Mizzou football has a history of keeping games competitive vs. Georgia and Kirby Smart

After the game, the coaches of both teams jogged across the field and embraced. For Mizzou, that was Barry Odom, and for Georgia, Kirby Smart.

A decade later, Smart remains at the helm of a renowned Georgia program. Missouri is led by coach Eli Drinkwitz, who is preparing his team to face the top-ranked Bulldogs for the fifth time in his tenure. Mizzou hits the road to compete against Georgia at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and, if history is any indication, it could be a better game than people think.

Drinkwitz is winless against the Bulldogs, but he recognizes the elite challenge that Smart and his team present. He respects every coach he faces, but especially Smart. He made this clear when addressing the media Tuesday.

“When we talk about Georgia, (there is) zero doubt that it’s the benchmark for the league right now,” Drinkwitz said. “The way that coach Smart runs his program, the philosophical identity that he has in offense, defense and special teams (and) the way his team plays consistently down in and down out… It's what everybody in our conference is chasing. He does it the right way and always has.”

Missouri and Georgia have met 12 times since the Tigers joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012. During that stretch, the Tigers have found victory just one time.

In 2013, Missouri was a strong team. Its success was somewhat surprising considering it was Mizzou’s second year in the SEC. Despite that, the Tigers finished the season with a 12-2 record (7-1 SEC). They went on the road and handled then-No. 7 Georgia, 41-26.

Missouri recorded fewer yards of total offense than the Bulldogs, and it wasn’t particularly close. The Tigers logged 375 to Georgia’s 454 while picking up twice as many penalties. The difference was the turnovers. Mizzou played clean, ending the game with no turnovers, while Georgia had four.

Drinkwitz has emphasized ball security throughout this season, and this will surely be critical against Georgia’s elite defense. In the heartbreaking loss back in 2016, Missouri turned the ball over... a lot.

The Tigers fumbled twice, and quarterback Drew Lock threw three interceptions. In fact, once the Bulldogs had taken the lead, Mizzou had 1:21 to try to take it back. On the very first play of the drive, wide receiver J’Mon Moore fumbled. Georgia recovered, took a knee, and that was that.

This year, the Bulldogs have recorded 31 sacks, eight interceptions and recovered 12 fumbles. It may be harder to attack Missouri’s offense, which is led by quarterback Austin Simmons.

Simmons is calm, cool and collected. He rarely looks flustered, and he rarely turns the ball over. His touchdown-to-interception ratio is 18-to-2, and his ability to keep the ball out of jeopardy could be the difference for the Tigers.

This 2026 Mizzou squad may not be as good as it was in 2013, but anyone who is completely counting the Tigers out against Georgia might want to think again. Missouri’s 1-11 record against the Bulldogs looks bad, and some of the losses were just that: bad.

Whether it was getting shut out twice or losing by 37 points in 2021, the Tigers have been humbled by the Bulldogs more than once. But Mizzou has also made several of the matchups competitive, going toe-to-toe with what is consistently one of the best teams in the nation.

Missouri’s 2015 matchup against Georgia was not exactly a feast for the eyes. The final score came out to be 9-6 in favor of the Bulldogs, and both teams could never get their offenses going. The Tigers logged just 21 rushing yards. That's comparable to the 39 they put up this season against then-No. 10 Ole Miss in a blowout road loss.

So, how did Mizzou manage to keep it close with Georgia about a decade ago while getting dismantled 31-3 by Ole Miss this season? The difference was the defenses.

In 2015, the Tigers limited Georgia’s quarterback at the time, Greyson Lambert, to 178 passing yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss wreaked havoc, throwing for 241 yards and three touchdowns.

Recall that in 2013, when Missouri claimed its only win over the Bulldogs, Georgia turned the ball over four times. Similarly, when Georgia bested Mizzou 26-22 in 2022, the Tigers won the turnover battle 2-0.

Missouri can take some lessons from that more recent game. At the time, the Bulldogs were the No. 1-ranked team in the country, just as they are now.

Missouri jumped out to a 13-0 lead, but the Tigers failed to keep their foot on the gas when it mattered most. They gave up the lead for the first time with 4:04 left in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs fought back, scoring their only two touchdowns of the game in that final frame. In the end, they overpowered Missouri, posting an impressive 481 yards of total offense. That Georgia team went on to win the College Football Playoff Championship.

“Coach (Smart) always talks about physicality, and that's something that we try to pride ourselves on,” Drinkwitz said. “I think one of the compliments that I take a lot of pride in is when people comment (on) how hard our team plays. I think when you watch their team, they play hard.”

Missouri should aim not just to play hard but to start fast. This season, Mizzou has struggled to get going early. The Tigers have scored first-quarter touchdowns just three times. If they can’t score and end up in a deficit early, it could get ugly for Missouri.

The Tigers and Bulldogs most recently met up in 2023. Again, Georgia was ranked No. 1. Though the game was tied 10-10 at halftime, the Bulldogs outscored Mizzou 14-3 in the third quarter to propel them to a 30-21 victory.

Mizzou has forced many competitive games against the Bulldogs throughout the years. Even when the Tigers have appeared to be the obviously inferior team, they have risen to the occasion and forced the Bulldogs to be at their best. Now, Georgia quite literally is the best, sitting pretty as the No. 1 team in the nation, while Missouri has fallen in the rankings.

On paper, the game between the Tigers and Bulldogs looks like it might be a blowout. In reality, it might not be so straightforward. The matchups in 2015, 2016, 2022 and 2023 prove that the Tigers can put up a fight. They have only won that fight one time.

If Mizzou wants to do what it did in 2013, it will need to excel in two areas: protecting the football and starting fast. The Tigers face Georgia at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Athens, Georgia.