ATHENS, Ga. — In a game often controlled by the defenses, the No. 2-ranked Georgia football team forced four turnovers, returning one for a touchdown, and rolled to a 41-13 win over Oklahoma in front of a sellout crowd of 93.033 on Saturday afternoon at Sanford Stadium.
Georgia linebacker Chris Cole’s 85-yard fumble return for a touchdown was part of a 21-point second quarter for the Bulldogs, who led 28-0 at halftime. Cole finished with a pair of fumble recoveries, safety KJ Bolden had an interception, and safety Rasean Dinkins also had a fumble recovery. Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC) had a combined 137 return yards on the four takeaways.
Linebacker Raylen Wilson, who forced one of the fumbles, led the Bulldogs with 11 tackles, including a sack. Cole added eight tackles and a sack. A week after holding Arkansas to 17 rushing yards on 20 carries, Georgia held Oklahoma to 65 yards on 35 attempts.
Bulldog quarterback Gunner Stockton completed his first nine passes, one of them a 35-yarder for a touchdown, and finished the game 14 of 25 for 171 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Wideout Talyn Taylor had a big game receiving, catching four passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.
After both teams punted on their opening drives, Georgia drove 79 yards in 11 plays — converting a fourth-and-2 inside the Sooner 20-yard line — and took a 7-0 lead on Chauncey Bowens’ 2-yard touchdown run. Earlier in the drive, Stockton hit Taylor for a 30-yard gain to the Sooner 46 on third-and-7. Later, on fourth down at the 11, Stockton rolled right and found tight end Ethan Barbour for a 3-yard gain.
On first-and-goal at the 8, Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1) was called for pass interference in the end zone, giving Georgia a first down at the 2. Bowens, who ran for three scores last week at Arkansas, ran right and dove into the end zone to give the Bulldogs the lead with 3:16 left in the first quarter. Through four games, Georgia has outscored its opponents 63-0 in the opening quarter.
Georgia stuffed the Sooners on their next possession, and the Bulldog offense took over at their 46 after a 13-yard punt return by Sacovie White-Helton. A few plays later, Stockton fired a dart down the left hash mark to Taylor for a 35-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 14:20 left in the half. It was Stockton’s ninth completion in as many attempts, for 98 yards, to start the game.
The Sooner offense put some long pass plays together and drove inside the Georgia 20 on the ensuing possession. On third-and-goal at the 2, Sooner quarterback John Mateer rolled to his left and tried to throw or pump fake a throw — either way, the ball slipped out of his hand and Cole picked it up and returned the fumble 85 yards for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead. It was the second career touchdown for Cole, who recovered a fumble and ran 28 yards for a score against UMass in 2024.
Georgia’s defense made another big play on Oklahoma’s next drive, with Bolden intercepting a Mateer pass and returning it 28 yards to the Georgia 47. It was the junior’s fourth career interception. The Bulldogs couldn’t take advantage of the turnover, going three-and-out. No worries, though, because the defense took the ball away yet again.
Facing a fourth-and-1 at their 43, the Sooners went for the first down. Mateer was quickly under pressure and scrambling to his right. Wilson, who pressured Mateer on his interception, this time stripped the quarterback and Cole again scooped up the loose ball. He returned it 23 yards to the Bulldog 11. Two plays later, Bowens ran the ball in from the 6 for a 28-0 lead with 57 seconds to play in the half.
Oklahoma got the ball to start the second half and gained a yard on three plays before punting. The Sooners then made their first big defensive play, intercepting a Stockton pass at the UGA 35 on the ensuing possession. The Sooners got on the scoreboard with 10:26 left in the quarter on Mateer’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Rocky Beers. The Sooners opted for a 2-point attempt, and the Bulldogs’ Wilson and Elijah Griffin stuffed the rush, keeping the Georgia lead 28-6.
Georgia’s defense got its fourth turnover of the game midway through the third quarter, when Beers fumbled after an 8-yard catch and Rasean Dinkins recovered the ball at the Sooner 28. The Bulldogs ultimately had to settle for a 45-yard Peyton Woodring field goal, pushing the lead to 31-6 with 7:58 to go in the period.
The turnovers continued on Georgia’s next drive, when Bowens was stripped on a third-down rush and the Sooners recovered at the Georgia 37. The Bulldog defense got three big stops, including a sack by Josh Horton on second down, and then the Sooners missed a 54-yard field-goal attempt.
