This wasn’t any sort of letdown.

Through the first three quarters, Georgia was pushed around on both sides of the line of scrimmage. When that happens, it's tough to come away with a win. However, the Bulldogs rallied in the fourth quarter to survive a stiff challenge from Missouri and win, 26-22.

Survive and advance, they say.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett finished the game completing 24 of 43 passes for 312 yards. Bennett was pressured throughout the game and had a hard time finding a rhythm with his receivers until late in the second half.

While Georgia was unable to record two sacks, the Bulldogs held quarterback Brady Cook to only 190 passing yards. Despite numerous opportunities in Georgia territory, the Tigers were held to only one touchdown.

It’s time to shift our thinking.

Last year’s games got us accustomed to thinking Georgia would roll each opponent with ease, outside of Alabama and Clemson. No one other than those two teams offered a challenge, and the Bulldogs cruised to easy victories.

Following blowout wins over Oregon and South Carolina, it seemed this trend was going to continue.

Not so fast.

With all the talent gone from last year’s team, we saw that a game like this could occur, based on how Georgia played against Kent State. Now, did anyone think it would be against Missouri? Absolutely not. But this shows that Georgia isn’t a guarantee to steamroll each team on its schedule.

There were a lot of self-inflicted wounds, but it’s hard to ignore Missouri’s success on both lines of scrimmage. Georgia had all sorts of trouble running the ball, and Bennett faced a ton of pressure throughout the game. Conversely, Georgia could not apply a consistent rush against Missouri quarterback Brady Cook.

Last week, Georgia held on to its No. 1 ranking despite a lackluster showing. This time, that just might not be the case.

Another drop: After trading two possessions, Georgia faced a third-and-8, and Bennett put a perfect ball on receiver Ladd McConkey that should have gone for a first down. However, much like he did the week prior, McConkey dropped the ball, bringing up a fourth down. This forced Georgia to punt, with Missouri scoring the game’s first points with a field goal on its ensuing possession.

Fourth-down end-around: Instead of settling for a field goal near the goal line, Georgia elected to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the 4-yard line. The Bulldogs ran an end-around to Kenny McIntosh, who avoided a tackle in the backfield before picking up a first down. This set up Kendall Milton’s 1-yard rushing touchdown to cut Missouri’s lead to 22-19 in the fourth quarter.

Putting the game away: On third-and-2 late in the game, Daijun Edwards took a toss sweep to the right and found a hole to pick up the first down. That allowed Georgia to kneel out the game to remain unbeaten.

Offense: B-

While Georgia ultimately padded the stat sheet in the in the fourth quarter to total 481 yards, there wasn’t a lot to like through the first three quarters. Georgia was unable to capitalize on a number of red zone attempts, which will probably infuriate this coaching staff throughout the week of practice. The Bulldogs put together a couple of nice drives in the fourth quarter to save the day, however.

Defense: B

Georgia did a good job limiting yardage and holding Missouri to field goals. It wasn’t the type of performance displayed against Oregon or South Carolina, but it was enough to prevent the Tigers from opening any sort of sizeable lead.

Special teams: A

Jack Podlesny was needed once again, as he made all four of his attempts of the game. Of course, the Bulldogs would have preferred to have punched most of those opportunities into the end zone.

Offense: B

Defense: A-

Special teams: A