The Red & Black | November 2, 2023

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VOL. 131 | No. 11 | Athens, Georgia

Thursday, November 2, 2023

BEASTS OF THE EAST Battle for the top spot in the SEC East

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Thursday, November 2, 2023

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Georgia’s ‘Burden’ to bear

A look at Georgia and Missouri’s receiving rooms Owen Warden Georgia football has a tough task ahead this weekend.The Bulldogs will face an elite wide receiver for the first time all year when Luther Burden III and Missouri come to town.

The sophomore currently sits fifth in the nation in receiving yards with 905 yards. Burden is also targeted plenty, as the former five-star recruit has 61 receptions, which is sixth in all of college football, and six touchdowns.

Head coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs tried hard to recruit Burden, and Georgia landed in his top three schools before committing to Missouri. Smart was quite familiar with Burden’s game and abilities before he had his breakout performance this season, and said as much prior to Georgia’s game against Missouri last season.

“Size. Elite skill set. He’s strong. He’s physical,” Smart said. “You watch him as a returner, he makes people miss.

They find ways to get him touches. He catches the ball out of the backfield, speed sweeps. He runs deep and he returns the ball. He’s a very elusive, physical runner. You can

Georgia wide receiver Dominic Lovett (6) runs with the ball during the second half of a game between Georgia and Florida at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. Georgia won 43-20. P H O T O / L A N D E N T O D D

Georgia wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint looks to the crowd during the first half of a game between Georgia and Florida at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. P H O T O / L A N D E N T O D D tell when people go to tackle him, you can tell, he’s stout.”

Burden isn’t alone in the receiver room, as fellow starters Theo Wease Jr. and Mookie Cooper have also had solid seasons.

Wease, a senior transfer from Oklahoma, has 440 receiving yards and is second on the team with five receiving touchdowns. Cooper is in his third season with Missouri, having transferred from Ohio State after his freshman year.

He has yet to find his way into the endzone but does have 359 yards on the year.

While not listed as a starter, freshman Marquis Johnson has been an effective receiver as well. He has 268 yards and three receiving touchdowns, despite only nine receptions.

While Georgia will still be without its own star receiving option with Brock Bowers, Georgia still has its own slate of pass-catching options, including former Missouri transfer Dominic Lovett.

Lovett hasn’t had as statistically strong of a season as he had with Missouri last season — he led the team with 846 receiving yards — but he’s leading Georgia wide receivers with 35 catches for 365 yards and one touchdown.

Senior Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint is second among all receivers with 341 yards and two touchdowns, while fellow transfer Rara Thomas sits behind Lovett with 275 yards and only one touchdown.

Ladd McConkey has been quiet so far this season with only 242 yards and one touchdown after returning from injury, but is still a name to keep an eye on for this game.

McConkey broke out against Florida, recording 135 yards and a touchdown in his fourth game of the season.

Even though Missouri has more statistical production, Georgia’s bevy of wideouts could prove troublesome for the Tigers’ secondary. Georgia has nine different players with

over 100 receiving yards compared to Missouri’s five. Georgia also has 19 players with receiving yards, while Missouri only has 10.

Missouri’s passing game has been relying heavily upon one player, while Georgia’s strategy continues to rely on strength in numbers. On Saturday in Athens, one offensive strategy will remain supreme as both battle it out for first place in the SEC East and a bid for the SEC Championship.

FAST FACTS X Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey tied his career high with six catches for 135 yards last week against Florida. He also scored a touchdown.

X Missouri’s leading receiver is Luther Burden III. His 905 receiving yards are the fifth-most in college football right now.

X Georgia’s leading receiver, Brock Bowers, will miss the Missouri game due to a high ankle sprain. Missouri transfer Dominic Lovett is second on the team with 365 receiving yards.

X Missouri has passed for 17 touchdowns this season.

Georgia has passed for 16 touchdowns, the third and fourth-highest totals in the SEC, respectively.

X Georgia has nine different players with over 100 receiving yards compared to Missouri’s five. Georgia also has 19 players with receiving yards, while Missouri has 10.

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Georgia running back Kendall Milton runs the ball against the University of Missouri football team at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. P H O T O / K A T I E T U C K E R

Battle of SEC’s best

Bulldogs face Tigers for top spot in SEC East John James No. 1 Georgia will host No. 14 Missouri between the hedges on Saturday for a meeting between the top two teams in the SEC East.

The Tigers are 1-11 all-time against the Bulldogs. That lone victory occurred a decade ago, right in Sanford Stadium. They rode that momentum all the way to their first SEC championship appearance, and now, the Tigers are looking to repeat history in Athens.

