Georgia vs Mississippi 11-11-2023

This week’s matchup: Georgia vs Mississippi 11-11-2023. The number 10 ranked Ole Miss Rebels travel to Sanford Stadium. There, they take on the number two-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia leads the all-time series 32-10-1. Georgia has won nine of the last ten matchups. In this week’s matchup, let’s look at the brief history, coaching, and how both teams.

2015 Alabama

In 2015, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and Georgia’s Kirby Smart were not rivals on opposing teams. They were on the same staff. The 2015 Alabama team produced one of the best all-time coaching staff. Kiffin led them as the offensive coordinator, and Smart as the defensive coordinator. Alabama had some of the best minds in college football. That led Alabama to a championship over a Deshaun Watson led Clemson team.

Smart Moves to Georgia

Smart followed the championship in 2015 by working at his alma mater, Georgia. In his first year, he had growing pains. Mississippi beat the Bulldogs 45-14. This was the last time the two teams played and their most significant margin of victory in the series.

Kiffin from Alabama to Ole Miss

For Kiffin, his journey was a little less narrow. He stayed at Alabama another year until the Florida Atlantic job opened up. Kiffin turned FAU into the best group of five teams. They finished with two 10-win seasons and C-USA championships. In 2019, Kiffin was ready for his next challenge by accepting the head coaching job at Ole Miss.

Kiffin Colors Outside the Lines

Kiffin is unorthodox. This leads to conflict. Why? Because college football relies on tradition.

At Ole Miss, their team struggled to bring in recruits. They were competing with teams such as Alabama and Georgia. Despite the obstacles, Kiffin adjusted. He recruited a lot of players out of the transfer portal. Players now get a one-time waiver to play right away when transferring.

Kiffin, the Portal King

Kiffin declares himself the “Portal King”. He landed players that Ole Miss missed in recruiting. 

• The Rebels were able to land their starting quarterback, Jaxson Dart. Dart transferred from USC after they brought in a new coaching staff and quarterback. 
• Ole Miss used the portal the following year, acquiring Tre Harris from Louisiana Tech. He was fresh off an SEC CO Player of the Week Award. During his last game, Harris caught 11 passes for 213 yards, both career highs and a touchdown. 
• Take a look at the SEC CO Players of the Week. Safety John Saunders won the award on the defensive side of the ball and was also a transfer from Miami (OH). 
• Ulysses Bentley is a transfer from SMU. He brings a dynamic one-two punch at running back with Quinshon Judkins. 
• Kiffin’s success has skyrocketed. He now lands experienced high-level starters as backups. This includes Spencer Sanders, who started 41 games for Oklahoma State.

Georgia’s Offensive Line

Ole Miss relies on uptempo play calling. In contrast, Georgia is built through their offensive line.

One Down, Next Up

Coming off back-to-back championships has taken a toll on the Georgia roster. Despite the challenges, the Bulldogs program utilizes a next-man-up mentality. When one player goes down, another must step up. This serves as a rite of passage for a Georgia lineman. This is how Broderick Jones came in after not playing his freshman year despite being a five-star. He filled in for Jamaree Salyer, now the starting right guard for the Los Angeles Chargers. This is what offensive line coach Stacy Searels did when he took over for Matt Luke. There was a seamless transition. Both coaches lead the line with Joe Moore Award finalists.

Amarius Mims

Take a look at last year’s College Football Playoff. There was nothing more significant that symbolized this than Amarius Mims.

Standing at 6-7, 340 pounds, former five-star Mims has the size and the pedigree of many NFL starters. This is a problem for programs like Georgia. They filled their ranks with high-rated recruits who had a unique size. Like Jones, Mims had to wait his turn. Through two regular seasons, Mims had received zero starts. He came in as a rotation player. Last New Year’s Eve, Mims was about to receive his opportunity.

Semifinal Opportunity

In the semifinal game against Ohio State, Georgia was without starting correct tackle. Warren McClendon started 37 straight games prior. He was out of the game. Mims was next in line. With aspirations for a championship, Mims was in line for his first championship. Despite Mims’s limited playing experience, he was ready. At top schools, practice often serves as quality competition to stimulate game-like environments. The top SEC schools often compare their competition to their young bench players. Mims and Jones are examples of this.

Battlegrounds and Offensive Linemen

For Georgia, their practices are better than their competition. There was no greater battleground to be an offensive lineman. The championship runs produced first-round selected defensive linemen. This included Travon Walker, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Nolan Smith.

Mims filled in admirably for McClendon in both College Football Playoff games. Like Jones, his strong performances elevated him. He became one of the top tackles in College football and draft conversations.

Mims Goes Down

Unfortunately, after a solid start to this season, Mims went down. It happened in week three against South Carolina due to a high ankle sprain. It is still questionable when he will return.

What Next?

As history has taught us, Georgia’s offensive line is interchangeable. Their high-level play is the only thing that is a constant. Georgia currently ranks sixth in passing offense. Running back Daijun Edwards is eighth in the SEC in rushing yards. These stats are despite having a first-year starter in Carson Beck at quarterback. Beck’s top target, Brock Bowers, has also missed many games.

Georgia vs Mississippi 11-11-2023 Matchup to Watch

The key matchup is if Georgia’s secondary can slow down Harris. I expect Kamari Lassiter to be the main one taking the challenge.

Georgia vs Mississippi 11-11-2023 – Who Wins?

Which approach will lead to the win? Will it be Lane Kiffin alongside an unconventional team? Will it be Georgia’s dominance highlighted by their offensive lineman? Find out with University Foot-ball.

Authored by Tarohn Finley