Tag: Georgia Mississippi State

Where Georgia ranks in ESPN’s latest FPI rankings

After a week full of heavyweight matchups, ESPN released their Football Power Index rankings. Where are the Georgia Bulldogs ranked?

ESPN’s FPI (Football Power Index) rankings are officially out after Week 7’s spectacle. There were several matchups between teams on this list, but in the end, a familiar team remains on top.

According to ESPN, FPI is defined as “a predictive rating system designed to measure team strength and project performance going forward.” In the FPI top 25 rankings, there are 10 teams in the SEC, including four in the top 10, showing how much competition Georgia has to deal with in the top conference in college football.

Speaking of Georgia, they stay put on the fourth spot, despite playing in a close 41-31 game against Mississippi State, a team Georgia was favored by 33.5 to beat. Several fans voiced displeasure after the win, but Georgia stays put. Let’s see if they can hold serve against Texas next week.

The biggest matchup was between two top 10 teams in this chart: Ohio State vs. Oregon. In a battle of Big Ten supremacy that “College GameDay” attended, it was close all the way through. Oregon got a late score and the Buckeyes were not able to mount a late drive to win, resulting in a 32-31 Oregon win. Despite it, this matchup had no bearings on the FPI rankings, as both teams stayed put.

The Penn State-USC game was close too, but Penn State was able to keep their undefeated season alive with a game-winning field goal in overtime. Ole Miss-LSU came down to overtime too, but on LSU’s first possession, Garrett Nussmeier fired a rocket to Kyren Lacy to clinch the 29-26 win for the LSU Tigers.

One game that wasn’t close was the Texas-Oklahoma matchup. Oklahoma may be a good team, but Texas was on another level, demolishing the Sooners 34-3 in Quinn Ewers’ return. As a result, Oklahoma dropped three spots, which is the biggest drop of the group.

Texas remains the top team in the FPI rankings ahead of the Texas-Georgia game.

ESPN’s Top 25 FPI Rankings after Week 7

.Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
  1. Texas (29.7 FPI)
  2. Ohio State (26.9 FPI)
  3. Alabama (23.7 FPI)
  4. Georgia (22.5 FPI)
  5. Ole Miss (21.6 FPI)
  6. Notre Dame (20.9 FPI)
  7. Tennessee (20.2 FPI)
  8. Oregon (19.2 FPI)
  9. Penn State (18.3 FPI)
  10. Miami (17.7 FPI)
  11. Clemson (16.8 FPI)
  12. Texas A&M (15.6 FPI)
  13. USC (14.8 FPI)
  14. LSU (14.5 FPI)
  15. Indiana (14.1 FPI)
  16. Louisville (14.0 FPI)
  17. Iowa State (13.2 FPI)
  18. SMU (12.8 FPI)
  19. Missouri (12.7 FPI)
  20. Oklahoma (11.9 FPI)
  21. Kansas State (11.8 FPI)
  22. Boise State (11.6 FPI)
  23. Iowa (11..0 FPI)
  24. Tulane (10.1 FPI)
  25. Arkansas (9.6 FPI)

Takeaways from Georgia’s 41-31 win over Mississippi State

Georgia Bulldogs held off Mississippi State Bulldogs in a surprisingly close game. Here are some key details fans should take from UGA’s win

The No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (5-1) won a 41-31 offensive battle verus the Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-5) this past Saturday. Georgia entered the Mississippi State game as 33.5 point favorites. Georgia’s win has seemed to give more questions than answers, but regardless, at least the offense played up to expectations.

Carson Beck had the most passing yards in a game he’s ever had, with 459 yards along with three touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions. The running game was solid with 150 yards on 26 carries, but that number is buoyed by an Anthony Evans end around that went for 52 yards. Evans actually finished the game as Georgia’s leading rusher.

Unfortunately, the UGA defense was concerning in this one. The secondary was picked on a lot, outside of the KJ Bolden interception, they didn’t make many plays beyond the first quarter against an inexperienced freshman quarterback. The Georgia linebackers had a two costly penalties that kept drives going. Mississippi State only converted 2 of 12 third downs.

Overall, this game left fans dissatisfied and many media pundits fearing for Georgia as the head to Austin to play the No. 1 Texas Longhorns (6-0) next week.

Here are some takeaways from the Mississippi State-Georgia game

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Secondary is a major concern

As mentioned before, secondary play was a big problem in this game, but it hasn’t just been this game: it’s been nearly the whole season. Since the Kentucky game, they’ve allowed 293 passing yards per game and five touchdowns through the air. Julian Humphrey, Daylen Everette, and Daniel Harris have been beaten on big plays a few too many times and none of them are emerging as the alpha corner Georgia needs right now.

