Gunner Stockton and No. 2 Georgia pound No. 12 Mississippi 42-7 to make case for top ranking

Gunner Stockton passed for four touchdowns and ran for another Saturday night as No. 2 Georgia coasted to a 42-7 win over No. 12 Mississippi.

Georgia (8-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 2 CFP) dominated the opening 22 minutes with touchdown drives of 72, 96, 61 and 50 yards while Ole Miss crossed midfield once.

Stockton finished 9 of 15 passing for 186 yards, directing the Bulldogs to a 28-0 halftime lead. Georgia finished with 482 yards of offense, 298 in the first half.

The Bulldogs' impressive all-around performance could elevate them into the top spot in the AP Top 25 after No. 1 Miami lost at No. 4 Notre Dame.

“A total team effort. I thought we embraced the challenge right from the start,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We talked about being the hunter and being aggressive and I thought we did that.”

Talyn Taylor had touchdown receptions of 3, 6 and 65 yards, while Ethan Barbour had a 58-yard TD catch. Taylor finished with 140 yards on four receptions.

Craig Dandridge Jr. had a 4-yard touchdown run and Stockton rushed for a 15-yard score. The Bulldogs rushed for 295 yards, led by Nate Frazier with 107 yards on 16 carries.

Ole Miss (6-3, 4-3, No. 10 CFP) had its 16-game home winning streak snapped as Smart won in Oxford for the first time in three tries.

“That was a big-time win over a big-time team in a big-time environment,” Smart said. “We get to embrace it for 24 hours, then work to repeat it.”

The Rebels' Trinidad Chambliss went 18 of 34 passing for 170 yards but was sacked five times and threw an interception. Shekai Mills-Knight scored on an 8-yard run for the Rebels, who were held to 252 yards of offense.

“It was surprising how poorly we started, it’s embarrassing,” Chambliss said. “We have to have a short memory about this.”

It was a stark contrast to the teams' two meetings last season, when Georgia won 43-35 at home and Ole Miss beat the Bulldogs 39-34 in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl.

“Georgia is a really good team but I did not see that butt-whipping coming,” Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said. “It was obvious that we (coaches) did not have the team ready to play.”

The takeaway

Georgia: The Bulldogs enhanced their CFP resume and strengthened their position at the top of the SEC standings. Linebacker Chris Cole led a dominant defensive performance with nine tackles, two quarterback hurries, 1 1/2 sacks and 1 1/2 tackles for loss.

Ole Miss: Despite a 3-3 record against ranked opponents, the Rebels remain in a logjam of SEC teams with similar two or three-loss resumes.

Poll implications

Georgia will be a contender for the top spot in the AP poll and the CFP rankings, along with Notre Dame and unbeaten Utah.

“It means we are in the hunt for whatever,” safety KJ Bolden said. “This win means a lot.”

Ole Miss, meanwhile, must hope its third loss won't eliminate it from CFP consideration.

Up next

Georgia: Hosts No. 19 Missouri next Saturday.

Ole Miss: Visit Oklahoma next Saturday.

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