No. 9 Georgia has made second-half comebacks so routine that head coach Kirby Smart could only shrug and call it “another day in the SEC.” The Bulldogs once again turned adversity into opportunity, storming back from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to knock off No. 5 Ole Miss 43-35 on Saturday night at Sanford Stadium.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton turned in a signature performance, throwing for 289 yards and four touchdowns, three of which went to tight end Lawson Luckie, as Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC) kept its championship hopes alive with a thrilling rally that left the Rebels stunned.
Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1 SEC) appeared poised to make a national statement after scoring touchdowns on its first five possessions and leading 35-26 entering the fourth quarter. But Georgia’s defense, gashed early by Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebel offense, stiffened late — and the Bulldogs’ offense did the rest.
Stockton, who battled through a sore oblique that kept him out of most practices this week, was nearly flawless. The sophomore completed 26 of 31 passes and added a 22-yard touchdown run, accounting for all five of Georgia’s touchdowns. In the second half alone, he went 12-for-12 passing for 135 yards and three scores, guiding the Bulldogs on three consecutive scoring drives to close out the game.
“He’s just tough as nails,” Smart said. “Didn’t practice most of the week, but when it was time to compete, he was ready. That’s what Georgia quarterbacks do.”
Stockton also avoided turnovers, leading Georgia to a clean sheet against one of the nation’s most opportunistic defenses.
For Ole Miss, the defeat was a bitter one. Lane Kiffin’s team looked dominant early, with quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Chambliss carving up Georgia’s front seven. The Rebels built a 35-26 lead and seemed in control before their offense sputtered completely.
After scoring touchdowns on their first five drives, Ole Miss failed to gain another first down for the remainder of the game.
The turning point came early in the fourth quarter. Following the Rebels’ first punt of the night with 12:44 left, Stockton engineered a nine-play, 67-yard march, capped by a 7-yard touchdown pass to Luckie to give Georgia its first lead of the second half at 40-35 with 7:29 remaining.
The Bulldogs’ defense — much maligned in the first half — saved its best for last. On Ole Miss’ final two possessions, Georgia forced consecutive three-and-outs.
After the second stop, Stockton milked the clock on a 10-play drive that set up kicker Peyton Woodring’s third field goal of the game, a 42-yarder with 2:06 left to extend the lead to eight.
Smart admitted he briefly considered going for it on fourth-and-2 near midfield before opting for the field goal.
“I trusted our defense,” Smart said. “They were flying around in the fourth quarter. We’d finally taken control of the game, and I wasn’t going to hand it back.”
The win marked yet another comeback in Georgia’s 2025 campaign. The Bulldogs have trailed at halftime in four of their five SEC games — winning three of them. They overcame a 21-17 halftime deficit to beat Tennessee 44-41 in overtime on Sept. 13 and erased a 10-3 hole to defeat Auburn 20-10 on Oct. 11.
“This group doesn’t blink,” Stockton said. “We’ve been in that position before, and we believe in each other.”
Ole Miss: The Rebels will look to rebound on the road next Saturday when they visit No. 14 Oklahoma, which beat South Carolina 26-7. Georgia: The Bulldogs get a much-needed bye week before heading to Jacksonville for the annual rivalry showdown with Florida on Nov. 1.
With their latest fourth-quarter surge, Georgia proved once again that in the SEC, no lead is ever safe — especially when the Bulldogs are chasing it.
