In a thrilling college football matchup on Saturday, Carson Beck delivered an impressive performance, throwing for a personal-best 459 yards along with three touchdowns, as No. 5 Georgia narrowly defeated Mississippi State with a score of 41-31. The victory enabled Georgia to extend its home winning streak to 28 games, despite a subpar showing at times, potentially due to the anticipation of their upcoming clash with top-ranked Texas.
Georgia established an early lead of 34-10 in the third quarter, but Mississippi State’s freshman quarterback, Michael Van Buren Jr., pushed back, driving his team to two consecutive touchdowns, narrowing the score. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the outcome marked their fifth consecutive defeat and underscored their struggles this season.
Following Georgia’s lead of 34-24, Beck orchestrated a pivotal 16-play touchdown drive, culminating with a one-yard touchdown run by Trevor Etienne, which solidified Georgia’s grip on the game. Van Buren, meanwhile, completed 20 passes from 37 attempts for 306 yards and three touchdowns, including impressive 24 and 35-yard scoring throws to Kelly Akharaiyi, despite throwing one interception during the game. His 35-yard touchdown late in the match saw Georgia’s advantage trimmed back to ten points.
Beck was an efficient 36 for 48 through the air and matched a Georgia record with his 36 completions while also throwing two interceptions. In the match’s early stages, Mississippi State struggled offensively, failing to register a single first down in the first quarter. However, Van Buren broke the drought with a spectacular 72-yard pass to Mario Craver that led to their opening touchdown.
After some penalties hampered their progress, Van Buren connected with Akharaiyi for a 24-yard touchdown pass, marking the quarterback’s first career touchdown throw, while also slicing Georgia’s lead to three points at 13-10. Georgia quickly retorted with a 31-yard touchdown reception by Dillon Bell, who made an impressive catch at the back of the end zone, followed by a one-yard pass to tight end Lawson Luckie, allowing Georgia to take a 27-10 lead into halftime.
Having thrown 27 completions by halftime, Beck was close to setting a personal game high, just two shy of matching the 29 he achieved against Vanderbilt previously this season. He opened the second half explosively with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Arian Smith, yet his run of 16 consecutive completions ended abruptly when cornerback DeAgo Brumfield intercepted his throw intended for Luckie.
The takeaway from the game highlighted Mississippi State’s struggles as the bottom team in the SEC for scoring defense. They were outmatched throughout the game, allowing an average of 31.6 points; Georgia quickly surpassed that mark on their opening drive of the second half, allowing a staggering 605 total yards.
In addition to the passing game, Georgia faced concerns regarding its running back depth following Branson Robinson’s departure with a right knee injury early in the second quarter. With Roderick Robinson still sidelined due to toe surgery, the pressure intensifies on remaining backs to step up behind starter Etienne.
Looking ahead, Mississippi State aims to regroup as they return home to face No. 15 Texas A&M next week, while Georgia is set for an exciting matchup against No. 1 Texas, which promises to be a top-five encounter.