Grading Georgia's Imposing Victory Over Missouri

It's been repeated numerous times, but it still rings true: Georgia football is a different team with quarterback JT Daniels.

The most recent proof is a 49-14 demolition of the Missouri Tigers on the road in nasty, cold weather. The Bulldogs outgained the Tigers 615-200, dominated the third down and turnover battles, and controlled the entire flow of the game. Here are the grades Georgia earned for blowing out a pretty good Missouri team:

Offense: A+

Georgia fans can get used to this. Daniels had another marvelous performance with big help from the running game to score seven touchdowns against Missouri's defense.

The effect Daniels has on the offense is easy to see. George Pickens, Jermaine Burton and tight end Darnell Washington have been open in one-on-one coverage all year, but Daniels has the confidence to make the throws. When Daniels left the game early in the fourth quarter, he had 16 completions for 299 yards and three touchdowns.

Daniels hit Pickens five times for 126 yards with two vastly different, but equally impressive touchdowns. Washington grabbed a pair of passes for 61 yards and Burton had five catches for 38 yards. Daniels also had notable connections with running backs James Cook and Kenny McIntosh. In the first quarter, he hit Cook on a slant for a 37-yard score. In the second quarter, he threw a swing pass to McIntosh for a 12-yard gain and a third-down conversion.

The running game did not play second fiddle to Daniels. The four primary backs combined for 343 yards and each of them scored one rushing touchdown. Zamir White led the charge with 126 yards on 12 carries. His biggest play came in the third quarter when he bounced outside at the line of scrimmage and had 43 yards of open field ahead of him.

Daijun Edwards didn't see the field until the last minutes of the third quarter. He still had 103 yards on 11 carries, including one carry of 43 yards and a six-yarder for Georgia's last score of the game. McIntosh added 58 yards on 11 carries and he scored the Bulldogs' first touchdown. Cook compiled 44 yards on six carries.

However, it wouldn't be a Georgia game in 2020 without some adversity on offense. After the hot start to take a 14-0 lead, Georgia's offense began to falter against Missouri's pass rush. The Tigers clawed their way back to tie the game 14-14 with 1:20 left in the first half.

Whatever adjustments offensive coordinator Todd Monken made worked. The Bulldogs sprinted down the field on their ensuing possession to regain the lead. Georgia then scored touchdowns on its first four drives of the second half, driving at least 70 yards each time.

Defense: A+

Like the offense, Georgia's defense had some adversity to overcome after a hot start. Eric Stokes opened the game with an interception return to the Tigers' 23-yard line. The Bulldogs forced a punt after allowing just 27 yards on the next defensive outing.

Missouri found some success throwing against Georgia's pass rush on its second drive. The Tigers used a trick play early in the second quarter to gain 29 yards and set up a goal-to-go situation at the 2-yard line. Quarterback Connor Bazelak scored with his legs on the next snap.

Missouri started from Georgia's goal line after blocking a punt late in the second quarter. Running back Larry Rountree III scored the game-tying touchdown three plays later.

Georgia pitched a shutout in the second half, allowing just 69 yards in six possessions. Bazelak had a solid first half, but he finished the game 17 of 28 for only 139 yards. Rountree, who entered the game with over 800 rushing yards, had just 16 yards on 11 carries against Georgia's defense.

Special Teams: C

This was one big blemish on an impeccable record this season. Georgia's special-teams unit were a weapon through the first eight games. Special teams let Georgia down at Missouri. It started in the second quarter when Kearis Jackson muffed a punt. The Bulldogs recovered, but lost several yards on the play and added to Missouri's momentum.

That momentum swing culminated with the Tigers' blocking a Jake Camarda punt near the goal line, setting up Missouri's second score. Later in the fourth quarter, Jack Podlesney missed a field goal that would have extended Georgia's lead to 45-14.

Other gripes include the coverage team failing to stop a fantastic punt by Camarda in the second quarter, and one kickoff return by Jackson that was only OK.

The only thing keeping this grade an F is Podlesny extending Georgia's NCAA record extra-point streak to 329 consecutive makes. The Bulldogs haven't missed a PAT since Vanderbilt blocked a Marshall Morgan kick in 2014. Six Bulldogs have converted PATs since then.