Mississippi State did its best to keep pace with Georgia during Saturday’s college football game in Athens… until it didn’t. The visitors completely gave up during the second half of a blowout loss.
More specifically, defensive back Brylan Lanier completely gave up. Literally.
Georgia took a 27-10 lead into the locker room at halftime. It got the ball right back to begin the third quarter and quickly scored its fourth touchdown of the afternoon on three plays.
Carson Beck found a pair of receivers for two quick completions that went for 33 yards. He dropped back on 1st-and-10 at the Mississippi State 42-yard-line and completed his third-straight pass to the six.
Arian Smith was on the receiving end. Lanier was in single coverage. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety had the receiver wrapped up around the waist (high, but wrapped nonetheless) with an opportunity to make the tackle and save the touchdown. Smith was not going to score.
Lanier completely gave up. Instead of wrestling Smith to the ground, he just… let him go.
🤷♂️ Don't mind if we do.
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) October 12, 2024
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Linebacker Stone Blanton could not believe his eyes. Lanier gave the least amount of effort possible. In fact, he gave exactly zero effort.
Head coach Jeff Lebby is going to give Brylan Lanier a good old fashioned arse-chewing after the game. That is the single worst effort I have seen from any player in any college football in a very long time.
There was an opportunity for Mississippi State to line up Georgia at the goal line and try to hold them to three points. Lanier made a business decision instead. He allowed Smith to walk into the end zone without so much as a challenge. Both of his hands were wrapped around the pass-catcher’s midsection. All he had to do was pull him to the ground.