Gunner Stockton's five touchdowns lift Georgia over Ole Miss 43-35

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s defense got its only three stops of the game in the fourth quarter to grab its fourth come-from-behind victory of the season, beating Ole Miss 43-35. The Bulldogs trailed by nine points heading into the game’s final period.

Gunner Stockton turned in a monster performance, completing 26 of 31 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He added 10 carries for 59 yards and a score on the ground. Lawson Luckie became the first Georgia player to catch three touchdowns in a game since Mohamed Massaquoi in 2008, hauling in five passes for 43 yars.

Georgia opened the game with field goal after Stockton hooked up with Colbie Young for a 36-yard pickup on the third play, but the Bulldogs were set back when Noah Thomas was flagged for offensive pass interference. Peyton Woodring connected from 51-yards out to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game.

Defensively, UGA had zero answers. Ole Miss went right down the field and finished the drive on third down when Trinidad Chambliss got away from an unblocked Chris Cole in the backfield and ran it in from seven yards out. The PAT put Ole Miss on top 7-3.

Stockton got Georgia into the end zone on its next possession, hitting Lawson Luckie for an 11-yard touchdown on third down to put the Bulldogs back on top 10-7.

The Rebels reached the end zone again on their next possession, with Kewan Lacy punching it in from a yard out to put his team back on top. The PAT gave Ole Miss a 14-10 lead.

Georgia answered back with a score, a 22-yard touchdown run from Stockton, and took a 17-14 lead with Woodring’s PAT. Ole Miss, however, couldn’t be stopped. It found the end zone again on the ensuing possession with another one-yard run from Lacy and grabbed the lead back at 21-17.

Georgia used the final two minutes and 10 seconds of the half to cut into that lead, getting Woodring in position to kick a 35-yard field goal that he made as time expired in the second quarter. Georgia trailed Ole Miss 21-20 at the break, and that lead quickly grew.

On the second play of the second half, Chambliss hit De’Zhaun Stribling on a hitch route. Daylen Everette misplayed it, not even touching Stribling on the tackle attempt, and it went for a 75-yard touchdown. Ole Miss hit the PAT and took a 28-20 lead.

Again, Georgia had an answer. The Bulldogs went 75 yards on nine plays with Stockton hitting Luckie for a three-yard touchdown. Georgia went for two but Stockton was sacked, making the score 28-26 in favor of the visitors.

Ole Miss made it five for five on its next possession, pushing it down the field on 12 plays. Chambliss capped off the 75-yard drive with a keeper up the gut from two yards out. Putting Georgia in a two-score hole at 35-26.

The Bulldogs had to convert a fourth down to keep their next drive alive, but Josh McCray got what Georgia needed with a yard to go. Stockton capped off the drive with his third scoring toss of the day, hitting Nate Frazier in the flat for the three-yard touchdown. The PAT cut the Ole Miss to 35-33.

When Ole Miss got the ball back, the possession ended with the first punt of the game. The Rebels went three and out and sent it back to the Bulldogs, who took over at their own 33-yard line. Georgia ground out a nine-play, 67-yard drive with Stockton hitting Luckie for his third touchdown of the day. The score gave Georgia its first lead of the second half and the PAT put the Bulldogs up 40-35.

The Rebels went three and out with their next possession, working the Sanford Stadium crowd into a frenzy. They punted Georgia to their own 10-yard line but the Bulldogs came out firing. After moving the chain on the ground, Stockton hit Dillon Bell for a 36-yard pickup on 2nd and 12 to get the offense moving. Ole Miss used its timeouts before the two-minute time out, but Woodring turned the possession into points with a 42-yard field goal to give UGA a 43-35 lead.

Ole Miss began the next possession with two minutes left in the game and moved the sticks on the first play. After that, the Bulldog defense stiffened, forcing a four and out. Xzavier McLeod came up with the big play on fourth down, batting Chambliss pass down to turn the Rebels over on down and secure the Georgia victory.

The victory gives Georgia six on the year and sends it into its second bye of the season. The Bulldogs will take on Florida in two weeks. Kickoff in Jacksonville is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.