Bulldogs prove to Missouri they’re more than a one-man team

Turns out the rest of those Georgia Bulldogs can play a little ball, too.

There was a little bit of postgame chest-thumping about that revelation Saturday after the 13th-ranked Bulldogs — playing without their fallen star Todd Gurley — defeated No. 23 Missouri 34-0 in a consummate team victory here at Faurot Field.

Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) did it with dominating defensive play that produced five turnovers, a Gurley-esque rushing performance from freshman Nick Chubb (143 yards on 38 carries) and some clutch playmaking from players such as quarterback Hutson Mason.

“It was very emotional before the game,” said Mason, who accounted for two touchdowns. “We had a chip on our shoulder, because everyone counted us out, including (the media) and our fans. A lot of our fans said the season is over. … So we just came out like we’ve got something to prove. There’s 10 other guys on this offense that make it go. There’s 11 other guys on special teams and defense.

“Todd is an unbelievable player, and he’s a huge part of what we do. But we wanted our respect and our dignity, too, and I think we got that today.”

Gurley, the SEC’s leading rusher and one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy this season, was indefinitely suspended by UGA on Thursday while it investigates allegations that he accepted improper benefits.

But while all the pregame focus Saturday was on the Bulldogs’ offense what it might do in Gurley’s absence, it was Georgia’s defense that was the star for the day.

The Bulldogs forced Missouri into four interceptions and a fumble. And while Georgia converted those turnovers into only 10 points, its consistent and dominating play — especially on third down — completely frustrated Missouri and its enigmatic quarterback Maty Mauk. The Tigers were 0-for-7 on third down and managed only 147 yards overall.

The shutout was Georgia’s second of the season. They beat Troy 66-0 on Sept. 20. It was the Bulldogs’ first shutout of a ranked opponent since beating No. 20 Florida 44-0 on Nov. 6, 1982.

“On Friday, we all sat there (in the defensive meeting) and said, ‘we can’t control what’s going to happen to our offense,’” outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins said. “‘All we know is we didn’t lose anyone on defense, so there’s no excuse for us not go out and play hard and play exceptional like we should.’ … That’s what we did. We played exceptional.”

The win over the defending SEC East champion Tigers (4-2, 1-1 SEC), assures that Georgia will head to Little Rock, Ark., to play the Razorbacks on Saturday in a first-place tie in the division. Missouri plays on the road at Florida next Saturday.

“Georgia is a very good football team that played very well, and I think you have to give them credit,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. “But obviously I’m very disappointed we didn’t play better.

Meanwhile, as Gurley watched the game on television in his apartment back in Athens, Chubb and Georgia’s offense did their part in picking up the slack. Including four receptions, Chubb had 42 touches in the game. That’s the most by a freshman since Herschel Walker had 43 carries against South Carolina in 1980. The freshman from Cedartown scored a touchdown on a 9-yard run with 7:46 to play.

“There was a lot of emotion going into the game because Todd plays a big role on this team and he wasn’t here,” Chubb said. “But we played for everybody on the team, for each other. … We’re a very good team. With Todd it’ve probably been 56 to nothing.”

Other offensive players stepped up for Georgia, too. It was Mason’s best day as a Bulldog, considering the magnitude of the situation. The senior was 22-of-28 passing for 156 yards and a touchdown. Mason also scored on an 11-yard run in the second quarter.

While Mason was at the controls — UGA was able to sub in Brice Ramsey late in the fourth quarter — the Bulldogs were 11-of-19 on third-down conversions. Georgia rolled up 379 yards for the game, including 210 rushing.

“Football is a team sport and these guys know it,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “It also has a lot to do with emotion, too.”