Missouri came close to a second victory over Georgia last season, as the team entered the fourth quarter of the 2022 matchup with a 19-12 lead over the eventual national champions. Missouri’s 22 points in that matchup were tied for the most Georgia surrendered to any of its regular season opponents last year.

Before that game, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said he was expecting Missouri’s offense to prove a difficult obstacle for the Bulldogs to overcome.

“They’re always well coached on the offensive front in terms of the way they block their plays and the way they complement each other, taking shots down the field and playing vertical,” Smart said. “I think their quarterback’s done a good job this year. He’s a good athlete. He can scramble around and extend plays and make plays with his feet.”

Missouri’s offense looks slightly different this year — namely in the receivers room. The Tigers’ leading receiver in the game last year was Dominic Lovett, who finished the

matchup with six catches for 84 yards.

With Lovett now on the other sideline, Luther Burden III has emerged as the Tigers’ top target. Burden has exploded in his sophomore season with Missouri, recording 905 receiving yards and six touchdowns through eight games this year.

Burden isn’t the only threat on Missouri’s offense. Walkon running back Cody Schrader has helmed the Tigers’ rushing attack this season, as he’s racked up 807 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground — good for second in the SEC. Against Georgia last year, Schrader had a 63-yard run to set up a Missouri field goal, and he’ll play a critical role in the Tigers’ upset hopes again this year.

Quarterback Brady Cook is another major returning member of the Tigers’ team. Cook threw for 192 yards and a touchdown against Georgia last year, but this season, he’s stepped his game up. Through eight games, Cook has thrown for 2,252 yards, 15 touchdowns and only three interceptions — right in line with Georgia quarterback Carson Beck’s own total of 2,462 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Beck will have to watch for Missouri defenders like lineman Johnny Walker Jr. and defensive back Kris AbramsDraine. Abrams-Draine leads the SEC with 10 pass deflections this year, and has added four interceptions to his already impressive statline.

Walker, on the other hand, has wreaked havoc in the

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backfield. The junior has seven-and-a-half tackles for loss and four sacks in 2023, and leads a Missouri front that’s recorded 25 sacks so far this season.

That defensive front will likely be crucial for Missouri’s upset hopes in this game. Without Brock Bowers — Georgia’s leading receiver on the season, and the leading receiver in last year’s game against Missouri — the Bulldogs might opt to lean on the run game.

Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards combined for 128 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s victory over the Tigers. Before that matchup, Smart praised Missouri’s run defense in recent seasons.

“Some of the run stunts they run are some of the ones we run,” Smart said. “They’re getting after it and challenging you to do something outside of that. They don’t have to have that many and they can still stop the run because they’re physical up front. … I feel like Missouri has always been massive and one of the most physical fronts to play against.”

If Missouri can limit the running backs’ impact on the ground in this game, then Georgia will have to rely on Beck and a passing game without its best weapon. Without Bowers on the field, Burden has been far and away the most productive receiver between the two teams this season — meaning that a pass-heavy outcome might actually work in the Tigers’ favor.

Missouri already has a pair of ranked wins this season — against Kansas State and a Kentucky team that Georgia blew out of the water — with the team’s only loss coming at the hands of No. 13 LSU. Cook, head coach Eliah Drinkwitz and their offense have displayed an ability to score early and often, averaging more than 37 points against SEC opponents this season.

In that loss to LSU, Missouri surrendered 49 points. If the defense shows up to play, this team can be dangerous, though that’s not exactly a reliable recipe for taking down the defending national champions on their own turf.

Last year, Missouri’s upset hopes hinged on the team’s ability to force turnovers. The Tigers recovered two firsthalf fumbles, which helped them build a 16-6 lead over the Bulldogs heading into halftime.

This year, Missouri has already forced eight fumbles to go along with seven interceptions as a team. If the Tigers can bring that chaos to their game against Georgia, then they could walk out of Athens with a win — and sole possession of first place in the SEC East.

FAST FACTS X Georgia has an 11-1 all-time record against Missouri.

The Tigers’ lone win was in 2013, the same season they made their first SEC Championship appearance.

X Missouri is second in the SEC East, with a 3-1 record in conference competition. The Tigers beat Kentucky, South Carolina and Vanderbilt and lost to No. 23 LSU. X Missouri’s leading receiver is Luther Burden III. His 905 receiving yards are the fifth-most in college football currently.

X Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is second in the SEC with 2,462 passing yards. Missouri quarterback Brady Cook is third with 2,259.

