Georgia beats Oklahoma 41-13 as 4 brutal turnovers sink OU

No. 2 Georgia forced four turnovers and pulled away early as Georgia beats Oklahoma 41-13 on Saturday, Sept. 26, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. The Sooners’ first trip to Athens doubled as their SEC opener, and it unraveled before halftime, The Associated Press reported.

Georgia improved to 4-0 (2-0 SEC). Oklahoma fell to 2-2 (0-1).

How Georgia beats Oklahoma: Turnovers decide it

Chauncey Bowens opened the scoring with a 2-yard run late in the first quarter, and Gunner Stockton followed with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Talyn Taylor, according to Field Level Media.

The biggest swing came when Oklahoma reached the Georgia 2-yard line. John Mateer fumbled on third-and-goal, and linebacker Chris Cole returned it 85 yards for a touchdown, per the AP. Cole later recovered a second Mateer fumble, and K.J. Bolden intercepted Mateer as Georgia built a 28-0 halftime lead.

Georgia has now outscored opponents 63-0 in the first quarter this season, the AP reported.

Stockton, Bowens and Phillips star as Georgia beats Oklahoma

Stockton completed 14 of 25 passes for 171 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Taylor caught four passes for 110 yards. Bowens ran for two touchdowns, and Dwight Phillips Jr. added 84 rushing yards, including a 54-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Peyton Woodring made field goals of 45 and 49 yards.

Mateer finished 25 of 34 for 231 yards with touchdown passes to Rocky Beers and Manny Choice, but his three turnovers were costly. Beers also lost a fumble in the third quarter.

Oklahoma’s second-half push falls short

Oklahoma had a brief opening after halftime. Omarion Robinson intercepted Stockton on Georgia’s first possession of the third quarter, and Mateer turned it into a 17-yard touchdown pass to Beers. The Sooners missed the two-point try, leaving it 28-6, Field Level Media reported.

The momentum did not last. Beers fumbled on Oklahoma’s next drive, and Woodring’s 45-yard field goal pushed the lead to 31-6. After Bowens lost a fumble, Oklahoma’s Tate Sandell missed a 54-yard field goal. Phillips’ long run with 12:33 left made it 38-6, and Mateer’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Choice with 3:23 remaining only trimmed the final margin.

Oklahoma finished with comparable yardage, 296 total yards to Georgia’s 306, per the AP. The four giveaways were the difference.

What the coaches said

“We’ve got to get out of our own way and give ourselves an opportunity without being careless with the football,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said, according to the AP.

Before the game, Venables had praised Stockton as “a really good football player” and “a winner his whole life,” the AP reported.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart focused on the Bulldogs’ sloppy stretch after halftime. “Good teams don’t have lulls,” Smart said.

Why Georgia beats Oklahoma matters in the SEC race

Oklahoma entered the game leading the SEC in scoring defense and pass defense, per an AP preview. Smart called that unit “fundamentally sound, aggressive and attacking” during game week. The Sooners’ defense held Georgia to 306 yards, but the offense could not protect the ball. The Sooners were already out of the AP Top 25 after a 17-10 loss to Michigan and a 14-6 win over New Mexico.

The teams had not met since Georgia’s 54-48 double-overtime win over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2018, the AP noted. Georgia stayed at No. 2 in the AP poll released Sept. 27, behind No. 1 Texas, according to NCAA.com.

What’s next

Now that Georgia beats Oklahoma by 28 points, the Bulldogs turn to SEC play at home. They host Vanderbilt on Saturday, Oct. 3. Oklahoma is off this week before facing No. 1 Texas on Oct. 10 in the Red River Rivalry.

For more, see our college football coverage, our Alabama-Mississippi State preview and why Texas AD Chris Del Conte addressed the Longhorns’ celebrations.