No. 23 Rebels find their rhythm, beat No. 12 Georgia 45-14

The Bulldogs will host the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers, who play the Florida Gators Saturday. Senior tight end Evan Engram grabbed team-high six receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown.

(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis).

Georgia’s rookie coach is dealing with his first defeat, a blowout at the hands of MS, and things don’t get any easier this week when No. 11 Tennessee visits Sanford Stadium for a Southeastern Conference game that has become a virtual must-win if the Bulldogs want to be a serious contender in the East Division. Eason didn’t get any help, as the Georgia receivers tallied five drops in the first half, and Ole Miss dominated the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Thus, the game turned into a much-needed walk in the park for Ole Miss. Ole Miss simply has too much talent for Georgia to overcome when it gets too far behind. Ole Miss never gave away its lead, which it’s been prone to do this season, and Kirby Smart’s team never stood a chance.

Like he does every week, Tigers coach Mike Norvell met with members of the media this afternoon to talk about that game, and look back at the team’s 77-3 win over Bowling Green over the weekend.

Georgia’s most immediate concern is the health of star running back Nick Chubb, who sustained a sprained left ankle in the first half and didn’t return.

It was an impressive win for the Rebels, who have played some of their worst football this season after gaining big leads.

After settling for a field goal on their first offensive drive, Derrick Jones picked off Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason and ran it back 52 yards for Ole Miss’ first touchdown. It is the first time the defense gave up more than 500 yards since last season against Tennessee.

Brian Herrien led the Bulldogs with 78 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He completed 15 passes on 33 attempts for 132 yards and zero touchdowns.

“He’s a freshman guys”, Smart said. “We’ve just got to take the good, bad and ugly and just prepare better during the week”. “They will have to grow up”. He rushed for 57 yards on 12 carries.

In the postgame locker room, junior outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter said Smart also had a positive message for the team moving forward this season.

While there are a few encouraging signs for the future, Georgia, on the whole, looked pitiful against the Rebels.

This game showed a lot about Georgia and brought to light their primary problem. However, Kelly returned and the Rebels’ offense hasn’t missed a beat. “We anticipate them being back and ready to play”. Ole Miss, meanwhile, scored 17 points in its first four drives to put the Bulldogs in a significant hole.

Ole Miss, meanwhile, made a statement that it shouldn’t be completely counted out, even if the loss to Alabama makes it unlikely that it can win the division.

The Bulldogs arrived in town with a 3-0 record and an opportunity to establish themselves as the top contender in the SEC East, with Ole Miss merely trying to keep its head afloat.