EA Sports College Football 25 video game predicts the winner, score of the Georgia versus Ole Miss game
Georgia dominated in a preview simulation of Saturday’s showdown between the Georgia Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels on EA Sports’ “College Football 25” video game. Georgia won 34-7 thanks to strong performances on both sides of the ball.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck led the offense, completing 22 of 31 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Trevor Etienne powered through the defense, adding 74 yards and one touchdowns on the ground. Wide receiver Dominic Lovett emerged as the top target, racking up 116 yards on eight receptions, including a 62-yard touchdown.
Defensively, the Georgia front seven unit was very dominant in their battle of trenches. They combined for 11 tackle for losses and three sacks. Linebacker Jalon Walker was everywhere in the backfield recording two tackle for losses and one and 1/2 sacks. Safety Malaki Starks lead the team with eight total tackles. The Georgia defense made the Ole Miss offense one dimensional and held the Rebels to negative four yards rushing.
Carson Beck’s sloppy play has led many Georgia football fans to wonder who could start over him.
One big takeaway from the Georgia Bulldogs’ 34-20 win over the Florida Gators was the play of quarterback Carson Beck, who threw three interceptions.
He threw two touchdowns to win the game, but his turnovers caused the defense to be backed up in Georgia territory a few times. That allowed Florida to score on short fields and stay ahead for the majority of the game.
You could make a legitimate argument that the Gators would’ve won the game if it weren’t for second-string quarterback DJ Lagway going down with an injury, and Beck was a big reason.
Unfortunately, turnovers have hurt Beck all season. Since Week 2, Beck has more interceptions than touchdowns (10 touchdowns, 11 interceptions). This is the second game in a row in which he’s had three interceptions. While you can somewhat understand the struggles in the Texas game because of the stout secondary he played against, Florida had two defensive backs out for this matchup.
Fans are left feeling unsatisfied after the win and unsure if Georgia can remain the top team in the SEC. If UGA loses to Ole Miss and Beck throws multiple interceptions again, fans will be looking for a quarterback change ahead of the Tennessee game.
Here are the options Georgia could choose from should they choose to bench Beck:
Gunner Stockton
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The most experienced among Georgia’s backups is sophomore Gunner Stockton. He’s the only one with reps for Georgia. The former four-star recruit has thrown for 238 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in his career.
Looking at the tape from him from high school and college, he has an impressive deep ball, even while scrambling. Sometimes, his footwork can look wonky, but his arm is so strong it doesn’t matter.
Stockton likes targeting the middle of the field and down the sidelines. He can scramble, too. At 6 feet, 1 inch and 220 pounds, he has elite size.
Jaden Rashada
Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic
Rashada has more experience starting than Stockton due to his freshman season at Arizona State. Last season, Rashada was the starter for the first two games before suffering an injury that took him out of the lineup until November. He came back for 2023’s last game against Arizona. Overall, he had 485 yards passing, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
The former four-star recruit transferred to Georgia in the summer of 2024. Rashada shows legit mobility and a quick release. Some development will help him go through his reads quicker.
Ryan Puglisi
Puglisi has not yet played for Georgia, but the four-star recruit has shown some solid tape at high school. Puglisi excels at ball placement, and he keeps his eyes downfield when under pressure.
He could improve at holding linebackers and safeties with his eyes. Puglisi can stand to be more accurate, but he has a great arm, which he also used to be a great pitching/shortstop prospect out of New England. Puglisi is the least likely of the Georgia quarterbacks to play due to his lack of college experience.
Georgia football’s 34-20 win over Florida has several key takeaways.
The No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) came fresh off a bye week to play the extremely undermanned Florida Gators (4-4). While Georgia was able to win 34-20, it was a sloppy game that saw Florida holding a 13-6 lead at the half and actually being favored to win, according to ESPN’s win probability.
