ATHENS, Ga. — It couldn’t have gone much worse for Missouri on Saturday.

Quarterback Austin Simmons threw his worst pass of the season on the first play of the game: an interception tossed directly at Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson, who ran it back to Missouri’s 7-yard line. Georgia running back Nate Frazier plunged in a touchdown two plays later. 

After getting the ball back, Missouri exited the field almost as quickly as its opponent did the drive before, just for the wrong reason. The Tigers gained two yards in three plays and punted the ball away, allowing Georgia to march 60 yards downfield to the end zone immediately after. 

Missouri, down 14-0 less than 5 minutes into its do-or-die, season-on-the-line game, was in a precarious spot — perhaps the worst position it had faced all year. Ranked No. 22 in the College Football Playoff rankings heading into the matchup, the Tigers almost certainly needed to win each of their next three games to have a chance at making the 12-team tournament. 

And with its back against the wall, facing fourth-and-2 on its own 46-yard line trailing two touchdowns, no punch was thrown. Coach Eli Drinkwitz chose to punt the ball — and Missouri’s season — away. 

Circumstances continued to worsen for Simmons and Missouri. Simmons completed just one pass in Missouri’s first five drives — a -4-yard pass to Naeshaun Montgomery — matching the quarterback’s interception total. Missouri picked up just one first down in its first five drives, also matching Simmons’ interception total through the period. 

For Georgia, the opposite: The Bulldogs scored four touchdowns and a field goal on their first five drives, building up a 31-0 lead early in the second quarter and entering the locker room at half up 31-7. The beatdown continued in the second half, with Georgia trampling the Tigers to a final score of 48-21.

Only after facing its largest deficit of the season did Missouri begin to show life. All of Missouri’s 21 points were scored, all two of its’ third-down conversions and all but 31 of its total yards were gained after going down 31 points. In fact, Missouri didn’t successfully convert a third-down attempt until over halfway through the third quarter, when running back Jamal Roberts gained 5 yards on third-and-1. 

Missouri’s third-down offense plummeted, picking up a first down just two times on 11 tries. Notably, wide receiver Cayden Lee, who’s been a favorite target of Simmons’ on third down this season, was not targeted on a single third down; Montgomery, Jordon Harris and Caleb Goodie were the only Tigers targeted in the air in such instances. 

Simmons finished the night completing 17 of his 25 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns, a line far misguiding of his performance when it mattered. Olugbode was the only wideout to total more than 50 receiving yards, topping the group at 67. Missouri's ground game wasn't any better, trudging to 102 yards by averaging 3.2 yards per carry.

And if you thought Missouri's special teams were, for once, safe from disaster, think again, because Blake Craig missed his lone try — a 29-yarder with 1:11 left in the game — as the clock dwindled down, his third miss from within 40 yards in the last two games.

On the contrary, Georgia's offense did just about anything it wanted to against a lifeless Missouri team. Seven different skill-position Bulldogs gained 20 or more yards on a single play, Georgia gained 23 first downs and exploded for its SEC-high 48 points because of it. 

Even Georgia’s backups, quarterback Ryan Puglisi and running back Chauncey Bowens, finished off a fourth-quarter game scoring drive that ended in the Bulldogs’ sixth touchdown of the night, courtesy of Bowens. While his waltz to the end zone was the final score, it was far after the actual final blow was delivered. 

Missouri (6-4, 3-4 SEC) will next play Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium.