The Missouri Tigers had a major upset at their fingertips as they welcomed their first SEC opponent to Columbia, but they eventually lost to the No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs, 41-20, on Saturday night.
Mizzou had a 17-9 lead early in the third quarter after L'Damian Washington's 69-yard touchdown reception from quarterback James Franklin. That followed a closely-matched first half that put up alerts around the country for a possible upset of a top ten team.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs would pull away in the second half, scoring 24 unanswered points after an Andrew Baggett field goal had given Mizzou a 20-17 tie late in the third quarter. The Tigers were unable to stop Georgia through the air and on the ground down the stretch, while their own potent offense suddenly went quiet late in the game.
James Franklin was 25-of-42 for 267 yards and two touchdowns, but a costly interception in the fourth quarter gave Georgia further momentum. Kendial Lawrence rushed for 60 yards on seven carries, with the Tigers managing 166 yards total on 37 carries.
Missouri (1-1) will face Arizona State next weekend.
For more on Mizzou football, visit Missouri blog Rock M Nation, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills, SB Nation Kansas City and SB Nation St. Louis. For more on UGA football, visit Georgia blog Dawg Sports, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills and SB Nation Atlanta.