It’s not just in passing sets. There have been several missed tackles on the second level of run defense. It was evident in the Auburn game too. Unless one of the cornerbacks emerges as a shutdown cornerback (Julian Humphrey has shown glimpses of that in the past), Georgia could be in trouble next week.

Wide receivers just fine without Colbie Young

There was some concern heading into this matchup about how the receiving group would do without Colbie Young this week, but they answered the bell in this one. Essentially every member of the receiving core had their chance to shine in this one.

Arian Smith shined the brightest, with 134 receiving yards on just five catches. Dillon Bell and Dominic Lovett shouldn’t be overlooked, though, as they combined for 132 yards and a touchdown on just 10 receptions. Anthony Evans was a Swiss Army knife in this game, with 41 yards receiving and 52 yards rushing in this game.

Carson Beck needs to deal with turnovers

All the receivers helped Carson Beck to have a historic day with 459 yards passing, along with three touchdowns. However, he also threw two interceptions in this one. While the first one was off a deflection at the line of scrimmage, the second one was an inexcusable one right to the defender on a predetermined read in the end zone. Even if Beck believes there was pass interference it’s the kind of mistakes he just can’t make as a veteran.

Today was a great show of Beck’s arm strength and accuracy, but it also showed some flaws in his game too. He’ll need to tighten that up against Texas.

Best photos of Georgia’s 41-31 win vs. Mississippi State

Georgia won 41-31 over Mississippi State yesterday and here are the best photos from UGA’s home win

The Georgia Bulldogs competed in an offensive shootout against Mississippi State at home, winning 41-31. Carson Beck had the most passing yards in his career and etched his name in the record books for his performance. Georgia needed every bit of it, as the defense, especially the secondary, made numerous mistakes.

Georgia improves to 5-1, improving their College Football Playoff chances, but they’ll need to be more well-rounded going against the No. 1 Texas Longhorns next week. Meanwhile, the Mississippi State Bulldogs fall to 1-5 and, despite offensive strides, don’t scare anyone. Their next opponent will be the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies.

Overall, the final score belies how much one-sided this was. Mississippi State was never within a touchdown or a field goal of beating Georgia in this game, and Georgia arguably should’ve won by more if not for a Peyton Woodring missed field goal and a Carson Beck red zone interception.

Of course, the reason why the game looked close was because of Georgia’s secondary make freshman backup Michael Van Buren Jr. look like an experienced vet, as he threw several bombs that took advantage of UGA’s miscommunication in the secondary.

Georgia fans unsatisfied with UGA’s win vs Mississippi State

UGA football fans aren’t satisfied after Georgia’s 10-point win over 1-5 Mississippi State

Georgia Bulldogs fans aren’t exactly elated following Georgia’s 41-31 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Yes, Georgia picked up a big SEC win at home, where UGA has now won 28 straight games dating back to 2019.

However, Georgia’s secondary did not have a strong performance and the Bulldogs allowed far too many points to Mississippi State. Two Georgia penalties on third down fueled one Mississippi State touchdown drive. Additionally, Georgia mistakes gave Mississippi State a pair of big plays in the passing game.

Georgia will need to play better next week against No. 1 Texas if the Dawgs want to emerge victorious.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, who threw for a career-high 459 passing yards, and the UGA offense moved the ball well against Mississippi State. A pair of Georgia turnovers gave Mississippi State life and made the game much more competitive than it needed to be.

How Georgia football fans, media reacted to UGA’s win on social media:

 

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBCw2D9RDOs/

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_8YjaBx2Lp/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBCx1zuOuuJ/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBCx5uUSCX8/

 

 

 

 

Where Carson Beck’s historic day ranks in UGA’s record books

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has etched his name on the record books for his game against Mississippi State

In the Georgia Bulldogs’ 41-31 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs that featured several deep passing plays, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck had a historic day throwing the football.

The senior signal caller completed 36 of his 48 passes for a jaw-dropping 459 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, one off a tip from a defensive lineman.

“Well, he’s experienced. You know, the game gets a little tight there, two-score game. And he’s cool. He’s not panicked, takes us on a long drive,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart on Beck.

“I think he continues to show. He’s got poise in his pocket,” continued Smart. “I thought he took off and ran at good times. I mean, he did some good things and made some good throws. And he’s affected our team in a positive way more this year than he has this past.”

