Nazir Stackhouse has made some great plays this season.
None was bigger than what he did with just under eight minutes to play in Georgia's 30-21 win over Missouri on Saturday.
On first-and-10 from the 50-yard line, Missouri quarterback Brady Cook wanted to hit a man short with Stackhouse reading the play the entire way. Stackhouse stayed in his area and came up with perhaps the most important play of Georgia's season.
Stackhouse picked off the pass and almost had a return to the 5-yard line, although a blindside block brought the play back. Still, the Bulldogs were able to get a field goal on this drive, a 9-point lead, and a tough win over a gritty SEC East opponent.
Georgia remains unbeaten and will face another stiff challenge from Mississippi next week.
What it means
The 15.5-spread was lunacy, and most people who follow the SEC closely knew this. Missouri is a good team with some excellent playmakers on offense. For the second consecutive year, the Tigers gave Georgia a ton of problems, which was no surprise whatsoever.
While the Bulldogs aren't the dominating team they've been in recent years, they still played a solid game and made championship-caliber plays late. This was an excellent win over the 12th-ranked program, which could propel Georgia into the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings.
A question that needs answering
Why was Georgia so stubborn with the run for so long?
Missouri isn't a great tackling team in the back end. Beck completed 65.6 percent of his throws for the game. So, before the final possession with a run and kneel down, why did offensive coordinator Mike Bobo call 30 run plays to 32 passes?
In some respects, the philosophy entering the game makes sense. You want your run game to take some time off the clock, because you don't want Missouri's explosive offense on the field.
But read the room, fellas.
The run game didn't get off to a great start and failed to average 4 yards per carry. While Beck wasn't at his best in the first half, he got better and more comfortable as the game progressed. When Georgia's offense is at its best, it's with Beck in full command. The Bulldogs need to get back to that beginning next week against Mississippi.
Three important plays
Elusivity: In the third quarter, receiver Ladd McConkey took a quick catch that looked like it would be stopped for a short gain. Instead, McConkey juked his way out of a tackle and turned up the field for 16 yards down to the Missouri 15-yard line. This set up a Kendall Milton rushing touchdown two plays later to give Georgia a 17-13 lead.
Third-and-goal: With five yards between Georgia and the end zone late in the third quarter, Beck threw a quick ball to tight end Oscar Delp for a touchdown. That gave the Bulldogs some breathing room in the moment with a 24-13 lead.
Big man pick: With Georgia only up six, Stackhouse came up with his interception to thwart what looked to be a promising Missouri drive.
Other important games to note
No. 1 Ohio State 35, Rutgers 16: This game was closer than the final score indicates. Rutgers led 9-7 at the half and only trailed by 12 with under four minutes to go. The Scarlet Knights had to go for it on fourth down deep in their own territory, which set up Ohio State's final touchdown to give the Buckeyes some style points.
No. 10 Mississippi 38, Texas A&M 35: The Rebels survived on the road thanks to a late rushing touchdown. This sets up an intriguing top-10 matchup next week.
Army 23, No. 25 Air Force 3: No matter who you were pulling for, America wins.
Grading Georgia
Offense: B+
Credit the Missouri defense for keeping Georgia from having the kind of game it has been used to of late. But the Bulldogs still put in a solid performance by playing mostly mistake-free football. The offensive line was unable to generate a consistent push in the run game, which has been a theme for most of the year.
Defense: A-
Facing a potent Missouri offense, the Bulldogs bent at times but didn't break. The Tigers did find a lot of success in the second half on the zone stretch run, which will be something the Bulldogs must work on next week. However, interceptions from Stackhouse and Javon Bullard sealed the game for Georgia in the fourth quarter.
Special teams: A
Peyton Woodring, folks. Feeling the pressure with four minutes left in the game, the freshman drilled a 48-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a 9-point lead. Woodring has come a long way since opening the year in Struggleville. Also, Brett Thorson needs more love for what he's done this season. His hang time is tremendous and once again kept an opponent from returning a punt.
Season grades to date
Offense: B+
Defense: B+
Special teams: A-
