Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State Makes Georgia Sweat But Falls 41-31

The visiting Bulldogs scored 14 unanswered points in the third quarter after being down 34-10

Taylor Hodges

Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) throws a pass against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second quarter at Sanford Stadium.
Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) throws a pass against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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ATHENS, Ga. – For its second consecutive game, Mississippi State made a Top 5 team sweat out a win.

No. 5 Georgia wound up winning 41-31, but not without having to put an end to a Mississippi State comeback attempt.

Georgia went into halftime with a 27-10 lead and quickly extended its lead to 34-10 early in the third quarter. With a true freshman making his second collegiate start at quarterback, Mississippi State’s had a nearly-flawless third quarter.

Michael Van Buren got off to a slow start, but was perfect in the third quarter and ended the game 19-of-36 for 306 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Van Buren completed all eight passes he threw in the third quarter as he led Mississippi State to back-to-back scoring drives of 70 yards or more. Johnnie Daniels ended the first drive with a 19-yard touchdown run that cut Georgia’s lead to 34-17.

Georgia’s following drive ended with Carson Beck’s second interception of the day. DeAgo Brumfield picked off a pass in the end zone and Mississippi State’s offense was back on the field for another long drive.

Mississippi State converted a pair of fourth downs, including Van Buren’s two-yard pass to Davon Booth and cut their team’s deficit to 10 points.

However, Georgia would put an end to the comeback two possessions later, extending its lead to 40-24 on a fourth down run by Trevor Etienne.

Kelly Akharaiyi caught his first touchdown of the season midway through the second quarter. It was also Van Burern’s first collegiate touchdown pass that made the score 13-10. However, Georgia would score 14 points in the final six and a half minutes to build a big halftime lead.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck had a career day, completing 36 passes for a career-high 459 yards and three touchdowns.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.