Jaxson Dart threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Antwane Wells Jr. in the third quarter, and No. 16 Mississippi shut down No. 2 Georgia for a 28-10 victory on Saturday.
Caden Davis kicked five field goals as Mississippi (8-2, 4-2 SEC, No. 16 CFP) earned its third consecutive win. Ulysses Bentley had a 9-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
“We’ve really played well over the past two games,” Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin said. “We dominated Arkansas and a three-score win over Georgia. I’m really proud of how our team is responding.”
A rain-soaked Ole Miss student section stormed the field with 16 seconds left, leading to a delay. The scene was repeated after Dart’s kneeldown closed it out.
“Absolutely we’re peaking and I think everybody sees that,” Dart said. “I’m just so proud of our guys and our coaching staff right now.”
Georgia (7-2, 5-2, No. 3 CFP) scored on a 2-yard run by Nate Frazier early in the first quarter. But Mississippi quickly grabbed control from there.
After the opening series, Ole Miss recorded five sacks and nine tackles for loss, forced four fumbles and intercepted a Carson Beck pass. Jared Ivey and Princely Umanimielen had two sacks apiece and linebackers TJ Dottery and Chris Paul combined for 19 tackles.
“We stopped the run and then we had some fun,” Ivey said. “After we were able to stop the run, we were able to get after the quarterback. Great job.”
Bentley’s TD run tied it at 7, and Davis connected from 23, 43 and 53 yards to make it 16-7 at the break.
After Peyton Woodring kicked a 23-yard field goal for Georgia, Dart finished an eight-play, 75-yard drive when he found Wells for the TD.
Dart was 13-of-22 passing for 199 yards with an interception. He also rushed for 50 yards as the Rebels finished with 397 total yards.
Davis converted field goals of 24 and 32 yards in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Georgia lost for the second time in a regular season since 2020. The Bulldogs are 1-2 against ranked teams on the road after defeating Texas 30-15 in October.
“I told my team during the week I thought they were the most talented team we’d played,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “They really should be undefeated. I know people think that’s not true but they outplayed us tonight, outcoached us and did a great job.”
Beck was 20-of-31 passing for 186 yards. Georgia was limited to 245 yards of total offense.
“I thought Carson played good. We put a lot on him. He’s playing on the road with crowd noise, but he stood in the pocket, made some nice plays,” Smart said. “I’m not here to be critical of him.”
The takeaway
Georgia: Unlike the road win over Texas in September, the Bulldogs were unable to survive against an inspired home opponent, propped up by a record-setting crowd of 68,125. Beck was solid statistically but was unable to threaten the Rebels downfield. Georgia had only two offensive plays of more than 20 yards. Punter Brett Thorson was a bright spot with a punt that ended inside the Ole Miss 1-yard line.
Mississippi: Kiffin’s signature win could have far-reaching implications. The surging Rebels will get a boost in the AP Top 25 poll and serious consideration for a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Key series
Trailing 7-0, Ole Miss reserve quarterback Austin Simmons, playing the game’s second offensive series while Dart received treatment for an ankle injury, directed a touchdown drive of 75 yards in 10 plays.
Simmons was 5 of 6 for 64 yards and converted on third and fourth down.
“Austin was great, but I’m not surprised,” Kiffin said of the freshman QB. “It’s pretty exciting to think about him coming back.”
Up next
Georgia hosts No. 7 Tennessee next Saturday.
Mississippi is at Florida on Nov. 23.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
