No. 13 Georgia Holds Off Feisty MSU, 31-24, In Athens

Saturday, November 21

Athens, Ga.

6:30 PM

Mississippi State

2-5

#13 Georgia

5-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Mississippi St.

Georgia

Dillon Johnson had a pair of touchdown rushes Saturday night.

No. 13 Georgia Holds Off Feisty MSU, 31-24, In Athens

November 21, 2020 | Football

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes Postgame Quotes Video: Game Highlights Photo Gallery

By: Mikaela Elizondo, Graduate Assistant/Communications

ATHENS, Ga. – A spirited effort from Mississippi State (2-5, 2-5 SEC) fell just short at No. 13 Georgia (5-2, 5-2 SEC) Saturday night, as the homestanding Bulldogs held on for a 31-24 victory.

The teams went back and forth for the entire first half and were tied 17-17 at halftime, despite MSU's stout defensive effort to hold Georgia to just seven rushing yards.

In the first quarter, Will Rogers completed seven consecutive pass attempts to start the game, as State put together a 15-play drive that ended in 22-yard field goal from Brandon Ruiz to open the scoring. The drive was MSU's longest of the season by time taking up 8:06 of clock, and it tied the Bulldogs longest drive by plays.

Freshman Dillon Johnson scored Mississippi State's first touchdown from four yards out in the second quarter. Not long after, Georgia would tie it up again with a field goal.

Before the break, Rogers connected with Jaden Walley on a 51-yard touchdown strike to regain the lead. MSU's freshman quarterback tossed the ball for a total of 210 yards in the first half.

After UGA scored a touchdown on the first drive of the second half, State answered when Johnson scored for the second time on the night, this time on a three-yard dash. Georgia went up 31-24 on a third-and-long, 40-yard pass in the fourth quarter before halting State's final drive on downs to secure the win.

Rogers ended his passing night 41-of-52 for 336 yards and a touchdown while breaking his own freshman record of 35 completions set in MSU's last game against Vanderbilt. Walley had a huge night on the other end of that air attack, hauling in seven catches for 115 yards and a score.

Osirus Mitchell and Johnson also both totaled seven receptions. Johnson led the rushing game with eight carries and two touchdowns.

Defensively, State was led by Martin Emerson who posted a career-high 11 total tackles, all solo stops. Emerson also added a career-high four pass breakups. Erroll Thompson and Jaden Crumedy each recorded a sack.

Quotable…

"I thought that they had really good effort and that this was the best game we've played this year. I was proud of the way our guys played, wish we hadn't come up short but I was really proud of them. This is, by a significant margin, the best game we've played this year." - Head Coach Mike Leach

Notables from Tonight's Game

Passing Game

MSU has now completed 254 passes in 2020, which ranks fourth on State's single-season leaderboard. The school record is 331 completions in 2015.

Grounded

MSU's defense held Georgia to just eight total rushing yards and 0.3 yards per carry. That marks the fewest rushing yards allowed by Mississippi State since holding Iowa to minus-15 yards in the 2019 Outback Bowl.

It was also the fewest rushing yards the Bulldogs have allowed to an SEC opponent since at least the 2009 season. The last time Georgia was held below 30 rushing yards came in 2016 when the Bulldogs ran for 21 against then-No. 20 Florida.

First-Timers

With linebacker Nathaniel Watson making his first career start, the Bulldogs' season total of first-time starters is up to 20 in 2020, the most of any Power Five team. Cornerback Jay Jimison made his Mississippi State debut, bringing State's season total of first-time players to 22.

Watch Out For Walley

Wide receiver Jaden Walley became the first true freshman to record more than 100 receiving yards since Chad Bumphis picked up 123 against Georgia Tech in 2009. Walley is the sixth true freshman to do so in MSU history.

His effort marked State's fourth individual 100-yard receiving game of the season, which is the most such games in a season for MSU since 2016. The school record is seven games which was set in 2015.

Big Play Breaks

Walley scored his first career touchdown off a career-long 51-yard reception. It was MSU's second-longest play of the season, and longest since a 75-yard touchdown reception in the season opener at LSU.

Prior to that catch, he also hauled in a 20-yard pass that was MSU's longest play through the air since a 32-yard pass against Texas A&M on Oct. 17.

MSU finished the night with four passes for 15 or more yards. That marks the most such plays for the Bulldogs since the season opener at LSU.

Feeling Fresh

Freshman starting quarterback Rogers had plenty of help from his classmates. True freshmen accounted for 61 percent of State's total offense (217 of 358 yards), and all three of the Bulldogs' touchdowns. The newcomers accounted for 58 percent of State's receiving yards and 100 percent of the team's rushing yards.

Johnson on the Move

Johnson is the first MSU freshman running back to score multiple rushing touchdowns in a game since Ashton Shumpert did so against Alcorn State on Sept. 7, 2013.

Ruiz Stays Steady

Ruiz extended his active streak of consecutive extra points made to 107 for his career, making three at Georgia. He added a 22-yard field goal on the opening drive and is now 5-of-6 on field goals this season.

Next Up for MSU…

State stays on the road next Saturday, Nov. 28, travelling to meet arch rival Ole Miss in the annual Battle for the Golden Egg in Oxford. Kickoff between the Bulldogs and Rebels is slated for 3 p.m. CT at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and the contest will be televised by the SEC Network. MSU is slated to return home for its final two matchups of the 2020 regular season, hosting Missouri (Dec. 5) and Auburn (Dec. 12).

For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU football on its social media platforms by searching for "HailStateFB" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.