Georgia’s 35-15 win over Ole Miss in 2001 is perhaps one of the more underappreciated Bulldog victories in the early part of this century. The week before during what was Mark Richt’s initial season at Georgia, the Bulldogs had endured a disheartening loss to Auburn on the goal line at home to fall to 5-3. Yet, the very next week, after trailing 9-7 at halftime, Georgia routed the Rebels before going on the road at Georgia Tech the following week and upsetting the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta.
For his game-clinching pick-six in Oxford, Jermaine Phillips snuck under a short slant route playing zone coverage in a “robber” defense and intercepted Eli Manning’s errant pass at his own 18-yard line. Aided by a host of blockers, the senior safety cruised down his right sideline. Around Ole Miss’ 20-yard line, Manning had an angle to possibly make a tackle but, according to Phillips following the game, “I knew I couldn’t let [Manning] tackle me because I’d never hear the end of it from my teammates.”
Mentioned here before, Eli always had a hard time against Georgia, especially when you compare his results to that of his father, Archie, and brother, Peyton. As a freshman in 2000, Eli came off the bench in a 32-14 loss in Athens. This was followed with starts against Georgia in 2001 and 2002, and losses by a combined 66-to-32 score. On the other hand, Archie at Ole Miss (1968-1970) was 2-1 in starts against Georgia; Peyton at Tennessee (1994-1997) was 3-0 (he didn’t play against the Bulldogs as a freshman in 1994).
Of course, coming off the bench a few weeks ago in Austin, the newest Manning, grandson/nephew Arch, became the fourth in the family to face Georgia—and the third Manning to lose the initial time he faced the Bulldogs.
The Mannings career statistics against Georgia (first three appeared in three games; Arch has appeared in one):
ARCHIE: 42 of 84 (50%) for 589, 6 TD, 7 interceptions—115.8 rating (also rushed for 62 net yards and a TD on 33 carries)
PEYTON: 88 of 119 (74%) for 1063, 8 TD, 2 interceptions—167.8 rating
ELI: 52 of 84 (62%) for 497, 2 TD, 4 interceptions—109.9 rating
ARCH: 3 of 6 (50%) for 19, 0 TD, 0 interceptions—76.6 rating (also rushed for minus-1 net yards on 4 carries)
