GAME RECAP: Talyn Taylor Scores Three Times as No. 2 Georgia Routs No. 10 Ole Miss 42–7 at Vaught-Hemingway

OXFORD, Miss. — This one was supposed to be a top-10 showdown. Georgia made it a blowout.

No. 2 Georgia rolled past No. 10 Ole Miss 42–7 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday night, building a 35–0 lead before the Rebels got on the board. Talyn Taylor caught three of Gunner Stockton’s four touchdown passes, and the Bulldogs improved to 8–1 (6–1 SEC). Ole Miss fell to 6–3 (4–3 SEC).

Georgia set the tone right away. A seven-play, 72-yard opening drive ended with Craig Dandridge punching in a 4-yard touchdown run at 10:16 of the first quarter. Peyton Woodring’s extra point made it 7–0.

Then came the first big strike. Georgia went 96 yards in four plays, capped by Stockton hitting Taylor for a 58-yard touchdown at 6:18. Just like that, it was 14–0.

The Bulldogs didn’t let up in the second quarter. Stockton found Ethan Barbour for a 3-yard score at 14:16 to finish a nine-play, 61-yard drive. He later took it himself, running 15 yards for a touchdown with 2:42 left in the half. Woodring converted after both scores, and Georgia went into the locker room up 28–0.

Stockton and Taylor connected again late in the third, a 6-yard touchdown at 1:37. Woodring’s kick pushed the lead to 35–0.

Ole Miss finally broke through early in the fourth. A 16-play, 75-yard drive ended with Shekai Mills-Knight running in from 8 yards out at 10:43, and Lucas Carneiro’s kick made it 35–7.

Georgia answered almost immediately. On a three-play, 75-yard drive, Stockton found Taylor for a 65-yard touchdown at 9:06. It was Taylor’s third of the night, and Woodring added the extra point to finish the scoring.

Four catches. Three touchdowns. Taylor didn’t need many opportunities to leave his mark, finishing with 140 receiving yards and averaging 35 yards per catch.

The team numbers were just as decisive. Georgia outgained Ole Miss 481–252, ran for 295 yards at 6.1 yards per carry, held the ball for 34:41 and didn’t turn it over. The Rebels managed just 66 rushing yards on 31 carries and gave the ball away twice.

Stockton went 9-of-15 for 186 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, while adding the 15-yard rushing score. Nate Frazier led the ground game with 16 carries for 107 yards.

On defense, Chris Cole led the way with nine tackles and 1.5 sacks, and KJ Bolden came up with an interception. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss finished 18-of-34 for 170 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Horatio Fields caught eight passes for 96 yards.

Georgia didn’t have to choose between controlling the game and taking shots downfield. Frazier and the running game supplied the steady yardage, Taylor supplied the explosive plays, and the defense kept Ole Miss from making it competitive.

By the time the Rebels reached the end zone, the Bulldogs had already scored five touchdowns. There was no late comeback to hold off, just one more long touchdown from Taylor to put the finishing touch on the rout.

Player of the Game: Talyn Taylor. 4 catches for 140 yards and 3 touchdowns, including scores of 58 and 65 yards.

Georgia returns home to face Missouri next, while Ole Miss travels to Oklahoma.