COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The 2 most essential traits that Georgia coach Kirby Sensible seeks in his workforce are composure and resiliency, and the top-ranked Bulldogs wanted to depend on each to rally previous Missouri on Saturday night time.

Or, as Sensible put it: “We needed to OD on these.”

Saved out of the tip zone till the fourth quarter and dealing with a 10-point deficit, the Bulldogs acquired their run sport going simply in time to keep away from the upset. Kendall Milton completed off one lengthy drive with a landing, then Daijun Edwards acquired into the tip zone with simply over 4 minutes to go, lifting the Bulldogs to a 26-22 victory.

“They performed actually bodily and actually onerous and whipped us up entrance, however I’m actually happy with us,” Sensible stated. “We at all times speak about rising to the aggressive nature of the chance and we did that tonight.”

The Bulldogs (5-0, 2-0 SEC) trailed nearly your complete method earlier than lastly fixing the red-zone woes that compelled Jack Podlesny into kicking 4 subject targets. Quarterback Stetson Bennett additionally struggled all night time towards the blitzing Missouri protection, however the chief of the defending nationwide champions nonetheless wound up with 312 yards passing and no interceptions.

“It felt like an SEC sport within the fourth quarter that we needed to win,” Bennett stated afterward. “They’ve pleasure too. They count on to win too. And so they performed onerous, too.”

Brady Cook dinner had 192 yards passing and a landing for the Tigers (2-3, 0-2), who’ve by no means overwhelmed a top-ranked workforce in 17 tries. However in addition they struggled to succeed in the tip zone towards one of many nation’s finest defenses, forcing Harrison Mevis into kicking 5 subject targets one week after he missed a possible game-winner in an additional time loss at Auburn.

“We have been self-inflicted wounds away from successful that sport,” Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz stated.

Georgia riled up the Tigers lengthy earlier than kickoff when a number of of them walked by their pregame drills, and Bulldogs defensive deal with Jalen Carter and Missouri’s Darius Robinson needed to be bodily separated.

The Tigers carried their angst proper into the sport. Their rebuilt protection behind coordinator Blake Baker compelled an early fumble and bunch of punts, and Missouri capitalized on the nice subject place. Mevis made the primary of his subject targets to place the Bulldogs of their first gap of the season.

They wound up spending the remainder of the night time digging out of it.

Benefiting from breakdowns by Georgia’s top-ranked scoring protection, Cook dinner discovered Dominic Lovett for a 36-yard achieve, then acquired 6-foot-6 tight finish Tyler Stephens to make a slick one-handed seize for a walk-in landing and 10-0 lead.

After one other fumble by the Bulldogs, Mevis added a 49-yarder to increase the Tigers’ benefit.

“We knew we have been going to get the whole lot they’d,” Georgia middle Sedrick Van Pran stated.

The Bulldogs lastly acquired on the rating board on Podlesny’s 40-yard subject objective, solely to look at Division II switch Cody Schrader rip off a 63-yard run on the Tigers’ subsequent possession. He was lastly tackled on the objective line, and the Bulldogs made a much-needed stand, however Mevis nonetheless added a chip-shot subject objective to revive the 16-3 lead.

Even when the Bulldogs efficiently faked a subject objective late within the first half solely to accept one anyway, then needed to kick one other after a 16-play drive that took up half the third quarter.

The groups traded subject targets once more to make it 19-12 heading into the fourth quarter, and Mevis added a 54-yarder to increase the result in 22-12 with 14 minutes to go.

Bennett started discovering holes within the Missouri protection, main Georgia on a 75-yard drive that Milton completed with a 1-yard run. After the Tigers have been compelled to punt — thanks partly to a private foul penalty on proper guard Mitchell Walters — the Bulldogs swiftly moved 68 yards for the go-ahead landing.

“This workforce bonded tonight,” Sensible stated. “Don’t get me incorrect: We’ve an extended solution to go. However the resiliency that they confirmed tonight made me proud.”

FILLING IN

Tykee Smith began on the STAR place within the Georgia protection after starter Javon Bullard was arrested early Sunday and charged with seven misdemeanors, together with driving drunk. Bullard didn’t make the journey.

HALL OF FAMER

Missouri honored former coach Gary Pinkel, who shall be inducted into the Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame in December. He is also being inducted into the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Corridor of Fame.

THE TAKEAWAY

Georgia had three turnovers, quite a few drops and loads of penalties in a lackluster win over Kent State final week. The Bulldogs needed to overcome lots of the identical miscues towards the Tigers, together with a pair of misplaced fumbles early within the sport.

Missouri did the whole lot proper for greater than three quarters Saturday night time. However penalties at essential moments ruined a pair of drives, and a protection that had triggered Georgia suits your complete method lastly confirmed cracks when it mattered probably the most.

UP NEXT

Georgia: The Bulldogs return residence to face Auburn subsequent Saturday.

Missouri: The Tigers go to Florida subsequent Saturday.

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