As the obnoxious clang of thousands of cowbells rang through Davis Wade Stadium, Ladd McConkey came to life in the third quarter.
The young receiver who had faced jitters over the past month-plus didn't have any issues as he led Georgia's offense to a 45-19 win over Mississippi State.
Georgia had some rough moments, but took full control to beat Mississippi State on the road and round out its competition against SEC West foes.
McConkey accounted for 141 total yards, and quarterback Stetson Bennett threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns.
What it means
Georgia clinched another SEC East title with its win over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs won their fourth division title in the past five years with the truncated 2020 season being the only exception.
LSU also clinched its division with a 13-10 win at Arkansas, along with Alabama's 30-24 victory at Ole Miss. LSU came out of the SEC West as the surprise victor after its win over Alabama, and its only conference defeat coming to Tennessee. Georgia and LSU last met in the SEC Championship in 2019, with the Tigers picking up a 37-10 win.
Georgia won its fourth consecutive game over Mississippi State and hasn't lost to the Bulldogs in maroon since 2010.
Three important plays
Stetson's calling: Georgia's quarterback took more calls while standing in the end zone Saturday. A week after his rushing touchdown heard 'round the world, with the infamous phone call signal, Bennett ran for another score against Mississippi State. He scampered for a four-yard rush to account for Georgia's second touchdown of the evening.
McConkey on the sweep: After a somewhat closely-contested first half, a jet sweep to McConkey flipped the perception of the game and gave Georgia full control. He escaped from defenders and bursted through an open lane for a 71-yard touchdown run. From then on, the Bulldogs' offense only added on to eventually build their win into a convincing one.
To the house: After consecutive incompletions, Georgia punted to Zavion Thomas in the waning seconds of the first half. As a result of poor clock management, Georgia allowed the punt and a 63-yard return from Thomas, a true freshman.
Grading Georgia
Offense: A
Georgia hasn't had a true road test since it nearly crumbled at Missouri. The Bulldogs' offense looked much crisper at Mississippi State. Georgia did it in the passing game with short and intermediate passes, and also collected 179 yards on the ground. Georgia had three receivers collect 50 or more yards.
The only knock on Georgia's offense against Mississippi State was the turnovers that led to the home Bulldogs collecting some points off of solid field position. Bennett has had his share of turnovers over recent weeks, and his first-half miscues made for an interesting game until Georgia dominated the second half throughout.
Defense: B
Georgia's defense defended Mississippi State's air raid decently, especially on third- and fourth-down plays, when the home team tried to claw back into contention. However, Mississippi State does pose problems with its attack and gave Georgia trouble at times. Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers threw for 242 yards on 28 completions. Mississippi State totaled 237 yards and had its share of sustained drives.
Special teams: B-
Brett Thorson had three punts of 47.7 yards per boot. Place-kicker Jack Podlesny made his lone field goal attempt from 28 yards out. The return by Thomas, which was partly due to poor clock management, also falls on Georgia's special teams unit as it allowed Thomas to break free.
Season grades to date
Offense: A-
Defense: A-
Special teams: A-
