Georgia football defensive tackle Elijah Griffin remembers the heartbreak on that New Year’s night in New Orleans.
Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss bounced the Bulldogs from the College Football Playoff with a 39-34 upset in the Sugar Bowl.
The Bulldogs defensive tackle didn’t forget linebacker CJ Allen and defensive tackle Christen Miller shedding tears after after the quarterfinal loss.
“That was their last time ever playing in their college career,” Griffin said. “Just seeing that, it was just like sad. Me, it was different because that was my first year. I’m like OK, I’ve just got to get it back the next year and the next. I’ve just got to keep that in the back of my head burning.”
Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC) is No. 2 in the first CFP rankings so it won’t be knocked out of the national title chase with a loss in Saturday night’s game in Oxford, Miss., but it could do serious damage to Ole Miss (6-2, 4-2) which is No. 10.
“We’ve got two losses,” Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles said. “Right now, it’s to the point where every game we play is a playoff game that we’ve got to win. That’s the mindset we’ve got.”
Georgia vs. Ole Miss predictions
This isn’t the same Georgia defense that Chambliss had big games against last year.
The Bulldogs have recorded 26 sacks, 6 more than it had all of last season.
Georgia didn’t record one sack against Chambliss last year in two games, including a 43-35 Bulldog win in Athens.
That’s with Chambliss throwing 82 passes combined.
“We’ve just got to keep him in the trap,” Griffin said. “We can’t let him escape. Obviously, he’s a great escape artist. He’s fast, he’s capable of doing anything. A great quarterback, has great vision.”
Ole Miss has given up only five sacks.
“Just knowing that he’ll use his legs to create plays and knowing we have to rush as a unit up front and give him different looks in the secondary that he’ll be uncomfortable with,” outside linebacker Quintavius Johnson said.
Chambliss was 30 of 46 for 362 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Sugar Bowl and 19 of 36 for 263 with a touchdown and two rushing touchdowns in the regular season Georgia win. He’s passed for 2,189 yards with 18 touchdowns and 8 interceptions this season while completing 63.9% of his passes.
“He had some wow plays against us last year,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “Really in both games, but especially the second. But It’s the down-in, down-out decision-making that he’s really elite at, the accuracy that he’s elite at. The release, the decision. He’s just pinpoint. He has an anticipation of windows that’s probably unmatched.”
Deuce Alexander and Horatio Fields are Chambliss’ top targets.
Alexander has 48 catches for 669 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns, but has had drops lately.
Georgia needs Ellis Robinson to be his usual self or Braylon Conley to step up if Robinson is affected by an apparent knee injury sustained during Florida game.
Georgia vs. Ole Miss scouting report
Why Georgia has an advantage: The Sugar Bowl loss will be motivation for some players and the Bulldogs’ domination of Florida made the Auburn loss look like a strange outlier for Georgia’s body of work this season. Georgia already won in a tough road environment at Alabama at night.
Why Ole Miss has an advantage: Chambliss is one of the most dynamic players in college football as Georgia saw firsthand in two games last season. The Rebels are hard to beat at home. It has won 16 straight at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the second longest streak in FBS behind Ohio’s 17.
Georgia vs. Ole Miss injury updates
Georgia: WR Isiah Canion (lower extremity, probable), RB Chauncey Bowens (lower body, questionable), WR Thomas Blackshear (collarbone, questionable), TE Elyiss Williams (undisclosed, questionable), DT Joseph Jonah-Ajonye (undisclosed, questionable), DB Tyriq Green (leg, questionable), LB AJ Kruah (undisclosed, questionable) RB Dante Dowdell (multiple injuries including collarbone, lung and arm, out), OLB Amaris Williams (knee, out).
Ole Miss: RB Kewan Lacy (shoulder, out), CB Jalyn Crawford (shoulder, probable), LB Kam Franklin (undisclosed, out), LB Keaton Thomas (undisclosed, out), WR Izaiah Hartrup (undisclosed, out), CB Cedrick Beavers (undisclosed, probable), S Edwin Joseph (undisclosed, out), S MJ Preston (undisclosed, probable), LB Ant Davis (undisclosed, out), WR Kevin Johnson (undisclosed out), S Nascar McCoy (undisclosed, out), S Gerald Lacy (undisclosed, out), OL Carius Curne (undisclosed, out), WR Samari Reed (undisclosed, out), OL Terez Davis (undisclosed, out)
Prediction
Georgia 31, Ole Miss 27: The matchup of Ole Miss’s SEC top scoring offense in league games against Georgia’s No. 1 scoring defense should be get out your popcorn stuff. Even with Trinidad Chambliss, I trust Georgia to win that battle and get enough plays from Gunner Stockton and the running game to escape Oxford with the victory.
Georgia vs. Ole Miss scouting report: What we’re watching
Georgia kicker Peyton Woodring: The senior is 9 of 12 on field goals this year with a miss in each of his last three games. That’s more that he did not convert than each of the last two seasons when he went 17 of 19 in 2025 and 21 of 23 in 2024. The misses have been from 43 yards, 54 and 39. Ole Miss’ Lucas Carneiro is 12 of 15 with a long of 57.
Ole Miss defensive back Joenel Aguero: The senior started as the Star position for Georgia against the Rebels last year in Athens, but lost his starting job to Rasean Dinkins late in the season and transferred. The Rebels’ starter is a physical tackler, but Georgia could target him in the passing game. He started 12 games last season with 39 tackles and an interception. He has 27 tackles and a pass breakup this season.
Composure of Georgia offensive line: The Bulldogs already went into a high-profile environment on the road this season and won at Alabama. How will Georgia handle another raucous environment in another night game after the offense didn’t make many plays downfield against Florida? Communication will be key to avoid costly false start penalties.
Ole Miss DT Will Echoles: The 6-foot-3, 315-pound junior had two tackles for loss, five tackles and two pass breakups in the Sugar Bowl win over Georgia last season. Georgia will need to contain him. Gunner Stockton had several passes batted down against Florida and keeping Echoles out of passing lanes and out of the backfield will be key. He has 21 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 1 1/2 sacks this season.
Bold predictions for Georgia football vs Ole Miss
Gunner Stockton makes plays downfield: Georgia won handedly against Florida behind 217 rushing yards and didn’t need to do much in the passing game after opening a 24-0 halftime lead and with the defense forcing Florida turnovers. That shouldn’t be the case against an Ole Miss offense that can be explosive. Georgia has shown it can make plays downfield and Stockton will take more shots and hit his share.
Ball security will continue to be an issue: Kirby Smart pushed back when asked after the Florida win about another Sacovie-White Helton muff on a punt return, but Georgia has four this season and has fumbled 14 times, which ranks 126th in the nation, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly. Georgia is fortunate to only have lost 5 fumbles this season, but the Bulldogs are living dangerously.
Georgia defensive line will push the pocket: One difference between this Georgia defense and last year is that it’s getting to the quarterback more by pushing the pocket which could put pressure on Chambliss. Georgia has 7 1/2 sacks from interior defensive linemen including two each from Elijah Griffin, Josh Horton and Anthony Lonon. It had just 3 1/2 last season.
Run game gets cranked up: Georgia has rushed for an average of 225.7 yards per game in its four games away from Athens. The Rebels have looked vulnerable against the run at times this season. It ranks 76th in the nation, allowing 148.9 per game. Texas kept the ball on the ground during an 80-yard drive for a go-ahead touchdown in beating Ole Miss.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football vs Ole Miss scouting report, bold predictions, injury updates