X Missouri running back Cody Schrader has 807 rushing yards this season, the second-highest total in the SEC. Georgia running back Daijun Edwards has 556, the seventh-highest total.

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Georgia tight end Brock Bowers catches the ball with one hand during Georgia’s win over Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. P H O T O / L A N D E N T O D D

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Points from the press box

CULTURE

Bulldogs need to maintain momentum without Bowers John James Georgia entered the fourth quarter of its Week 5 matchup locked in a 17-17 tie with Auburn.

The Bulldogs’ offense was struggling and had already turned the ball over twice in Carson Beck’s first-ever start on the road — and just his second-ever start against an SEC opponent. The Bulldogs needed an answer for the Auburn defense, for the Georgia faithful and for the college football world watching in wait to see how the defending national champions would respond.

Brock Bowers stepped up to the task, as he had so many times before, caught four passes for 121 yards in the final frame and put an exclamation point on his performance with a 40-yard touchdown to seal the game for good.

It was far from the first time Bowers had come through for the Georgia offense. From setting program receiving records in his freshman season to notching seven catches for 152 yards and a score in the national championship against TCU, Georgia’s allworld tight end has been the pinnacle of consistency for the Bulldogs.

Now, the question becomes: what happens when that pillar of reliability gets taken away? Bowers went down with a high ankle sprain in Georgia’s 37-20 victory over Vanderbilt, and is expected to miss an indefinite amount of time as he recovers from tightrope surgery, which has a typical recovery time of four to six weeks. This would set Bowers’ return around the time of the SEC championship.

Without him in the lineup, Georgia’s other offensive players will have to make up for his sizable contribution to the team. At the time of his injury, Bowers had nearly 250 more receiving yards than the next-closest member of the Bulldogs roster.

Dominic Lovett, who has the second-highest receiving total on the team this season, said he thinks the Bulldogs’ receivers have the talent to make up for Bowers’ absence.

“Brock is a big piece of our team, but we all said that we’re going to go five percent harder to make up for the loss,” Lovett said.

“Football isn’t played by one person at the end of the day, and Brock is a big piece but with him out it just means that everyone has to step up for the team.”

If Georgia’s receiving core isn’t quite up to the task, then offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and head coach Kirby Smart could opt to lean on Georgia’s running game. Senior running back Daijun Edwards has already tallied 556 yards and eight touchdowns despite only appearing in six games this season after returning from his own injury.

Along that line, the running back room has health concerns of its own. Kendall Milton, Georgia’s second-leading rusher, reaggravated his MCL injury in the win over Vanderbilt, and freshman running back Roderick Robinson has yet to return after suffering his own high ankle sprain against South Carolina. Milton had 13 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown against Florida.

567

At the time of his injury, Brock Bowers had 567 receiving yards — 234 more than the next closest member of the roster.

More to the point, this is probably the least-optimal time for Georgia to rely on backup plans and second options. The Bulldogs are about to enter a stretch of games against three ranked opponents — No. 14 Missouri, No. 11 Ole Miss and No. 19 Tennessee — that are among the best the SEC has to offer.

The Bulldogs will need to minimize mistakes and execute on offense to escape these games unscathed, and that’s a daunting task without the presence of the best tight end in Georgia history.

If they can’t find a way to replicate some of his production, then their national championship hopes might find themselves sidelined as well.

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Missouri running back Cody Schrader

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Senior running back Cody Schrader leads Missouri in rushing with 807 yards and nine touchdowns. In his last matchup against Georgia, the former walk-on carved out a productive day on the ground with 89 rushing yards on only six carries. Schrader has crossed the 100-yard mark in four of his games this season, and could give Georgia’s defensive line fits in this matchup.

Georgia tight end Lawson Luckie

#7 #18

Missouri defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine

Last season, wide receiver Dominic Lovett was suiting up for the Tigers. Now, he’s lining up against them. He led Missouri in receiving last year with 56 catches for 846 yards and three touchdowns. In Bowers’ absence last week for most of the game against Vanderbilt, Lovett had his best outing of the season, as he hauled in nine catches for 72 yards and his first touchdown of the season. Lovett is a player to keep an eye on as he prepares to face his former team.

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The defense for the Tigers is headlined by defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine, who currently has four interceptions on the year. He’s also defended 10 passes on the season. Abram-Draine ranks as the fifth leading tackler on the team with 35 total tackles, 24 of which are solo tackles.

His ability to not only play well in both the passing game and the running game could be costly for the Bulldogs as they head into their matchup against the Tigers.

