Todd Gurley may be out, but Georgia’s defense remains eligible, as Missouri can strongly attest.
While all the focus was on the Bulldogs’ offense Saturday and what it might do in the absence of its star tailback, it was the Georgia’s beleaguered defense that starred in a resounding 34-0 victory here at Faurot Field.
The win over the defending SEC East champion Tigers (4-2, 1-1 SEC), assures that No. 13 Georgia (5-1, 3-1) will head to Little Rock, Ark., next Saturday in a first-place tie in the division.
The Bulldogs produced five turnovers on the day on 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 147yards 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.
Meanwhile, as Gurley watched the game on television in his apartment back in Athens, Nick Chubb and Georgia’s offense did their part in picking up the slack. Chubb, a freshman from Cedartown, started at tailback and responded with 143 yards on 38 carries. He scored a touchdown on a nine-yard run with 7:46 to play.
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.
Other offensive players stepped up for Georgia, too. It was quarterback Hutson Mason’s best day as a Bulldog considering the magnitude of the situation. The senior from Marietta was 22-of-28 passing for 156 yards and a touchdown. Mason also scored on an 11-yard, second-quarter run.
While Mason was at the contols — 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.
Georgia was playing its first game without Gurley. The Heisman Trophy front-runner was suspended indefinitely on Thursday as UGA and the NCAA investigates allegations that received improper benefits from memorabilia dealers.
But the Bulldogs dedicated the game to their sidelined teammate and got off to a fast start. They forced a Missouri punt on its first possession, then went down and got a 47-yard field goal from Marshall Marshall and to score on their first post-Gurley-scandal offensive series of the season.
It got better from there.
Georgia’s defense blanked the Tigers in the first-half on third-down conversion — 0-for-5 — and created three turnovers as the Bulldogs marched out to a 20-0 lead.
Quincy Mauger, getting the start at safety, picked off Missouri’s Maty Mauk at the 7:27 mark of the first quarter. It was the first of two interceptions for Mauger on the day
The Bulldogs went three-and-out on the ensuing possession. But on the Tigers’ next series, Georgia’s Damian Swann tallied his second interception of the year and fifth of his career on a tipped ball.
Georgia was set up first-and-10 at Missouri’s 25-yard line. Again, the Bulldogs didn’t get much out of it, but Morgan drilled a 29-yard field goal to give them a 6-0 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Georgia recorded yet another takeaway when outside linebacker Leonard Floyd hit Mauk’s arm as he tried to passed late in the second quarter and junior DE Sterling Bailey jumped on it. Georgia was forced to punt again on its next try.
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