University of Georgia Athletics
Stackhouse INT One Great Catch Among Many
November 04, 2023 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Walking past Sanford Stadium about 30 minutes after Georgia's hard-fought 30-21 win over Missouri on Saturday night were a man and woman in matching white No. 19 jerseys with "BOWERS" on the back. They both had their chair-back seats in one hand and a smile on their faces.
About 10 minutes later, a father and son in matching black No. 19 jerseys with "BOWERS" on the back were walking on the sidewalk along Sanford Drive. They were moving much faster than the jammed up traffic after a win that wasn't decided until late in the fourth quarter. They, too, appeared to be in good spirits after Georgia's 26th win in a row.
Though neither got to see No. 19, the Bulldogs' star tight end Brock Bowers, make plays the way he has so often during the past three seasons — Bowers missed his second game in a row after ankle surgery — there was no shortage of great and pivotal catches by Georgia players.
Of course, nobody could have predicted that one of the most important would come from 6-foot-3 and 320-pound defensive lineman Nazir Stackhouse. Not even Stackhouse himself.
"It's unreal," the smiling senior said about his fourth-quarter interception of a Brady Cook pass near midfield.
At the time of Stackhouse's interception, Georgia, ranked No. 2 in this week's first College Football Playoff ranking, led No. 12 Mizzou 27-21 with about eight minutes left in the game. The Tigers had a first down at the 50 when Cook dropped back and basically threw it right to big No. 78 in the red jersey.
"I was just making sure he didn't pump-fake me. I wanted to bat the ball, and he threw it right in my hands," said Stackhouse, a senior.
Bowers, who suffered his injury at Vanderbilt on Oct. 14, remains Georgia's leading receiver with 41 catches for 567 yards and four touchdowns. But as the Bulldogs have shown all season, including Saturday and last week during their 43-20 win over Florida, Georgia has plenty of good options for quarterback Carson Beck, who finished 21 of 32 for 254 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday.
Of the seven Bulldogs that caught passes against Missouri, all seven had a long reception of at least 11 yards. Ladd McConkey, this week's SEC Offensive Player of the Week after catching six passes for 135 yards and a touchdown against Florida, again led the way, finishing with seven catches for 95 yards.
"When someone needs to make a play, they step up and do it," said McConkey, who missed the first four games with a back injury but is looking more and more like the dangerous wideout that caught 58 passes last season.
Dominic Lovett, who at this time a year ago was catching passes for Missouri, had four receptions for 33 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown that put the Bulldogs up 10-7 early in the second quarter. With his four catches Saturday, Lovett now has 39 this season, just two behind Bowers.
Rara Thomas, the Mississippi State transfer, now has 20 this season after his three-catch performance Saturday. Tight end Oscar Delp, who caught just four passes as a freshman last season while playing as a backup, continued to make his presence felt in the passing game. Delp had three catches for 33 yards Saturday, and his 5-yard touchdown catch with 38 seconds left in the third quarter put Georgia up 24-13.
With Bowers out, Delp has continued to emerge. He had two catches for 31 yards against Florida, and was a difference-maker against Missouri. He now has 18 receptions and three touchdowns this season.
"It's good to just get in here every week, play as hard as you can, and see the results out on the field," said Delp, who had a 23-yard reception in the fourth quarter to help Georgia take a 27-21 lead on a Peyton Woodring 30-yard field goal with 8:59 remaining.
Running back Daijun Edwards had to work hard for his 77 rushing yards Saturday, needing 16 carries. But he added two catches for 28 yards, including a 23-yarder when Beck rolled to his right before dropping the ball off for Edwards, who got most of his yards after the catch. That drive ended in a 15-yard Kendall Milton touchdown run, making it 17-13 Bulldogs.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint's only catch went for 18 yards, but it came on Georgia's first touchdown drive, moving the ball from the Bulldog 30 to the 48. That drive ended when Beck threw a short screen to Lovett, who ran it in for a 6-yard score and a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Stackhouse's interception wasn't the only one. Safety Javon Bullard made a diving grab for a pick on Missouri's final drive. But it was the big man's that will be replayed over and over. It was one great and pivotal catch among many Saturday, but without a doubt the most fun.
"That was my favorite play of the season so far," Delp said of Stackhouse's interception.
Asked when he'd last had the ball in his hands during a game, Stackhouse said it was his senior year at Columbia (Ga.) High School. He scored a touchdown while playing as a fullback on offense.
"It's a dream come true for a defensive lineman," Stackhouse said, adding that it was the first interception of his entire football career.
Perfect timing.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