Beck had the highest amount of passing yards in a game of his career against Mississippi State. Where does his performance rank among the highest passing yards in a game among all Georgia quarterbacks? Here is the list:

  1. 544 – Eric Zeier vs. Southern Miss, 1993 (30 of 47; SEC Record)
  2. 485 – Eric Zeier vs. South Carolina, 1994 (31 of 51)
  3. 459 – Carson Beck vs. Mississippi State, 2024 (36 of 48)
  4. 441 – Eric Zeier vs. Vanderbilt, 1994 (23 of 54)
  5. 439 – Carson Beck at Alabama, 2024 (27 for 50)
  6. 427 – Aaron Murray vs. Nebraska, 2013 (18 of 33)
    427 – Aaron Murray vs. Kentucky, 2012 (30 of 38)
  7. 426 – Eric Zeier vs. Auburn, 1993 (34 of 53)
  8. 425 – Eric Zeier vs. Kentucky, 1993 (31 of 47)
  9. 420 – Eric Zeier vs. Kentucky, 1994 (36 of 51)
  10. 415 – Mike Bobo vs. Ga. Tech, 1997 (30 of 39)
    415 – Aaron Murray vs. Auburn, 2013 (33 of 49)
  11. 413 – Cory Phillips vs. Ga. Tech, 2000 (36 of 62)
  12. 408 – Aaron Murray vs. North Texas, 2013 (22 of 30)
  13. 407 – Larry Rakestraw vs. Miami, 1963 (25 of 38)
    407 – Matthew Stafford vs. Ga. Tech, 2008 (24 of 39)
  14. 401 – JT Daniels vs. Miss. State, 2020 (28 of 48)

 

Georgia Bulldogs win offensive battle vs. Mississippi State 41-31

Georgia football wins an offensive shootout against Mississippi State in a game that was way closer than predicted.

The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 41-31 in Sanford Stadium on Oct. 12. Georgia wasn’t close to covering versus Mississippi State.

Both teams put up a show offensively and this was a game of fireworks, but in the end Georgia prevailed. UGA still has only one regular season loss dating all the way back to 2020 and has not lost at home since 2019.

Most of the big plays in this shootout came from the quarterbacks. Mississippi State freshman backup quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. played valiantly, completing 20 of his 37 passes for 306 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, including some gorgeous dimes along the way.

However, he was out dueled by Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, who completed 36 out of 48 pass attempts for an insane 459 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions for a 167.6 passer rating. This is a new passing yardage record for Carson Beck, and currently ranks third on Georgia’s the all-time list.

The big difference was that the running game was better for Georgia as well. their backs totaled 146 yards on 29 carries, although much of Georgia’s rushing stats came off of an awesome Anthony Evans III jet sweep that went 52 yards. Meanwhile, the Georgia front seven terrorized Mississippi State’s backs all game long, only allowing 79 rushing yards on 26 carries, a putrid 3.0 yards per attempt.

Overall, the Bulldogs had a comfortable 27-10 lead heading into the second half and never had less than a double digit lead afterward, but they could’ve won by even more points at the end. Peyton Woodring missed a 54-yard field goal to end the second half, and Carson Beck had a brutal red-zone interception late in the third.

The Georgia pass defense was concerning. Outside of a KJ Bolden interception and some early success, the secondary wasn’t able to contain Mississippi State’s passing attack. Georgia’s defense also committed several penalties on third downs to extend Mississippi State drives.

“I thought both teams in warm ups were lethargic and going through the motions and it wasn’t the energy it usually is,” Smart said, “Then when we came out in the game, and I thought we started fast and did some good things.”

Carson Beck was the best player on the field, but the Georgia defense being torched by a 33.5-point underdog is a point of major concern and could potentially cause Georgia to drop in the rankings.

Georgia heads to Austin to play the No. 1 Texas Longhorns next week at 7:30 p.m. ET.  They’ll need to be more consistent on both sides of the ball going against the top team in the country.

Four reasons why Mississippi State will cover vs Georgia

Some reasons why Mississippi State, 33.5 point underdogs, will cover against Georgia football

The Mississippi State Bulldogs head into Sanford Stadium with only a 4.8% chance of winning their matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs, according to ESPN.  The current spread has Mississippi State at +33.5, meaning they would have to keep the game within 33 points to cover.

Several media outlets believe the Mississippi State Bulldogs stand no chance, but we see some distinct areas that Mississippi State has an advantage over Georgia. With that, here are four reasons why Mississippi State can cover against UGA.

Playing Down to Competition

This may sound like a stretch at first, with Georgia boasting an elite 44-1 record in their last 45 regular season games, but Georgia has sometimes been more lucky than good. It was evident in the game against Kentucky in Week 3, and there have been several instances of Georgia not covering.

Ever since 2021 (the year they won the national championship), they’ve only covered 35% of their games as home favorites, according to Team Rankings, and while they have a margin of victory of 31.2 in those games, that’s still lower than 33.5 points. Meanwhile, Mississippi State has covered 54.5% of the time as away underdogs. Even their cover record against ranked opponents is solid, covering 46% of the time against ranked opponents since 2021.

Miss. State’s Rushing Offense is Superior

Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

This may sound crazy with how Georgia’s rushing attack dominated Auburn 31-13 in their last matchup, but Mississippi State’s run game, led by Davon Booth, has been superior to Georgia’s this year. They pick up 136.67 yards per game, which ranks them 91st, but Georgia’s running offense only picks up 131.60, ranking them 95th.

