(Photo Credit: USA Today Sports)
A 34-0 rout by the 13th ranked Georgia Bulldogs was hardly what the Missouri Tigers had on the day’s agenda. With Todd Gurley indefinitely suspended for a violation of NCAA rules, it looked like Missouri might have a chance of taking down the SEC East’s hottest team.
Insert Nick Chubb, true freshman and back-up running back.
Chubb and the Georgia offensive line hammered the Tiger defense drive after drive putting up 379 total yards, 210 of which were on the ground. The Missouri offenses inability to get anything going on the day didn’t help the situation either. The offense turned the ball over five times as Tiger quarterback Maty Mauk threw four picks and had a lost fumble.
Following a Missouri three-and-out the Bulldogs put the games first points on the board with a 47-yard field goal from Marshall Morgan. The Tigers second drive ended quickly as Mauk overshot his receiver and was picked off by Georgia’s Quincy Mauger. Georgia was able to add another field goal following the turnover giving the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead at the end of the first.
At the start of the second quarter Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason capitalized on two third down conversions, which set up the Bulldogs in Missouri territory. Mason then fooled everyone as he faked the handoff and jogged into the end zone untouched to put the Bulldogs up by two scores 13-0. The Tigers failed to get anything going on their next drive as the Georgia defense forced a quick three-and-out. With a tired Missouri defense on the field Mason took advantage once more as he connected with Michael Bennett for a nine-yard touchdown completion. At the end of the half the Bulldogs held a 20-0 advantage.
In the second half the Missouri offense started to show signs of life, but its two first drives were wiped out by interceptions. When you make as many turnovers as the Tigers did, it’s hard to win games. As a completely deflated crowd started heading for the exits the Bulldogs poured on to their lead with a 15-yard run from Brendan Douglas to make the score 27-0. Chubb added a touchdown in the fourth to finish off the Tigers 34-0.
Much like the last time these two teams met at Faurot Field two years ago, it was all Georgia all day. Whether or not the Tigers could stop the run was going to be the big question for the day. Even with Gurley out Georgia’s back-ups stepped up big and got the job done. Chubb ran for 143 yards and a touchdown, while Douglas added 65 yards and a touchdown.
Credit the Tiger defense for working their tails off (no pun intended) to try and keep their team in the game. Credit also the Georgia defense for shutting down an electric Maty Mauk and a hot Missouri offense.
However, that’s the third game in a row that the Tiger offense has looked out of sorts. I don’t know if it’s the injuries to the wide receivers and the offensive line that has this team out of sorts, but they need to fix it. The offensive line has to protect the quarterback better, the wide receivers have to get open better, and Mauk has to be more disciplined about throwing the ball into coverage. It takes offense and defense to win a football game and right now the Tigers look like they’re missing that explosive offense we saw at the beginning of the season.
The Tigers are next in action next Saturday, Oct. 18 at Florida.
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