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.