Live Game Thread: Mizzou ventures to Athens for a date with the top team in the land

Missouri 21 | Georgia 30

Final

First Quarter Notes

• Joe Charleston with a great tip on a blitz to force an incompletion on 3rd-and-5.
• KAD loses his first battle of the day with a UGA receiver, as Rara Thomas goes up for a 25-yard catch down the sideline on 4th down. Heady play from Beck there to give his guy a shot with a free play.
• Darius Robinson sheds Georgia’s right tackle with a powerful move to bring down Beck. He’s only been sacked seven times this season. Dawgs are forced to settle for a field goal.
• Great balance and control from Cody Schrader to run through a defender’s arm tackle to pick up a touch 3rd-and-1. This offense certainly does not appear to be fazed by UGA’s defense.
• Cook pump-fakes a screen but can’t find his first reads down the field. Instead, he shifts his eyes to the other side, where he finds Luther Burden in single coverage. A 39-yard touchdown ensues.
• Yet another sack, this time from Nyles Gaddy, who swallows up Beck when the QB attempted to step up in the pocket.
• Georgia’s running game is beginning to flex its muscles. 29 yards on three straight runs with plenty of broken tackles to boot.

Second Quarter Notes

• Georgia finishes off a balanced drive with a screen pass to former Tiger Dominic Lovett, who goes untouched into the end zone from 6-yards out. That drive took seven minutes off the clock and showed that this UGA defense is still red hot as a unit.
• Cook just tripped up on what could have been a big scramble pickup, but he is looking to run early and often in this one. Bulldog defense will have to spy him going forward.
• Theo Wease wins a one-on-one battle on a back shoulder ball for 33 yards. Well-placed by Cook and a solid adjustment by Wease.
• Cook misfires on a couple of throws and Mizzou is unable to convert on 3rd-and-10. Luke Bauer pins the Bulldogs inside of the 10-yard line to swing field position back in Mizzou’s favor.
• Great job from the Missouri defense to hold Georgia when Beck and Co. appeared to be in a solid rhythm.
• Noise may be getting to the Tiger offense. Unit has looked out of sync since a well-scripted first drive.
• Burden draws a flag on a deep ball, yet another downfield shot from Kirby Moore and Brady Cook.
• Cook burns a defender to pick up a first down and then shows that he will most certainly not be running out of bounds in this one by hitting a DB with a high-step on a 19-yard run.
• Schrader physically is putting some hurt on the Georgia defense by finishing runs with power. He’s well-suited for the physicality of this game.
• Burden down in the end zone following a fade route that barely went off his fingers.
• Mevis nails a 38-yard field goal to tie the game up at 10 with 4:14 remaining in the first half.
• Man, Makhi Mews is dangerous as a returner. Tigers have to mind their gaps on kickoff coverage, because if he hits a seam it will be over.
• KAD gets one back against the UGA receiver core, making a great play in coverage on a deep post route. More pressure gets to Beck on the next play to force a punt.
• 3:14: Luther Burden is back in the game.
• Tigers stay conservative on 3rd-and-15 with just over two minutes left. Cody Schrader picks up a couple of yards to give Luke Bauer some more room to work with.
• Drinkwitz upset with a running clock when Schrader appeared to run out of bounds while moving forward. Tigers could have used those extra seconds on this final drive.

Third Quarter Notes

• Cook is dealing on this opening drive. He has found Wease and Mookie Cooper on chunk play completions, and the Cooper pass came after he audibled out of a play. Yet another sign of a quarterback who has full command of his offense.
• UGA sends heavy pressure on 3rd-and-7 and Cook doesn’t sense it from his right. Mevis hits a 43-yarder to give Mizzou its second lead of the game. The kicker is also now Mizzou’s all-time leading scorer (363 points).
• Ty’Ron Hopper picks up the third sack of the game for Mizzou in a much-needed spot with UGA driving. He blitzed when he realized Beck had no where to escape to on the outside.
• Ladd McConkey flashes for the first time in this game after Tre’Vez Johnson missed a crucial one-on-one tackle. Kendall Milton scampers in nearly untouched to give Georgia the lead right back. Methodical is the best way to describe that Bulldog scoring drive.
• Marquis Johnson thought he had to bring the ball out of the end zone because he caught it on the goal line. After a holding call, the Tigers take over at their own 3-yard line.
• Tigers are forced to punt after Schrader carves out some real estate but the Bulldog secondary locks up the Mizzou WRs.
• Beck out-runs Hopper by just enough to pick up what feels like a crucial first down on 3rd-and-3.
• JOSEPH CHARLESTON JUST SENT MARCUS ROSEMY-JACKSAINT DOWN TO SAVANNA. Wow did he bring the smoke on an attempted screen.
• But, Beck and the offense are unfazed as the QB finds McConkey on a post route to get inside the 10-yard line.
• Beck finds Oscar Delp (stepping in for the injured Brock Bowers at tight end) on 3rd-and-goal to extend UGA’s lead to two scores. Tigers’ inability to get stops on third downs may be their downfall in this one.

Fourth Quarter Notes

• Cook finds an open Mekhi Miller for 23-yards in a soft spot of the zone. Miller’s first major contribution since being banged up early in the season.
• Schrader bursts off the edge to bulldoze his way into the end zone from 12-yards out. Cook finds Burden in the back of the end zone to cut the Bulldog lead to just three. Gutsy, gutsy drive from this Tiger offense.
• Again, Mekhi Mews is a dangerous, dangerous man with the ball in his hands.
• Oscar Delp again showing up big in Bowers’ absence.
• Great open-field tackle from Daylan Carnell, who flew in like a missile. Holding UGA to a field goal was a major win for Mizzou in this game.
• Tiger offense threatens, but Cook is hit and throws an interception to a Georgia defensive tackle. Dawgs take over at their own 31-yard line following a blindside block the nullified the return. Backbreaking moment for Mizzou.
• Great play from Chuck Hicks to jump up and tip a Beck pass that may have gone for a first down. He’s been reliable in stepping in for Chad Bailey throughout the season.
• Georgia makes it a two-score game with 3:57 remaining.
• Clutch pitch-and-catch from Cook to Wease on a 3rd-and-8. QB seemed to improvise on a quick throw after not being ready for the snap and taking on some pressure.
• Deja vu? Literally the same thing happens on 4th-and-14. This is still a game somehow.
• Cook has looked for a back shoulder throw on nearly every single play of this drive.
• He then overthrows Wease as he rolls out of the pocket. Bulldogs will win this game.

Pregame Updates

Game Info

Time: 2:30 p.m. CST

Date: November 4, 2023

Location: Samford Stadium, Athens, Ga.

TV: CBS

Fan Questions:

1. Who will be the surprise star of the day?
2. Will Luther Burden have over or under 100 receiving yards?
3. How many rushing touchdowns will Cody Schrader have?
4. How many sacks will Mizzou have?
5. Who will lead the team in tackles?

Lastly, give us your score predictions and MVP for the game in the comments below!