Georgia and Oklahoma, two of the nine college football programs with more than 900 all-time wins, were meeting for just the second time ever. Their first meeting, in the 2018 Rose Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup, was one of the greatest games ever played. The back-and-forth battle ended in the second overtime period, when Bulldog running back Sony Michel took a direct snap and ran the ball in for a 27-yard touchdown and a 54-48 win.
This game was nothing like that one, but the Bulldogs again came away with a win. The offenses dominated that Rose Bowl, with some key defensive stops thrown in, while Saturday’s game had the defenses, especially Georgia’s, making most of the big plays. Entering the fourth quarter, Georgia had just 173 yards of offense — a number made lower by the returns after turnovers — while Oklahoma had 210. At that point, Georgia was 2 of 9 on third down and the Sooners were 1 of 9.
In the fourth quarter, Georgia’s offense showed some explosiveness. After Bowens turned a screen pass into a 24-yard gain to the Bulldog 46, Dwight Phillips Jr. took a handoff to the right side and outran everyone for a 54-yard touchdown, the longest of his career. That pushed the lead to 38-6 with 12:33 remaining. Woodring’s extra point was his 201st in a row, setting a new Georgia and SEC record (and breaking Bulldog legend Rodrigo Blankenship’s old mark).
Later in the period, Stockton hit Taylor for a 41-yard completion to the Sooner 26. Woodring’s 49-yard field goal made it 41-6 with 8:13 remaining. Oklahoma scored on a 14-yard pass with 3:23 remaining to make it 41-13.
The Bulldogs are back between the hedges next week to take on Vanderbilt on Homecoming. Georgia is 61-20-2 all-time against the Commodores, including six straight wins.
POST-GAME NOTES
*SEC Success And Piling Up The Points: With a 41-13 victory today, the Bulldogs improved to 2-0 in the SEC this season and 32-4 in SEC home games in the Kirby Smart era. Overall, the Bulldogs are now 59-5 in SEC games under Smart. With the latest win, the Bulldogs lead the overall series with OU 2-0.
*The Bulldogs now have scored 219 points this year, and that’s the best four-game total to start a season since 1910 (237).
*Georgia has scored 40+ points in all four games to start a season for the first time since 2018.
*Second-ranked Georgia has a 4-0 start for the seventh time in 11 seasons under Smart.
*Defensive Review: OU finished with 13 points on 296 yards of offense on 69 plays. The final score came with 3:23 left and trailing 41-6.
*In the first half, OU posted no points, tallying 140 yards of offense (1-rush, 139-pass) on 33 plays.
*Today marked Georgia’s first shutout in the first half since the 2025 SEC Championship Game win over Alabama.
*Georgia has not allowed any points in the 1st quarter this year, outscoring its opponents 63-0 in the 1st and 133-12 in the 1st half.
*Georgia has blanked its opponents in the 3rd quarter this year, outscoring them 38-0.
*OU managed one first down and 13 yards on its first possession before having to punt. On its second drive, OU had a three-and-out for no gain.
*Down 14-0, OU responded with a 60-yard drive to the UGA 2 before a John Mateer fumble on an sack, forced fumble scoop and score by Chris Cole for an 85-yard Bulldog TD.
*Cole’s fumble return for a TD was the first by a Bulldog since the 2026 Sugar Bowl when Daylen Everette scooped up one for 47 yards versus #6 Ole Miss. Cole’s 85-yard fumble return was the fourth longest in Georgia history, and the longest since 2015 when Leonard Floyd returned one 96 yards at Tennessee. Cole’s ranks second longest in Sanford Stadium, trailing only Damian Swann’s record 99-yarder vs Ga. Tech in 2014.
*Georgia now has had 35 scores by either the defense or special teams under Kirby Smart including two TDs this year.
*Up 21-0 in the 2nd quarter, junior KJ Bolden notched his first INT of the year and fourth of his career. He returned it 28 yards to the UGA 47. It did not lead to any points.
*On a 4th-and 1 attempt, Bulldog senior LB Raylen Wilson forced a John Mateer fumble, and it was scooped up by Chris Cole again (2nd of day) and took it 23 yards to the OU 11. It led to an eventual six-yard Chauncey Bowens TD and a 28-0 lead with 57 seconds left in the first half.