If it weren’t for Florida’s second-string quarterback DJ Lagway being carted off the field with an injury, the Gators could’ve pulled off a massive upset, but the Bulldogs locked in during the second half, going on a 28-7 run to win the game.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw three interceptions, but salvaged his day with two touchdown passes in the second half. The flaws in Beck’s game are undeniable and it seems like Georgia has won in spite of Beck in recent games. He’ll need to elevate his game, especially if Trevor Etienne misses time with a rib injury.
Fortunately, the defense stepped up. Despite allowing some deep balls, the defense played solidly, arguably even better than the points they allowed. Chaz Chambliss had an amazing game with 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. KJ Bolden was a rock at safety, with an 83.3 PFF grade. Overall, the Georgia Bulldogs only allowed 228 total yards.
Overall, Georgia fans are worrie again. Sure, the Bulldogs now reign atop the SEC after their 30-15 win over Texas, but their offense has rarely reached the level they had last year, which has caused them to play down to competition such as Mississippi State, Kentucky, and now Florida.
On Nov. 9, Georgia will be tested against No. 12 Ole Miss (7-2), a team that just put up 63 points against Arkansas, so they’ll have to bring it offensively.
Here are some takeaways from the Florida-Georgia game
Carson Beck has got to be better
This was the second week in a row where Carson Beck had three interceptions. If we look at the bigger picture, Carson Beck has just 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in the last five games.
Beck has yet to reach the level of play that most expected out of him this year, and it has made it a lot more difficult for Georgia to win games. Sure, Beck was pressured on the first interception, but he has shown massive flaws in ball placement.
The catalyst for Georgia’s success is their front seven
Through thick and thin, the Georgia Bulldogs have had at least one constant unit: the front seven. Outside of a stretch where Mykel Williams was hurt, and they were just good, the pass rush and linebacker core of Georgia has been elite the whole season. They’ve done well in stopping the run these last three games, with their opponent never averaging more than 3.6 yards per carry in that span. Against Florida, Georgia only allowed 115 rushing yards on 38 carries.
They won the special teams battle
Of course, no one can talk about this game without mentioning Florida’s blatant special team mishap. On a field goal try that would’ve given Florida the lead late in the third quarter, the snapper chucked the ball way over the holder’s head, causing a mad dash for the football, which Georgia recovered. Georgia scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
Best, worst performing Georgia Bulldogs according to PFF from the Georgia-Florida matchup
The Georgia Bulldogs won an unimpressive game against the Florida Gators. Georgia had several solid performers that came out of the game. The defense, particularly the inside linebackers, were great in this game. Benjamin Yurosek had his best game in a Bulldog uniform so far. Tate Ratledge’s return was huge for the Georgia offensive line.
Even then, there were some massive holes that prevented Georgia from pulling away against Florida. Carson Beck had one of his worst games in his career. Malaki Starks was burnt on deep routes several times this game. The wide receiver room desperately misses Anthony Evans III and Colbie Young.
With that being said, here are the top three and bottom three PFF grades (subscription needed) from each side of the ball:
Offense
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
Best Grades
Center Jared Wilson: 77.8 total, 84.7 pass-blocking grade, 72.3 run-blocking grade
Who were Georgia football’s best, worst performers against Florida?
The Georgia Bulldogs did not play their best in a competitive 34-20 win over the Florida Gators. A few Bulldogs make timely plays in the fourth quarter to help Georgia pull away late.
Georgia did enough to win, but showed inconsistency that has defined the 2024 season thus far. The Bulldogs have been dominant for stretches, but rarely for extended periods of time.
Who are the top winners and losers from Georgia’s win over Florida?
Winner: Georgia tight end Ben Yurosek
Georgia tight end Ben Yurosek, a Stanford transfer, played his best game of the season against Florida. Yurosek had two catches for 39 yards and finished with the most receiving yards of any Georgia tight end.
Loser: Georgia quarterback Carson Beck
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw three interceptions in the win over Florida. Beck helped Georgia rack up 455 total yards and 309 passing yards, but his costly mistakes helped keep Florida in the game when the Gators should have been overmatched after being down to their third-string quarterback.
