MVPs from Georgia's Win Over Mississippi State
The lack of production from the running game notwithstanding Saturday night against Mississippi State, this was the performance everyone has been was waiting for.
Georgia football had an outstanding game on offense, completing 28 passes for 401 yards and four scores. The great performance led to a 31-24 victory. These three players were responsible for the vast majority of Georgia's yards on offense:
JT Daniels, Quarterback
What more can be said about Daniels' debut? Aside from taking a pair of sacks and nearly throwing one interception, he played a near-perfect game. The USC transfer passed for 401 yards, becoming the first Bulldogs quarterback to reach 400 yards since Aaron Murray in 2013.
Daniels needed a few plays to settle down and catch up to the game's speed. Once he did that, there was nothing Mississippi State could do to stop him. Daniels completed deep bombs, highly accurate intermediate throws, short check-downs and everything in between.
The receiving corps certainly enjoyed having Daniels behind center. Jermaine Burton had a career night and George Pickens had his best game of the season (more on them later). Kearis Jackson had another solid game and Demetris Robertson also had a stellar night.
Daniels shined significantly on third down, completing 10-of-11 passes, converting eight third downs and throwing for three touchdowns.
Each of those touchdowns were impressive in different ways. On the first, he rolled to his right and hit Pickens in the perfect spot. On his second third-down score, he lifted the ball high over the heads of every defender to find Burton wide open in the back of the end zone. Then on the final score, he wasted no time slinging a deep bomb to Jackson, who beat the defense.
Jermaine Burton, Wide Receiver
All summer long we hyped Burton as the next big thing. Through the first six games, Burton showed flashes of brilliance. He entered Saturday's game with 14 touches for 180 yards and one touchdown.
Burton blew those numbers away Saturday, catching eight passes for 197 yards. The true freshman thrived against Mississippi State's defense, finding himself open time and time again.
His game started well with two receptions for 20 yards in Georgia's first two possessions, but his night took off with a physical 49-yard catch on Georgia's third drive that set up a field goal.
On the next drive, he got wide open on the sideline and secured a catch inbounds before a defender could push him out. A few plays later, he had his first touchdown of the night. The cherry on top was his 48-yard touchdown early in the second half where he used a subtle stop-and-go move to beat the cornerback.
George Pickens, Wide Receiver
Pickens made his return and reminded everybody why he is one of the best receivers in the nation. The sophomore caught eight passes for 87 yards and scored Georgia's first touchdown of the game.
Because of the extra attention defenses typically show him, Pickens never found himself as wide open as Burton, but Pickens doesn't need to be wide open as evident by all of his sideline catches. Just put the ball in a spot where only Pickens can reach it and he'll do the rest. That's what Daniels did all night.