Georgia wide receiver Dominic Lovett

Sidney Chansamone

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Luther Burden III has blown away everyone’s expectations heading into this season. He’s emerged as one of the best receivers in the nation, as he’s brought in 61 catches for 905 yards and six touchdowns. He’s placed sixth in college football in catches and fifth in yards. The Missouri passing attack currently ranks third in the SEC behind Georgia and LSU, in large part due to the success quarterback Brady Cook has had throwing to Burden out wide.

Xavian Sorey is the latest in a long line of Georgia linebackers with eye-popping athleticism and sideline-to-sideline speed. The redshirt sophomore is currently the seventh-leading tackler for the team with 14 total tackles along with a sack. What makes Sorey different from the other players in his position group has been his work coming off the edge for the team. The versatility of not only being an off-the-ball linebacker along with a pass rusher could allow him to wreak havoc against Missouri.

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In the absence of Brock Bowers, Georgia will need some of its young talent to step up and fill the hole left by the injured Mackey Award winner. Freshman Lawson Luckie now has an opportunity rather early, as he slides in at second on the tight end depth chart behind Oscar Delp.

Luckie was a four-star prospect and the second overall tight end in the 2023 class according to the 247Sports composite. Although he’s yet to log a catch on the season, he allows Georgia to continue to utilize its two tight end sets on offense even without Bowers in the lineup.

#3

Gabrielle Adekogbe

#6

By Samuel Higgs

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Thursday, November 2, 2023

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Georgia defensive back Kamari Lassiter celebrates during a game between Kentucky and Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. P H O T O / M A D Y M E R T E N S

Lassiter locks in

Kamari Lassiter shining as top dog in Georgia secondary Bo Underwood When Georgia’s on defense, the left side of the field is practically non-existent.

That’s where cornerback Kamari Lassiter is. The junior cornerback has been trusted with holding down the left side of the field for the Bulldogs all season, and he’s been a part of the reason Georgia has allowed the second fewest passing yards in the SEC. Lassiter is a veteran presence in Georgia’s defensive backfield, a testament to how young the group really is.

He started alongside Kelee Ringo in 2022 as a sophomore.

With Ringo now gone for the NFL, Lassiter headlines the cornerback group for the Bulldogs.

He’s been the one constant in a room that has seen its fair share of rotating on the other side — with Daylen Everette, Julian Humphrey and A.J. Harris all seeing snaps.

“Since I’ve gotten here I’ve tried to just be on my P’s and Q’s, because when I first got here I learned the standard quickly just from the older guys that were here,” Lassiter said. “Guys like [Ameer] Speed, [Derion Kendrick] Lewis [Cine], Chris [Smith], just seeing how they approach every day, I learned very quickly about how to come in day in and day out and just put my head down and go to work.”

Lassiter grew up in Savannah, Georgia, but moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as a teenager. He played at American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa, where 247Sports rated him a four-star recruit.

Although his school was just a 10-minute drive from Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium and he received his first SEC offer from the Crimson Tide, Lassiter committed to the Bulldogs in October 2020.

“He’s been committed to excellence his whole life,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “Comes from a great family background. Really tough, hard-working family. He kind of came up through the mud, man. He didn’t get anything given to him, was not a super highly recruited guy. He’s made himself into a really good player through work ethic. He won’t be outworked, won’t be outcompeted. And you love that about a football player.”

There wasn’t much room for Lassiter to make an impact as a freshman. It just so happened that he joined the most dominant defense in college football. He appeared in all 15 games in 2021 and carved out a role on special teams he continues to play now, even as one of the defense’s most trusted starters.

“Our freshman year, me and [Javon Bullard] used to joke around, we were like, ‘We’re special teams All-Americans,’ because we weren’t really sniffing the field with all those guys that were playing that year,” Lassiter said. “But man, we were on special teams, all four units, so being on that unit [now] means a lot. Coach Smart says that the best

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KAM AR I LAS S I TE R | GEORGIA OFFENSIVE BACK

players play special teams.”

Lassiter has showcased strong coverage skills this season, but what separates him from other top cornerbacks in college football is his willingness to hit. He’s made a habit of blowing up screen plays and helping out in the run game.

Lassiter currently has three-and-a-half tackles for loss this season — only one-and-a-half away from his total last year — and half a sack on the season.

“When I first started playing football, that was something they instilled in me at a young age,” Lassiter said.

“I’ve always just liked being physical. I used to get kicked out of recess for tackling too hard. Things like that, that’s just always been a part of me.”

It hasn’t been the smoothest ride so far for Georgia this season. Georgia needs stability and consistency from its starters more than ever. Though undefeated and ranked No. 1, the Bulldogs have seen plenty of injuries and upand-down play.

