Game report: No. 13 Georgia 34, No. 23 Mizzou 0
First quarter
Key play: Georgia senior cornerback Damian Swann snared a bobbled bubble screen from quarterback Maty Mauk to Marcus Murphy for Missouri’s second interception in the quarter. It was the first time the Tigers threw two first-quarter interceptions since 2003 against Nebraska.
Key stat: Freshman running back Nick Chubb, who replaced suspended junior star Todd Gurley, gained only 20 yards in 13 carries. Georgia’s inability to get the run game untracked explains a 6-0 lead despite a plus-two turnover advantage and vastly superior field position.
Second quarter
Key play: Missouri’s offense stirred to life with completions by Mauk to wide receivers Bud Sasser and Lawrence Lee. No sooner had the Tigers established momentary rhythm, linebacker Leonard Floyd forced the Tigers’first fumble this season when he swooped around Taylor Chappell and knocked the ball from Mauk’s hand.
Key stat: Missouri was shut out in a half for the first time since a 31-14 loss on Nov. 20, 2004, at Kansas. The Tigers ran 26 plays and gained 76 in the first half, while Chubb finished with 25 touches for 90 yards in helping Georgia build a 20-0 lead.
Third quarter
Key play: Missouri got a stop from its defense to begin the third quarter and the offense moved into Georgia territory, but senior wide receiver Jimmie Hunt bobbled a slant from Mauk, resulting in Mauk’s third interception and the second by Bulldogs strong safety Quincy Mauger.
Key stat: Mauk threw two interceptions in the third quarter, including the back-breaker that snuffed out Missouri’s best drive with 5:37 remaining in the period. He scrambled around after having an eternity in the pocket then fired a ball 20 yards downfield straight into Georgia safety Dominick Sanders’ arms.
Fourth quarter
Key play: Chubb, who finished with 143 yards in 38 carries, reached the end zone finally with 7:46 remaining. It was the final points and a fitting exclamation point for Georgia’s dominating win.
Key stat: Georgia ran out game’s final 6 minutes, 24 seconds and finished with 42:23 in time of possession. The Bulldogs ran 87 plays to 43 for the Tigers, outgained Missoui 379-147 and totaled 25 first downs while allowing only 10.
Player of the game: Freshman running back Nick Chubb wasn’t as explosive as Todd Gurley has been this season, but he was effective as Georgia’s workhorse back. He didn’t break any runs longer than 18 yards and only averaged 3.8 yards per carry, but Chubb finished with 174 yards of total offense.
Reason to hope: The schedule eases up a bit with Missouri playing at Florida next Saturday and returning home for games against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. If the Tigers’ defense continues to play well, those are all winnable games.
Reason to mope: Missouri’s offense is a hot mess. The Tigers can’t establish the run and can’t find any rhythm with the passing game. Quarterback Maty Mauk isn’t making big plays down the field and he’s committing turnovers. There’s seemingly little to build off of either.
Looking ahead: Missouri has ceded control of the SEC East race to Georgia, but the Bulldogs have a date with Auburn on Nov. 15. Winning the division remains a possibility, but one that will never materialize if the Tigers don’t start playing better football.
| Tod Palmer, tpalmer@kcstar.com
Report card
F | Offense | Quarterback Maty Mauk started one for seven with two interceptions and things never really got better. Meanwhile, the run game was ineffective and an offensive line that showed signs of life at South Carolina regressed. |
C+ | Defense | For a unit that was on the field for more than 42 minutes, Missouri did well to allow only 379 yards of total offense. Georgia managed a meager 3.6 yards per run and 5.6 yards per pass attempt. But the Tigers didn’t have a turnover for the third straight game and gave up 34 points. |
C+ | Special teams | Andrew Baggett’s only kickoff was a touchback and Christian Brinser averaged 44.0 yards on six punts. The return game was OK, but failed to provide a spark with a big play. |
D+ | Coaching | The offense continues to bog down and there aren’t any solutions forthcoming. Meanwhile, the defense played relatively well, but hasn’t forced any turnovers in the last three games. |
This story was originally published October 11, 2014 at 7:08 PM with the headline "Game report: No. 13 Georgia 34, No. 23 Mizzou 0."