Their hands went in the air as if they had just sealed a win. Richard LeCounte, Tyrique Stevenson and Monty Rice all went berserk in result of the fourth-down stop Mark Webb had just made Georgia’s own end zone.
With the way they reacted, it seemed like it was one of the biggest plays of the game. The reality was if Missouri’s receiver caught that touchdown, not much would have changed — only the margin of victory.
But to this Georgia defense, 27-7 sounds a helluva lot worse than 27-0, the actual final score from Georgia’s bout with the Tigers. The idea of conceding even a single point was infuriating to Georgia’s defense.
“That moment, it felt like it was 27-27,” linebacker Tae Crowder said. “We did not want to let them score, and we did our best to make sure they didn’t.”
With the shutout came yet another game where Georgia didn't concede a rushing touchdown. Now, nine games into the season, the Bulldogs stand as the only team in the nation to hold such a stat. That isn't what was important to Georgia, though. The zero on the scoreboard is what the defense valued.
“I’m just happy they didn’t score,” linebacker Monty Rice said. “As long as they don’t score that’s what matters.”
Watching from the sidelines, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was foaming from the mouth himself. With the opportunity to earn the Bulldogs their third shutout of the season, Smart was as into it on the sidelines as his players were on the field. But when post-game rolled around, Smart was more even-keeled than he was in that moment, yet still delighted with the result from his defense.
“They were all chomping at the bit at the end to make it tough to score,” Smart said. “I thought they showed some competitive character there at the end with that stand.”
And as Georgia moves into a possible top-10 matchup with Auburn, this kind of morale (and actual) victory holds a lot of weight on the psyche of Georgia’s defensive players. Their run of dominance has continued, and the confidence that provides helps keep it up.
“It meant a lot. Fourth-down-and-goal, we were pumped up to get that stop,” cornerback Tyson Campbell said. “We take it with pride. We try to keep that going into each and every week.”
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