Winner: Georgia defensive end Chaz Chambliss
Georgia defensive end Chaz Chambliss showed great effort as a pass rusher. His refusal to give up helped him finish with six tackles and two sacks against Florida. Chambliss was named as the SEC co-defensive player of the week for his performance.
Loser: Georgia’s running back depth
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
Georgia running back Trevor Etienne has a rib injury and missed much of the action against Florida. His rib issue sounds like a pain tolerance issue. Etienne did not play in the second half against his former team.
Georgia is already without Branson Robinson (knee) and Roderick Robinson (toe).
Winner: Georgia linebacker CJ Allen
Georgia Bulldogs linebacker CJ Allen is having a great sophomore season. Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
CJ Allen’s interception effectively ended the game against Florida. Allen recorded eight tackles and now has 41 total tackles this season, which is second-most on the team. Allen looks line the top Dawg in Georgia’s inside linebacker room.
“It was a big play,” said Kirby Smart on Allen’s interception. “I thought the guy was wide open, and they had a nice play called, a little bootleg action.”
Allen’s fourth quarter interception is the first of his career. “CJ Allen made a freaky, unbelievable play to jump up and snag it, and that was probably the biggest change in the game,” added Smart.
Tom Brady talked about young quarterbacks coming into the NFL and why they struggle.
In Week Nine of the NFL season, we saw an amazing number of veteran quarterbacks starting for their teams. Guys like Joe Flacco, Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford and Geno Smith are all guys well past 30 who are bring called upon instead of a younger signal caller.
During the TV broadcast between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, color commentator and NFL legend Tom Brady offered up a great perspective on why teams are turning to veterans and young players aren’t able to get into or stay in starting lineups.
“They don’t play in college programs, they just play on college teams,” Brady said.
This was an excellent point by Brady that was probably missed by most. But the proliferation of the transfer portal and young quarterbacks moving between programs does nothing but stunt their development as quarterbacks. They might have all the physical tools in the world but there’s no consistency to their game and it shows when they are handed a far more complex NFL offense.
Looking at the 2025 NFL draft, we see some great examples of this. Miami’s Cam Ward has a crazy set of skills but has moved around. On the other side, players like Georgia’s Carson Beck has spent his entire career at Georgia. Most pundits have Ward ahead of Beck in terms of draft rankings but Beck might be able to come in and contribute at a higher level sooner in an NFL who doesn’t want to wait for players to develop.
Kirby Smart discusses Carson Beck’s up-and-down performance against Florida
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart directly addressed Carson Beck’s performance, defending his quarterback amid widespread criticism. While the whole college football world wanted to shun on Carson Beck’s performance against the Florida Gators where he put up 25-40 309 yards, 2 TD’s with 3 INT’s. Head Coach Kirby Smart had another perspective on things.
smart’s thoughts on beck settling back after the three interceptions
“Yeah, we talked about him for a while there when you weren’t in here, but I’ll be glad to talk about it again,” said Smart. “He continues to grow and mature. He’s not perfect. I think that he puts a lot of pressure on himself, and we got to to continue to help him. And the players around him have got to help him, because he’d probably have 12 or 13 completions in a row if the guys would get their signals and know what they’re supposed to do in the perimeter.”
Beck needs to get on the same page as his receivers before it is too late.
In the second half, Carson Beck looked like a completely different quarterback, showing the poise and confidence he displayed last year. He appeared fully locked in, reading the defense with precision and throwing for two touchdowns against just one interception. This was a sharp contrast to his first half, where he had zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
Smart on how beck Can become more consistent
(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
“Well, I mean, he did some really good things. There’s things that go unnoticed. What he can’t do is throw the ball late over the middle, and we’ve got to do a better job protecting him. He got hit one time and the ball went up in the air. ”
Five of Carson Beck’s last six interceptions have come on throws over the middle, where his attempts to force big plays have often backfired. These erratic throws have been costly, disrupting offensive rhythm and creating opportunities for opposing defenses.
