COLUMBIA, Mo. — An otherwise close game turned into a blowout in the fourth quarter, as the 7th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs beat the Missouri Tigers 41-20 on Saturday night at Faurot Field.

Defense was on tap in the first half. The game was tied 3-3 late in the second quarter. A 41-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback James Franklin to junior wide receiver Marcus Lucas gave the Tigers a 10-3 lead with 1:30 to play.

Georgia (2-0, 1-0 SEC) answered with a 5-play 71-yard TD drive to cut the deficit to 10-9 at halftime.

The Tigers (1-1, 0-1 SEC) took a 17-9 lead in the third quarter with a 69-yard TD pass from Franklin to junior WR L’Damian Washington. Mizzou maintained a 20-17 lead late in the third quarter, but watched it quickly slip away in the fourth.

The Bulldogs went on a 5-play 72-yard drive to take a 24-20 lead, one they wouldn’t relinquish. Senior WR Marlon Brown finished the night with eight catches for 106 yards and 2 TD’s.

A slew of turnovers sent Mizzou into a downward spiral.

Down 27-20 with 8 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Franklin threw an interception on Mizzou’s 20-yard line. Georgia returned it to the one-yard line, and added a rushing TD to go up 34-20.

On the ensuing drive, Franklin fumbled the ball after being sacked by Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones. The Bulldogs took over on Mizzou’s five-yard line, and quickly put the nail in the coffin with a rushing TD to take a 41-20 lead.

Next up, the Tigers host the Arizona State Sun Devils next Saturday night at Faurot Field.