Dawgs Lose Third SEC Game

FOOTBALL

Mississippi State posted a 24-12 win over Georgia tonight, its first win over Georgia since 1974. Georgia had won the past nine meetings and dropped to 4-2 all-time here in Starkville and 16-6 overall. Georgia (1-3, 0-3 SEC) has now lost three straight games for the first time since 1990 when it dropped its last four that season to finish 4-7. Also, tonight Georgia fell to 0-3 in the SEC for the first time since 1993.

Senior FLK Kris Durham recorded four catches for 64 yards to lead Georgia. Durham had a career-high 101 yards versus Arkansas last week. Tonight, redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray finished with a career-high 18-for-31 with 274 yards and one TD, a 40-yarder to Tavarres King with 1:27 left in the contest. Also, Murray had seven rushes for 32 yards. With senior FB Shaun Chapas still slowed with an ankle injury, senior FB Fred Munzenmaier started and tied career highs with three catches for 21 yards in the first two quarters.

Junior PK Blair Walsh drilled a 25-yard field goal early in the second quarter and then a 35 yarder in the last minutes of that quarter. Walsh is now 7-for-7 on the year and 42-for-52 in his career.

Junior CB Brandon Boykin had three kickoff returns for 69 yards. This total gives him 1,215 kickoff return yards in his career on 48 returns. Boykin is now No. 2 on Georgia’s all-time list. Gene Washington (1973-76, 71 ret. for 1,637) is the school record holder.

Georgia forced one turnover versus MSU. Senior OLB Darryl Gamble snagged the third interception of his career on a MSU trick play midway through the second quarter. This was the Bulldogs’ fourth INT of the season and Gamble’s first since grabbing two against LSU in Baton Rouge in 2008. Following Gamble’s INT, Georgia went three-and-out.

The Dawgs gave up a pair of turnovers. After hauling in a career-long 21-yard reception, sophomore TB Washaun Ealey fumbled the ball on the MSU goal line and Mississippi State got a touchback in the first quarter. MSU was unable to score off of the turnover.

Early in the second quarter, a Mississippi State punt glanced off of sophomore SS Bacarri Rambo and MSU recovered it. Gamble then made his interception with 8:16 left in the half. Georgia has forced five turnovers and converted them into 14 points while its opponents have scored 7 points off five Dawg miscues on the year.

Junior TB Caleb King returned to action in the opening period after missing the last two games with an ankle injury. He finished with nine carries for 23 yards.

Sophomore DE Abry Jones made his first start for Georgia.