 yards.

Davis converted field goals from 24 and 32 yards in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Georgia lost for the second time in a regular season since 2020. The Bulldogs are 1-2 against ranked teams on the road after defeating Texas 30-15 in October.

“I told my team during the week that I thought they were the most talented team we had played,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “They should actually be undefeated. I know people don’t think that’s true, but they outplayed us tonight, coached us and did a great job.”

Beck was 20 of 31 passing for 186 yards. Georgia was limited to 245 yards of total offense.

“I thought Carson played well. We spent a lot on him. He plays on the road with crowd noise, but he stood in the pocket and made some nice plays,” Smart said. “I’m not here to criticize him.”

The takeaway

Georgia: Unlike the victory over Texas in September, the Bulldogs could not survive against an inspired home opponent supported by a record crowd of 68,125. Beck was statistically solid, but was unable to threaten the Rebels downfield. Georgia had only two offensive plays of more than 20 yards. Punter Brett Thorson was a bright spot with a punt that finished inside the Ole Miss 1-yard line.

Mississippi: Kiffin’s signature victory could have far-reaching consequences. The rising Rebels will get a boost in the AP Top 25 poll and be in serious consideration for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Key series

Trailing 7-0, Ole Miss backup quarterback Austin Simmons, who played the game’s second offensive series while Dart was treated for an ankle injury, orchestrated a touchdown drive of 75 yards in 10 plays.

Simmons was 5 of 6 for 64 yards and converted on third and fourth down.

“Austin was great, but I’m not surprised,” Kiffin said of the freshman QB. “It’s quite exciting to think he’s coming back.”

Next

Georgia hosts No. 7 Tennessee next Saturday.

Mississippi is at Florida on November 23.

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