NCAAF

Mississippi State Bulldogs at Georgia Bulldogs

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Final
31 - 41
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Beck passes for 459 yards and 3 TDs as No. 5 Georgia holds off Van Buren, Mississippi State 41-31

Trevor Etienne punches it in on 4th-and-goal to pad Georgia's lead

Beck passed for a career-high 459 yards and three touchdowns and Georgia withstood Mississippi State's second-half comeback bid for a 41-31 win Saturday.

“He’s experienced,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart of Beck, a senior. “The game gets a little tight there and he’s cool, not panicked.”

Georgia (5-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) played at times as if it were looking ahead to next week's visit to No. 1 Texas, but had enough offense for its 28th consecutive home win.

Georgia led 34-10 early in the second half before freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., making his second start, led the State Bulldogs (1-5, 0-3) to two straight touchdowns. Van Buren's strong performance helped Mississippi State finish the game on a 21-7 run. It was not enough to prevent the team's fifth consecutive loss.

“Our guys responded,” said Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby. "... I hate that we’re sitting here disappointed, frustrated that we’re not on the right side of it, but our guys are continuing to fight like heck for each other and I’m proud of them for that.”

Beck threw two interceptions, including one on Georgia's second play to set up a Mississippi State field goal.

“It’s, like, it is what it is,” Beck said. “Let’s go. It doesn’t matter, just keep playing the game, keep going. And then you start to find a rhythm.”

With Georgia leading 34-24, Beck led a 16-play touchdown drive to put the game away. On fourth down at the MSU 1, Trevor Etienne was pushed across the goal line by Georgia's offensive line.

Van Buren completed 20 of 37 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring passes of 24 and Kelly Akharaiyi, and one interception. The 35-yarder with 1:47 remaining again trimmed Georgia's lead to 10 points.

Beck completed 36 passes, matching Georgia's record, on 48 attempts.

Beck finished the first half strong. His Dillon Bell, whose left toe tap at the back of the end zone made the catch count, and 1-yard scoring pass to tight end Lawson Luckie gave Georgia a 27-10 halftime lead.

Beck opened the second half with a 42-yard scoring pass to Arian Smith.

Poll Implications According to , Georgia was favored by 33 1/2 points and could be in danger of falling from the No. 5 spot in this week's AP Top 25.

The takeaway Mississippi State: The SEC's last-ranked scoring defense was overwhelmed by Beck and the Georgia passing game. State entered the game allowing an average of 31.6 points per game — Georgia topped that on a three-play drive to open the second half. State gave up 605 yards, a season high for Georgia.

Georgia: RB Branson Robinson ran for 12 yards and a touchdown before leaving with a right knee injury early in the second quarter. Smart said he did not know the severity of the injury. RB Roderick Robinson has not played this season after having toe surgery, and the loss of Branson Robinson makes depth at the position behind Etienne a concern.

Up next Mississippi State: Returns home to play No. 15 Texas A&M on Saturday.

Georgia: Plays at No. 1 Texas in what could be a top-five showdown on Saturday.

How To Watch

How can I watch Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Georgia Bulldogs?
  • TV Channel: Bulldogs at Bulldogs 2021 College Football, week 7, is broadcasted on SEC Network.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Matchup Prediction

Bulldogs: 95.1%
Bulldogs: 4.9%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Scoring Summary

MSST FG 1st Period 12:05 Kyle Ferrie 47 Yd Field Goal
UGA FG 1st Period 7:09 Peyton Woodring 45 Yd Field Goal
UGA TD 1st Period 2:13 Branson Robinson 5 Yd Run (Peyton Woodring Kick)
UGA FG 2nd Period 10:51 Peyton Woodring 32 Yd Field Goal
MSST TD 2nd Period 8:46 Kelly Akharaiyi 24 Yd pass from Michael Van Buren Jr. (Kyle Ferrie Kick)
UGA TD 2nd Period 6:32 Dillon Bell 31 Yd pass from Carson Beck (Peyton Woodring Kick)
UGA TD 2nd Period 1:56 Lawson Luckie 1 Yd pass from Carson Beck (Peyton Woodring Kick)
UGA TD 3rd Period 13:48 Arian Smith 42 Yd pass from Carson Beck (Peyton Woodring Kick)
MSST TD 3rd Period 8:27 Johnnie Daniels 19 Yd Run (Kyle Ferrie Kick)
MSST TD 3rd Period 2:40 Davon Booth 2 Yd pass from Michael Van Buren Jr. (Kyle Ferrie Kick)
UGA TD 4th Period 3:33 Trevor Etienne 1 Yd Run (Peyton Woodring Kick)
MSST TD 4th Period 1:47 Kelly Akharaiyi 35 Yd pass from Michael Van Buren Jr. (Kyle Ferrie Kick)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/344.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originMSST https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/61.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originUGA
17 1st Downs 28
2-12 3rd down efficiency 5-11
3-3 4th down efficiency 2-2
385 Total Yards 605
306 Passing 459
20/37 Comp/Att 36/48
8.3 Yards per pass 9.6
79 Rushing 146
26 Rushing Attempts 29
3.0 Yards per rush 5.0
8-65 Penalties 5-54
1 Turnovers 2
0 Fumbles lost 0
1 Interceptions thrown 2
26:22 Possession 33:38

Game Information

Sanford Stadium

Location: Athens, GA
Attendance: 93,033 · Capacity:
Full Standings

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