So far, that hasn’t added up to a longer time of possession, as Georgia (81st, 29:35) is ahead of Mississippi State (120th, 26:23) in that category. A strong running game has the biggest impact on time of possession, so even if game script requires Mississippi State to pass, then they could still successfully prevent the score from being as lopsided as the huge 33.5 point spread suggests if they execute on their rushing attack better than Georgia’s.

Third Down Offense in favor of Mississippi State

Another way to bring down time of possession is with converting third downs. The more third downs a team converts, even if it’s just by the bare minimum, the more they can hold onto the ball. According to CFBStats, Mississippi State has a 45.83% third down conversion rate, ranked 35th, while Georgia only has a 37.70% conversion rate, 89th.

[lawrence-auto-related count=2]

If Mississippi State’s running game is going strong, then they won’t need to convert too many third and longs. Even if they kick field goals in the red zone, that would still keep them closer to covering against UGA.

Georgia takes too many penalties

Penalties can either kill a drive on offense or resurrect an opponents drive on defense, and this is a weak spot Mississippi State can pounce upon. Mississippi State racks up about 6.8 penalties a game and 59.8 penalty yards a game. Neither of those are above the 80th ranking on the list, but they’re superior compared to Georgia.

[lawrence-related id=106017]

Georgia racks up 7.6 penalties a game and 75 yards of penalties a game. Ironically enough, their most disciplined night came against Auburn, when they only racked up 50 yards on six penalties. The yellow flags have been a big concern for Georgia the whole year, and that could be advantageous for Mississippi State in either forcing Georgia to punt early or allowing Mississippi State to keep the ball longer.

TV, commentators set for Georgia vs Mississippi State game

Georgia football will host Mississippi State after playing Auburn and before the Texas game. Mississippi State could be a trap game for UGA

The Georgia Bulldogs host the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 4:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 12. The Georgia-Mississippi State game will be televised on SEC Network.

The television commentators for the SEC game are Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), former Georgia offensive lineman Matt Stinchcomb (analyst) and Alyssa Lang (sideline).

Georgia football is 4-1 and is the No. 4 team in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Mississippi State is 1-4 and is unranked after a rough start to the season.

Georgia is coming off a strong 31-13 home win over the Auburn Tigers. Georgia has not lost at home since the 2019 season.

Mississippi State had a bye week last week and lost 35-13 in their most recent game at Texas. Mississippi State represents a trap game for Georgia. Mississippi State is well rested and is a heavy underdog. but is second to last in the SEC standings and has not showed much promise this season. Georgia could be caught looking ahead to their Oct. 19 game at Texas.

“You win these games at home, and maybe you take it for granted if you win so many games at home. But I know this, it’s hard,” said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart ahead of the Georgia versus Mississippi State game.

[lawrence-auto-related count=2]

Kirby Smart is 3-0 in his UGA career against Mississippi State. In 2022, Georgia won the most recent meeting between the two SEC foes with UGA picking up a 45-19 road win over Mississippi State. Georgia defeated Mississippi State 31-24 in Athens in 2020.

TV, kickoff time set for Georgia vs. Mississippi State game

Georgia football will host Mississippi State after playing Auburn and before the Texas game. Mississippi State could be a trap game for UGA

The Mississippi State at Georgia Bulldogs game will be televised on SEC Network. Georgia football is 3-1 through Week 5 and is the No. 5 team in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Mississippi State is 1-4 and is unranked.

The Georgia-Mississippi State game will kick off at 4:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 12. Georgia will be hosting its second consecutive home game after Georgia hosts Auburn on Oct. 5.

Mississippi State has a bye in Week 6. The Bulldogs are coming off a 35-13 loss at Texas.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is 3-0 against Mississippi State. Georgia most recently defeated Mississippi State 45-19 in Starkville, Mississippi, back in 2022. Georgia also defeated Mississippi State 31-24 in Athens in 2020.

Georgia’s game against Mississippi State is a trap game for UGA. Mississippi State will be well rested and has an extra week to prepare for Georgia. UGA plays Texas the week after Mississippi State, so Georgia could get caught looking ahead to its next game.

ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Georgia an 95.6% chance to beat Mississippi State.

Twitter buzzing for Georgia-Mississippi State

The stage is set at Mississippi State. What jersey combination is Georgia wearing? How is the weather in Starkville?

The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs face a road test from Mike Leach and Mississippi State. The weather is expected to be cold in Starkville, Mississippi.

Georgia’s run game should travel well. Will the weather impact Mississippi State’s passing offense? The Mississippi Bulldogs have the most passing yards in the SEC.

Georgia football Twitter is fired up as the undefeated Dawgs play at Mississippi State. What jerseys is Georgia wearing? How well did Georgia fans travel?