Everything to know about Missouri at No. 1 Georgia
ATHENS — Coach Eli Drinkwitz got right to the point when it came to sharing the challenge Georgia presents for his No. 22-ranked Missouri Tigers.
“When we talk about Georgia, zero doubt they’re the benchmark for the league right now in the way Coach (Kirby) Smart runs his program,” Drinkwitz said.
“The philosophical identity he has in his offense, defense and special teams and the way his team plays consistently down in and down out — it’s what everybody in our conference is chasing.”
The No 1-ranked Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1 SEC), whom everyone in the nation is chasing, enter the matchup with Missouri (6-3, 3-2) at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Sanford Stadium.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton leads the league with 20 touchdowns and in passer rating, something Drinkwitz has also taken note of.
“I think their quarterback is playing at an outstanding level, not nearly enough talk about him being a candidate for the Heisman Trophy,” Drinkwitz said. “When you look at how they’ve won championships in the past, it all starts at that position.
“He is consistent as a thrower. He is sharp as a playmaker. Utilizes his legs as an extra offensive weapon. He does not make mistakes in the pass game. Gets them right in the run game checks. I think he is a really, really good player.”
Drinkwitz shared how offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has built a unit that’s tough to slow down.
“They’ve developed multiple identities on offense with the three tight end look, and obviously, I think congratulations to another Kansas City kid, (Jaden) Reddell, who’s playing unbelievable for him too,” Drinkwitz said. “But they’ve got multiple abilities to create challenges for you with their three tight end sets and run the ball with their running backs and their offensive line, or they can go spread out wide with their wide receiver sets.”
Here’s everything else to know about Missouri at Georgia on Saturday:
When: 3:30 p.m.
Where: Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia
Rankings and records: Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC), No. 1 in CFP Rankings, No. 1 in Sagarin computer rankings; Missouri (6-3, 3-3 SEC) No. 18 in CFP Rankings, No. 19 (of 266) in Sagarin computer rankings.
TV/radio: ABC; Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network radio; Sirius XM 179 or 230.
Weather: Sunny and 55 degrees.
Series: Georgia leads 12-1
Last meeting: Georgia won the teams’ most recent meeting, 30-21, in Sanford Stadium in 2023, thanks in large part to defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse making an improbable fourth-quarter interception off Missouri quarterback Brady Cook. Carson Beck was 21-of-32 passing for 254 yards, two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Last outings: Georgia beat Ole Miss, 42-7, leading 35-0 through three quarters, swarming the Rebels star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to the tune of four sacks while Gunner Stockton thrived with four touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown. Missouri was on the wrong end of a 34-20 score against Texas, as Austin Simmons completed 23 of 44 passes for 252 yards.
Georgia Notebook
• Kirby Smart will be coaching in his 37th game with his team ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll, which is fourth-most all-time behind Nick Saban (98), Woody Hayes (45) and Bobby Bowden (45).
• Georgia leads the nation in wins (81-10) since the start of the 2020 season, followed by Alabama (76-16) and Ohio State (72-14).
• Gunner Stockton is 19 completions from passing Quincy Carter for eighth-place on UGA’s all-time completions list (483) and 100 completions from passing Matthew Stafford (564) for seventh on the list.
• Peyton Woodring is 17 points from passing Rodrigo Blankenship (440) on UGA’s all-time points scored list. Woodring has the UGA and SEC record for most consecutive PATs (220). Woodring is UGA’s most accurate field goal kicker in history (85%).
• Georgia leads the SEC in scoring (41.1 points per game), scoring defense (14.0) and rushing defense (83.8 yards per game). The Bulldogs are second in the league in rushing offense (210.7 yards per game), and total offense (454.2 yards per game).