Ole Miss Stuns Georgia in Sugar Bowl Thriller, Punches Ticket to College Football Playoff Semifinals

A Night to Remember in New Orleans

New Orleans—Under the lights of the Caesars Superdome, Ole Miss rewrote its storybook season in real time, toppling No. 1 Georgia 34-31 to seize the Sugar Bowl and a coveted spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The Final Drive That Shook the Bayou

With 1:47 left and the score knotted at 31, Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart coolly engineered a 68-yard march that ended with a 42-yard Caden Davis field goal as the clock hit zeros. The roar from the red-and-blue half of the stadium rattled the press-box windows.

“We’ve been betting on ourselves since August,” Dart said, eyes still glassy. “Tonight the house paid off.”

Georgia’s Bid for Back-to-Back Titles Snapped

The Bulldogs entered on a 15-game win streak and as 7.5-point favorites, but a pair of second-half interceptions from Carson Beck—both in Ole Miss territory—proved fatal. Georgia’s final possession died at its own 38 when Beck’s fourth-and-10 pass ricocheted off a helmet and into the turf.

Key Numbers That Tell the Story

• Ole Miss out-rushed Georgia 212-138, the first time the Bulldogs lost the ground battle all year.
• Rebels’ defense sacked Beck four times after he had been taken down only 11 times in the regular season.
• Ole Miss converted 9-of-15 third downs; Georgia managed 4-of-13.

What’s Next

The Rebels (12-1) will face No. 2 Washington in the Rose Bowl semifinal on New Year’s Day, while Georgia (13-1) heads home to ponder an offseason of what-ifs. For Oxford, Mississippi, the party is just beginning.