Georgia
What would it take for Missouri football to stun Georgia in 2026?
What’s it going to take to stop those Dawgs from barking?
It’s been a while since Missouri football beat Georgia. When the Tigers go on the road for a Nov. 14 matchup against the Bulldogs in Athens, Georgia, this upcoming season, it will have been 13 years since a James Franklin-led Mizzou team went and beat that mean machine in the red and black.
Missouri has played Georgia as well as just about anyone in college football in recent years.
The Tigers had the ball at midfield in the fourth quarter down six points in their last trip to Sanford Stadium in 2023. Mizzou had a stunning 10-point fourth-quarter lead on Faurot Field against No. 1 Georgia in 2022.
Major opportunities, both that came and went.
Is this the year Eli Drinkwitz’s crew can get across the line?
The Tribune is analyzing the offseason of each of Mizzou’s 2026 opponents to get you up to speed with the new rosters and coaches after a busy offseason.
Here’s what to know about Georgia this season, including key additions, coaching changes, and playmakers to keep an eye on when the Tigers face the Bulldogs:
Who are opposing names to know when Missouri football faces Georgia?
Quarterback: Gunner Stockton will be a second-year starter for the Bulldogs after an efficient first year on the job. He threw for 206.7 yards per game, 24 touchdowns, and five interceptions on a 70.0% completion rate last year. UGA’s offense wasn’t exactly explosive, but Stockton’s obvious upside is a high degree of accuracy and ability to avoid trouble.
Offensive playmaker: Running back Nate Frazier rushed for 947 yards on 5.5 yards per carry last season in Athens, and Georgia’s No. 2 running back, Chauncey Bowens, added 526 yards on 5.1 yards per carry. They’re both back for the 2026 season, and the Bulldogs have added Kentucky transfer Dante Dowdell to join the room that should be the primary strength of UGA’s offense.
Defensive playmaker: Try and contain your shock: This should be another excellent Georgia defense. We’ll take cornerback Ellis Robinson IV, who picked off four passes and defended 11 more last season, as the next defensive back who could really shine under head coach Kirby Smart.
What did the offseason look like for Georgia?
Key additions: Isiah Canion (WR, Georgia Tech); Dowdell (RB, Kentucky); Khalil Barnes (S, Clemson); Braylon Conley (CB, USC); Amaris Williams (DE, Auburn); Zykie Helton (OG, high school); Valdin Stone (DT, high school); Tyriq Green (S, high school)
Notable losses: Monroe Freeling (OT, NFL Draft); Christen Miller (DT, NFL Draft); CJ Allen (LB, NFL Draft); Oscar Delp (TE, NFL Draft); Zachariah Branch (WR, NFL Draft); Daylen Everette (CB, NFL Draft); Brett Thorson (P, NFL UDFA); Dillon Bell (WR, NFL UDFA); Dominick Kelly (CB, Ohio State); Joenel Aguero (S, Ole Miss)
New coaches: N/A
Georgia, again, has relied on returners and development over the transfer portal to replenish what was another big draft class out of Athens. Smart and his staff signed nine players out of the portal, which is comfortably the smallest transfer class in the SEC.
The most significant addition, Canion, joins a pass-catching game that was largely disappointing last season. He averaged 14.5 yards per catch at Georgia Tech last year and looks like he’ll be a key part of the Bulldogs’ offense.
Losing a first-round offensive tackle in Freeling and a second-round defensive tackle in Miller isn’t ideal for most teams, but if any team has proven it can replenish year over year in the trenches, it’s Georgia.
Maybe Georgia’s most notable coaching change was Will Muschamp, who had worked with the Bulldogs’ defense before accepting the defensive coordinator position at Texas this offseason.
Early forecast for Mizzou at Georgia
It’s going to take something special for Missouri to end its 10-game losing streak against Georgia.
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but the Bulldogs don’t have many clear-and-obvious deficiencies this year.
Sure, the passing game last season wasn’t spectacular, but how much of an issue can you really call that when Georgia won another SEC title? Stockton just doesn’t make backbreaking mistakes, and that’s a useful trait when the team is strong in every other department.
It’s quite surprising that UGA defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann hasn’t landed a head coaching opportunity yet, and it looks like he’ll have another top-tier defense in 2026.
The schedule-makers have done Mizzou no favors here, either. The Tigers host Texas, another SEC contender, a week before going to Athens. That’s not the back-to-back you want to see in the last stretch of the regular season.
Maybe we see a Missouri miracle. The Tigers have come painfully close in their last two matchups against Smart’s team. More than likely, this is a spot to expect a loss.
Georgia Tech LB Kyle Efford was in Charlotte today representing the Yellow Jackets and talked to the media on Thursday at ACC Media Days. Here is what he had to say.
On being more of a vocal leader…
“Oh, man, it’s changed a lot. I’m at that point now where I’m in my redshirt senior year, man, my fifth year. I have no other option but to be a vocal leader and to lead my team by example, but also, if I need to speak up, I’ll speak up.”