However, with a strong second-half performance to build on, Beck now faces a critical test: carrying that momentum into two tough, back-to-back ranked matchups. He’ll first head to Oxford to take on No. 19 Ole Miss, followed by a home game in Athens against No. 7 Tennessee.
The Georgia Bulldogs are 7-1 after picking up a harder than expected win over Florida.
The Georgia-Florida game began slowly in the first quarter, with a promising 13-play drive that consumed 6 minutes and 15 seconds of the clock but ultimately stalled in the red zone. A batted ball on 3rd and goal from the 5-yard line halted the Bulldogs’ momentum, leaving points on the field.
It seemed the team was ready to carry over its momentum from the Texas game, with hopes of establishing rhythm once everyone settled into their roles.
In the second quarter, however, the Florida Gators seized control. A Carson Beck interception led to Florida’s DJ Lagway connecting with Aidan Mizell for a 48-yard touchdown over safety Malaki Starks, putting Florida ahead.
Shortly afterward, another Beck interception stopped a promising Bulldogs drive and allowed Florida to extend their lead to 10-3. Unfortunately for the Gators, Lagway exited the game due to a hamstring injury and was replaced by third-string quarterback Aiden Warner.
Despite the quarterback change, Florida’s defense continued to create havoc for Carson Beck. A huge hit by cornerback Daniel Harris with just 1:30 left in the half forced the Gators into a quick three-and-out. Peyton Woodring then drilled a 53-yard field goal, narrowing the score to 10-6. However, Florida responded with a 53-yard field goal of their own in the last 40 seconds, going into halftime with a 13-6 lead.
In the second half, the Bulldogs faced another setback as Beck threw a third interception while trying to escape pressure. Following this miscue, the Bulldogs’ offense finally found some momentum. An end-around play by wide receiver Dillon Bell gained 33 yards, setting up freshman running back Nate Frazier’s two-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 13-13.
After running back Trevor Etienne left the game with a rib injury, the Bulldogs’ remaining backs stepped up in his absence. To close the third quarter, Cash Jones caught a checkdown pass from Beck, broke a tackle, and powered through two defenders to reach the end zone, pushing the Bulldogs ahead for the first time.
The Gators, however, responded early in the fourth quarter with a 15-yard touchdown run by Ja’Kobi Jackson, tying the game at 20. The Bulldogs answered quickly, as Beck connected with Arian Smith for 34 yards on a key third down. He also found Lawson Luckie for another 21 yards, setting up a 10-yard screen pass to Dominic Lovett for a go-ahead touchdown.
Shortly after, linebacker CJ Allen made a remarkable athletic play, intercepting a pass deep in Florida territory. Two plays later, freshman running back Dwight Phillips Jr. scored his first career touchdown, widening the Bulldogs’ lead to 34-20 and putting the game out of reach.
Why No. 2 Georgia, who is a heavy favorite, can cover against Florida
This story was updated to correct typos.
This Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs face their most hated rival, the Florida Gators. According BetMGM, the Bulldogs are heavy favorites (16 1/2 points). What does Georgia have to do to cover the spread?
Carry Momentum
With its back against the wall, Georgia responded emphatically against Texas, now ranked sixth. The Bulldogs made a statement heard throughout college football. The UGA defense wreaked havoc in the backfield, sacking quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning seven times.
Jalon Walker led the charge with three sacks, while projected top-15 draft pick Mykel Williams contributed two. Riding the momentum from that high-stakes victory, Georgia’s defense aims to disrupt DJ Lagway in the rivalry clash.
Trevor Etienne has big day
Trevor Etienne faces his former team, the Florida Gators, in an emotionally charged game. As a steady force in Georgia’s offense, Etienne has consistently shown he can take control when it matters most.
