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Olivia Sayer
Georgia quarterback JT Daniels (18) during a game against Mississippi State on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. (Photo by Tony Walsh)
Georgia and Mississippi State do not often meet on a gridiron, but when they do, the Georgia Bulldogs frequently come away victorious. Georgia leads the all-time series 20-6 with a 12-2 record at home. In the Kirby Smart era, the Bulldogs are 3-0 against Mississippi State, with a different quarterback under center for each matchup. Here is a flashback of all the meetings in the Smart era.
On the road, 2022: Georgia wins 45-19
The 2022 matchup is the forgotten child of the Georgia-Mississippi State games in the Smart era, but it was an important one with Georgia clinching the SEC East.
Bennett finished with three passing touchdowns and a rushing one as the Georgia offense continued to roll. Although his performance was near-perfect, it was a post game conversation with former Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach that stood out to Bennett — and almost made him late to the postgame meeting.
“I always thought he was the coolest guy in the world,” Bennett said on the Real Talk Podcast about the since departed Leach. “So I ran up after him, and he talked to me for like 10 minutes, just about nothing. And I was like ‘Coach, you’ve got to go talk to your team, and I’ve got to leave. I’ve got to go the locker room.’”
A new hope, 2020: Georgia wins 31-24
Although Sanford Stadium was only around 20% capacity for the 2020 matchup, it got loud when JT Daniels was announced as the starting quarterback.
Georgia was scuffling heading into the game with two regular season losses for the first time since 2016. The Bulldogs also had inconsistency under center after starting D’Wan Mathis and Stetson Bennett for the first six games. Fans clamored for a change at quarterback, and against Mississippi State, Daniels did not disappoint.
With 401 yards passing and four touchdowns, Daniels became the first Georgia quarterback to throw for at least 400 yards since Aaron Murray did so in 2013. The Bulldogs did not dink-and-dunk either, as Daniels threw the ball into tight windows down the field.
His go-to receiver Jermaine Burton finished with 197 yards and a touchdown, while George Pickens recorded 87 yards and a score. The performance gave Georgia fans a new hope, as the Bulldogs earned a 31-24 victory in their black uniforms at Sanford Stadium.
A true threat, 2017: Georgia wins 31-3
The 2017 matchup, which marked the first time both teams were ranked, showed to college football that Georgia was a real contender. After an injury to quarterback Jacob Eason in the season opener, Jake Fromm and the Bulldogs’ potent rushing attack of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel led Georgia to its third-consecutive 3-0 start.
The Bulldogs were coming off of wins against Appalachian State, at Notre Dame in South Bend and against Samford in Athens but were facing a hot Mississippi State team led by Dan Mullen.
Mississippi State was coming off a massive win against No. 12 LSU and also entered the game undefeated. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald appeared to provide a legitimate threat, as Mississippi State led the SEC with 47.7 points and 493 yards per game.
Due to its offense, many within college football projected Mississippi State to win the battle. However, Georgia quickly silenced the noise on its first offensive play. Fromm handed the ball to Chubb, who quickly tossed it back for a flea flicker. The true freshman quarterback then hurled the ball down the field to an open Terry Godwin for a 59-yard touchdown.
“And guess which Dogs are barking first,” Joe Tessitore, sportscaster, exclaimed on the broadcast, as pandemonium ensued throughout Sanford Stadium.
Georgia rolled to a 31-3 victory, as the defense proved to be one of the best in the country. The Bulldogs’ offense, specifically its running game, scored over 30 points against Mississippi State for the first time since 1997, showcasing why many within the Georgia locker room believed it would be a special season.