NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Sep 26, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Chris Cole (9) runs against Oklahoma Sooners tight end Hayden Hansen (89) after recovering a fumble by quarterback John Mateer (10) during the first half at Sanford Stadi… | Source: Lastwordonsports.com – Kate Pearson Halyburton, Editor
Athens saw a defensive slugfest on Saturday afternoon, kinda like we predicted. Wait, Georgia’s victory was by 28 points. The game featured 57 total points…Georgia won 41-13 for those trying to solve the story problem. You may be asking, how can that exactly be a defensive slugfest? Sometimes the scoreboard can tell you lies. Georgia and Oklahoma’s defenses played well. Georgia’s defense wreaked havoc on Oklahoma. The Sooners once again struggled to run the ball. The Sooners finished the day with just 56 yards rushing. John Mateer had his own challenges, contributing to three of Oklahoma’s four turnovers.
Georgia’s high-powered offense was held in check, too. The Bulldogs finished the day with 295 total yards of offense. The Georgia offense also coughed up the ball twice. The difference in the game came down to turnovers and making the most of opportunities: Georgia and Oklahoma’s defenses combined for six turnovers. Georgia outscored Oklahoma 17-6 off turnovers. Take away those points, and the margin shrinks a lot, which contributed to Oklahoma’s misery and Georgia’s victory.
Georgia’s Victory, Oklahoma’s Misery
Here are the key takeaways from Georgia’s victory over the Sooners.
John Mateer: 3x the Misery
Georgia raced out a 28-0 halftime lead. It is becoming an increasingly common occurrence. Sure, the offense looked good, but Georgia’s defense and John Mateer’s major miscues made the game look so crooked early.
Mateer had three key turnovers that took the air and momentum out of the Sooners’ sails. Oklahoma fell behind 14-0 early to Georgia. They finally got some momentum early in the 2nd quarter and faced third-and-goal inside the Georgia five-yard line. It was a prime chance to get the Sooners back in the game. Instead, Mateer booted to his left and somehow, untouched, threw the ball behind himself. Chris Cole then picked it up and raced 97 yards for the scoop-and-score.
Oklahoma’s next drive got them to Georgia’s side of the field again, only for Mateer to spoil it again. On third and nine from the Georgia 43, Mateer faced heavy pressure and heaved the ball to the middle of the field. The ball landed into the open arms of KJ Bolden, who returned it 28 yards. The Oklahoma defense would hold, forcing a three-and-out by Georgia.
Mateer and Oklahoma again couldn’t capitalize on the momentum. On 4th and 1, Mateer ran backward, trying to evade and scramble away from the Georgia defense. Mateer would put the ball on the carpet before sliding out of bounds. Cole was there again to reap the reward, racing 23 yards and setting Georgia up at Oklahoma’s 11. Chauncey Bowens found the end zone two plays later to put Georgia up 28-0 and seal Oklahoma and Mateer’s no-good, very bad first half.
We may have piled on Mateer and Oklahoma a lot. A 28-0 lead sounds great, almost as if the Georgia offense had little or no trouble. A closer look showed the Dawgs struggled against the Sooner defense. Gunner Stockton barely threw for a little over 100 yards, and it was tough sledding trying to build a run game. Two Georgia third-quarter turnovers could have provided Oklahoma with some hope. Unfortunately, Oklahoma squandered the opportunity.
Stockton has done an excellent job of taking care of the ball this season; he had zero interceptions and more touchdowns than incompletions coming into the game. His interception streak ended in the third quarter just outside his own 20. Oklahoma would score five plays later to cut the Georgia lead to 28-6. The Sooners, for some reason, went for two and were stuffed by the Georgia defense, taking away the little-to-no second-half momentum the interception built.
Georgia settled for a field goal on its next possession, then gave the ball back to Oklahoma on a fumble at their own 35-yard line. Again, Mateer and Oklahoma had a chance to get something going. Again, it was squandered. Oklahoma was forced to settle for a 54-yard field goal. As the kick sailed just left of the upright, the Georgia victory seemed all but secured.
Georgia’s offense looked out of sorts for most of the second half. Mike Bobo seemed like he forgot that Georgia can and likes to run the “damn” ball. Early in the 4th quarter, after Nate Frazier picked up a first down on a “long handoff,” Dwight Phillips Jr. then took a handoff and raced 54 yards to spark the Georgia offense.
Peyton Woodring would sneak a 49-yard field goal just over the uprights to cap Georgia’s scoring on the day.
The Last Word
It’s homecoming next week in Athens. It’s a great time for family, friends, and alums to gather round t to call the Dawgs. It will also be a sort of homecoming for a one-time Georgia commit. Jared Curtis will return to Athens after flipping to the Commodores last December. Curtis was a five-star commit from the Nashville area and had been committed to Georgia for a long time. Vanderbilt made a late push with more NIL dollars and playing time to sway Curtis. The game will kick off at either noon or 12:45 pm on Saturday. We will have a full preview of Vanderbilt later this week.