This was evident against Texas: He scored three crucial touchdowns. Bringing that intensity into this rivalry game, Etienne aims to channel his emotions into powerful on-field play.
A better Carson Beck
Brett Patzke-Imagn Images
Carson Beck at times has looked like his efficient self we saw in the second half of the Alabama game and in the Auburn game this season. Beck’s recent turnovers have not all been his fault (nine in Georgia’s last four games).
This bye week was much needed to pivot Beck’s play into the right direction. Against Florida, Beck will help assert UGA’s dominance. Last time Beck faced the Gators, he went 19 of 28 for 315 yards and two touchdowns. Hopefully, he can channel that performance.
Georgia wins the turnover battle
The turnover battle will be a defining factor. Both defenses are primed to create chaos in the trenches and pressure opposing quarterbacks into costly mistakes. Florida’s quarterback, DJ Lagway, has already shown his inexperience: He has thrown at least one interception in each of Florida’s SEC games.
Georgia’s defense, which recently overwhelmed Texas quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, will be ready to bring that intensity. Expect Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann to unleash a few strategic surprises, likely aimed at forcing Lagway into bad decisions and possible turnovers.
Depth, health
The Bulldogs boast one of the deepest rosters in college football, and rotations that keep players fresh and ready to perform at a high level throughout the game. In the running back room, Georgia has three backs capable of carrying a starter’s workload, allowing each to maximize productivity without fatigue. Similarly, in the defensive line and linebacker corps, the Bulldogs’ rotation system ensures every player remains energized and focused, providing consistent pressure on opponents for all four quarters.
In contrast, Florida lacks the same depth, a limitation that can lead to fatigue and errors. Playing a full four quarters against a relentless team like Georgia requires depth and stamina that not every team can sustain, a potential advantage for the Bulldogs as they look to wear down Florida and capitalize late.
Four Georgia Bulldogs including QB Carson Beck selected in first round of ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft
Four Georgia Bulldogs are projected to go in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. ESPN NFL draft expert Jordan Reid recently released an updated NFL mock draft.
Reid predicts that Georgia quarterback Carson Beck will be the first UGA player off the board despite some of Beck’s recent interception struggles. Beck is projected to go No. 10 to the New York Giants. Beck is Reid’s third quarterback off the board behind Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward.
“I’m expecting the Giants to start over at signal-caller,” said Reid. “Beck is a polished pocket passer who throws on time and with precision (67.9% completion rate).”
Beck has a chance to continue to elevate his NFL draft stock over the next several months. He has looked better at extending plays this season, but he has been a little bit out of sync with Georgia receivers in recent weeks,
Next, Reid has Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams going No. 13 to the Arizona Cardinals. “Williams began the season as my top-ranked prospect, but he missed some time with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain,” said Reid.
Williams returned to form on Saturday against the Texas Longhorns. He and Jalon Walker burned Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks and company several times as the Bulldogs accumulated seven sacks.
With the next pick (No. 14), Reid predicts that the Indianapolis Colts will draft Georgia safety Malaki Starks. Starks is Reid’s top ranked safety.
“The No. 6 prospect on my board, Starks is instinctive on the back end and a dependable tackler in run support. Sure, safeties have become somewhat devalued, but Starks is an outlier who is worthy of a top-15 pick,” said Reid. Starks has 39 tackles and one interception this season.
Reid’s final Georgia Bulldog to go in the first round is outside linebacker Jalon Walker. Reid has Walker going No. 17 to the Philadelphia Eagles, who love drafting Georgia Bulldogs.
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Of course, this ESPN mock draft was created before Georgia’s 30-15 win at Texas, so Walker could be selected even sooner.
“Walker is a hybrid player; at 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds, he’s too small to play on the edge on base downs,” said Reid. “But he has explosive traits that lead to consistent disruption, and he has plenty of experience as a stack linebacker.”
Walker recorded three sacks and eight tackles against Texas after Reid wrote that. We think Walker could have a similar role to Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons.