On benefiting from Jason Semore as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach…
“Yes, sir. So Coach Semore is not only the best coordinator in the country, but he’s the best linebackers coach in the country. And his defense is made for linebackers to run the show, be the quarterbacks, get us in and out of defenses. And that’s what I’m willing to go for the defense, for the best of the team.
Coach Semore, he definitely has enigmatic defenses. His major thing is offenses are not the same from the 1990s. Why are the defenses the same? That’s his major point. I can see how it’s going to be great.”
On the consistency of his game…
“Man, just effort to the football. It ain’t nothing but seeing the ball and running the ball every single play.I mean, it’s one thing when you know what you’re doing, but it’s another thing when you empty the tank on every single play. And that’s all I’ve been doing, and the results show.”
On how to improve the run defense…
“Oh, man, across the board, from the first level, second level, third level. There’s always places to develop. I mean, I feel like from our big guys getting vertical, cutting the ball off, to taking double-teams, to the backers, you know, filling gaps, going sideline to sideline all the way to the back and communicating and getting down. There’s room for development everywhere. There’s not one specific area. But I feel like we need to develop across the board.”
On how his brother playing soccer allows him to think differently…
“Yeah, I mean, my brother taught me what it takes to be a pro. I mean, growing up from as far as I can remember, he showed me my work ethic. I was probably in second, third grade, and he was getting me up 5:00 in the morning to go outside and work out with him.I mean, he and my father essentially made me who I am, showed me what it takes to play at a high level.”
On rivalry vs Georgia…
“We Georgia Tech men, it doesn’t matter to us. Bobby Dodd, in between the hedges, Piedmont Park. It don’t matter. We’re a group of guys wired like that. We don’t like to (indiscernible) on the road. We want to get them boys, and I’m sure we will.”
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CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. — Animal shelters in Northwest Georgia are running out of space, with Catoosa and Walker County unable to take in more animals as the number of strays rises during the summer months.
Catoosa County officials say the county’s animal shelter is maxed out and can no longer accept animals.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
The shelter has room for 80 pets but is currently over capacity, limiting how much it can help when large animal rescues happen in nearby areas.
“I can’t speak for everybody, but I can say that working in animal care, summertime is definitely one of the worst times for us and for the animals more,” Abby Lynch, the community outreach and kennel officer for the Catoosa County Animal Shelter says.
Catoosa County officials say summer is when dogs and cats breed because the weather is nice, leading to more strays than usual.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
The Walker County Animal Shelter is also dealing with capacity issues.
The shelter says it has brought in 73 animals since the beginning of July.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
“In that same time, we have done 28 adoptions, which 28 adoptions in two weeks sounds great. But when you’re doing the math of 73 animals in and 28 animals going out, not super great,” says Melissa Smith, director of the Walker County Animal Shelter.
Catoosa County has helped neighboring counties during past crises.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
“We’ve assisted Dade County in the past with similar situations, and that’s when really rescues and shelters help each other,” says Dylan McColollum, director of Catoosa County Animal Control.
Dade County only got an animal shelter this year.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
In Georgia, only 61 out of 159 counties have animal shelters, making it more important for shelters to have enough capacity to help their own communities and assist neighboring counties when needed.
“We’re just grateful that we have our own shelter and can take care of our our county and its needs, and we’re happy to assist if other counties need our assistance,” McColollum says.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
Adoptions at the Catoosa County Animal Shelter are currently free because of donors. See available animals here.
They were designed to hold a drink, but cups produced in Rome, Georgia, have become one of the FIFA Men’s World Cup’s most unexpected souvenirs.
Inside the Top Cup plant in Rome, millions of cups were created to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event.
“We made 10 million over 70 different graphics for the World Cup,” said Rome native and Top Cup General Manager Zach Dixon.
The plant in north Georgia produces up to 750,000 cups a day.
“We’ve always been really proud of the cup … but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Top Cup CEO David Cuthbert.
Fans have been taking them home from matches. Some have even been listed for sale online.
“We’ve always been really proud of the cup… but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Cuthbert.
Dixon said they begin the process with massive coils of aluminum, each weighing about 30,000 pounds. The metal is stamped, stretched, washed, and moved down the line.
The plant produces about 1,100 cups every minute.
Ricardo Marques, the senior vice president of marketing for Michelob ULTRA, said that there have been venue-specific, match-specific, and Finals-specific stadium cups for the World Cup. There are also three separate red, white, and blue designs available for fans at bars and restaurants around the U.S.
“We’ve seen an incredible response to the collection. Together, these commemorative cups give fans a unique keepsake and a lasting reminder of an unforgettable FIFA World Cup experience and the moments that brought millions of people together through the world’s game,” Marques said.
Cuthbert said his company has seen how the World Cup has done wonders for metro Atlanta businesses.
“Our team in Rome, Georgia takes tremendous pride in helping bring this fan experience to life for one of the world’s biggest sporting events,” he said.
So when soccer fans celebrate the surprise victory or mourn their last-minute loss, they’re doing so with a little piece of Georgia.
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