Lassiter is one player that the defense hasn’t had to worry about all year. If Georgia wants to win its third straight national championship, that’s going to have to remain true.

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Thursday, November 2, 2023

Showcase

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Highlights from last week’s game against Florida

Georgia running back Kendall Milton (left) quarterback Carson Beck (middle) and offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (right) celebrate after the game with fans during the game between Georgia and Florida at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. Georgia won 43-20. P H O T O / L A N D E N T O D D

Georgia defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (93) and inside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson (10) celebrate during the game between Georgia and Florida at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. P H O T O / L A N D E N T O D D

Georgia fans wave pompoms during the football game between Georgia and Florida at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. P H O T O / L A N D E N T O D D

Georgia tight end Oscar Delp runs with the ball during the game between Georgia and Florida at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. P H O T O / L A N D E N T O D D

Georgia running back Kendall Milton jumps over Florida safety Bryce Thornton during the game against Florida at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. P H O T O / LANDEN TODD

Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey runs with the ball during the second half of a game between Georgia and Florida at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. P H O T O / L A N D E N T O D D

UGA XI Boom looks to the crowd during the football game against Florida at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. P H O T O / L A N D E N T O D D

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Thursday, November 2, 2023

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Missouri tailback Henry Josey (20) dives across the goal line during the fourth quarter of a game to secure a two-touchdown lead in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013. P H O T O / F I L E

Football flashback

Georgia’s one and only loss to Missouri Tori Newman Georgia hasn’t lost to Missouri in a decade.

As the Tigers make their way to Athens, the Bulldogs will have to protect their 23-game home win streak from a program that has had experience upsetting a high-ranked Georgia before.

In 2013, No. 25 Missouri ran away with a 41-26 upset over No. 7 Georgia in Athens. For the Tigers, it marked their first road win over a top-ten team since 1981. The game was Georgia’s first and only current loss in 12 outings against Missouri.The loss also snapped a 15-straight home win streak, a run that was only second to Michigan at the time.

One of the biggest contributors to the Bulldogs’ 2013 performance was injuries in the back field. Both running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall were sidelined against the Tigers.

Gurley, who was in his sophomore year, sprained his ankle two weeks prior in Georgia’s 44-41 win over LSU. Mar-

shall tore his ACL the very next game against Tennessee, abruptly ending his sophomore season. With Gurley and Marshall on the sidelines, Georgia rushed for 164 yards and was unable to score a touchdown.

“Certainly when you have injuries or penalties or any setbacks in football, you’ve got to assess where you’re at and what you’ve got to do to succeed,” former head coach Mark Richt said. “We used a lot of energy this week looking at situations and personnel to get the best plan for who we had. We moved the ball good, but we turned it over too many times.”

Despite a strong first quarter, the Bulldogs began to slip away after falling victim to their own mistakes on top of Missouri’s offensive success.

We missed too many opportunities and the turnovers killed us.

A A RO N MU R R AY | FORMER GEORGIA QUARTERBACK After Missouri’s Marcus Murphy rushed for 36 yards for a touchdown, Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray was sacked by Shane Ray and fumbled the ball in the first play of Georgia’s responding drive. Defensive lineman Michael Sam scooped the ball and returned for a consecutive Mis-

souri touchdown.

Georgia recovered and found its way to the red zone.

Then, freshman Brendan Douglas attempted to rush up the middle but fumbled at the 6-yard line.

“It was 4-0 on the turnovers,” Richt said. “They did a really good job of securing the ball and we didn’t. You hear coaches say it over and over, but you can’t win a game turning it over like that.”

Once the Bulldogs got past their early mistakes, Murray found receivers Rantavious Wooten and Chris Conley for touchdowns. The success was short-lived, however, as Murray threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter.

“We missed too many opportunities and the turnovers killed us,” Murray said. “We can’t give away the ball like we did and win a game like that. Both picks were forced throws trying to put the ball into tight spots where I probably should have checked down.”

The Tigers finished that season 12-2 and reached the program’s first SEC Championship that December. Ranked fifth, Missouri fell 59-42 to No. 3 Auburn in the Georgia Dome. Missouri’s season ended with a 41-31 win over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.

Meanwhile, Georgia finished 8-5 that year and lost to Vanderbilt the very next week, Auburn later in the season and Nebraska in the Gator Bowl.

While Missouri had one of its most successful seasons in program history, Georgia’s down year placed further doubt on Richt, and eventually led to the hiring of current head coach Kirby Smart a few years later.

Smart has yet to lose to Missouri, but with a competitive team on its way to Sanford Stadium, anything is possible.

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