*Chris Cole is the first Bulldog with two fumble recoveries in a game since Roquan Smith in the 2017 SEC Championship Game win over #10 Auburn. He tallied a career-high eight stops and one sack today too.
*Sophomore SS Rasean Dinkins forced a fumble and recovered a fumble to give UGA the ball at the OU28. It led to a FG and a 31-6 lead.
*Senior linebacker Raylen Wilson had a team-high 11 tackles, one sack, 1.5 TFL and a forced fumble.
*Offensive Review: Georgia finished with 41 points today on 308 yards of offense (131-rush, 177-pass) on 53 plays.
*In the first half, Georgia tallied 28 points on 150 yards of offense (47-rush, 103-pass) on 24 plays with the defense (Chris Cole) accounting for one TD and setting up another. The defense now has two TDs on the year while special teams has one.
*Georgia was forced to punt on its opening possession for the first time this season, gaining nine yards on three plays.
*Fifth-year QB Gunner Stockton finished the day 14-for-25 for 171 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. He helped the Bulldogs build a 28-0 halftime lead. In the first half, he was 10-for-12 for 103 yards and one TD. He had his first INT of the year on his first attempt of the 2nd half.
On the 2nd possession of the day, Stockton connected for a 30-yard gain to Talyn Taylor (4 rec., 110 yards, 1 TD) to convert a 3rd-and-7 to the OU. Then on 4th-and-2 from the OU 11, Stockton hit sophomore tight end Ethan Barbour for three yards.
*Junior TB Chauncey Bowens (9 rushes 26 yards, 2 TDs) finished an 11-play, 79-yard drive with a two-yard TD plunge for a 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter. The drive took a season-high 6:56. For Bowens it gave him his 4th TD in his past 15 carries after having three TDs in 11 attempts at Arkansas last week. Bowens added another TD in the 2nd quarter so he’s had five TDs in his past 17 attempts.
*Georgia began its third drive at the UGA46, and it culminated with a 35-yard TD pass to Talyn Taylor. The 5 play, 54-yard drive took 2:11 for a 14-0 lead with 14:20 left in the first half. For Taylor, it was his third TD catch of the season and career. At that point in the game, Stockton was 9-for-9 for 98 yards. Stockton and Taylor connected for a 41-yard reception in the 4th quarter to give him his first career 100+ receiving yard game.
*Sophomore Dwight Phillips Jr., (8 rushes, career-high 84 yards, 1 TD) scampered a career-long 54 yards for a TD to make it 38-6 following an SEC and Georgia record-setting PAT by Peyton Woodring. It was Woodring’s 201st consecutive PAT.
*Special Teams Summary As Woodring Sets SEC PAT Mark: Senior PK Peyton Woodring scored 11 points on five PATs and two field goals (45- & 49-yarders) plus he took care of the kickoffs. In the first half, he tied the SEC and Georgia career record for consecutive PATs and then set the mark with his 201st consecutive PAT. The previous mark of 200-for-200 was held by Georgia’s Rodrigo Blankenship from 2016-19.
*Junior Drew Miller finished with a career-best 50.0 average on five punts, landing three inside the 20 and three of at least 50 yards.
*Points Off Turnovers: Georgia scored 17 points of four turnovers. For the year, the Bulldogs have scored 52 points off nine turnovers.
*OU got six points off two Bulldog miscues. OU snagged one INT at the UGA 35, and it led to a TD to make it 28-6 in the 3rd quarter. Later in the 3rd quarter, OU recovered a fumble at the UGA 37. It led to a missed FG. For the season, Georgia +5 in Turnover Margin.
*Captains, Coin Toss And For Starters: Georgia’s captains were Drew Bobo, Gunner Stockton, Chris Cole and Quintavius Johnson.
*OU won the toss and elected to defer the football until the 2nd half. Freshman Craig Dandridge Jr., (WR) made his first career start.
*Junior Chauncey Bowens (TB) got the start as Nate Frazier, who started the first three games, did not play as he was a game-time decision.
*Up Next: No. 2 Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC) faces Vanderbilt here on Sat., Oct. 3rd at either Noon or 12:45 (TV-TBA). VU (3-0) is at Auburn today.
POST-GAME QUOTES
Coming soon.