Dawgs Win 33-28 In Nashville

FOOTBALL

Georgia won its fifth in a row tonight, beating Vanderbilt 33-28 to improve to 5-2  overall, 4-1 in the SEC. The Dawgs lead the all-time series 52-18-2 and have won 16 of the last 17 meetings. Before this year, the last time Georgia won five in a row during a season was 2007 as it finished that year on a seven-game winning streak and then won its first four contests of the 2008 season.

With leading receiver Malcolm Mitchell not making the trip with a hamstring injury, junior Marlon Brown and redshirt freshman Michael Bennett stepped up with career-high nights, combining for eight catches for 210 yards. Brown finished with four catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns, marking his first 100-yard game.

In fact, sophomore QB Aaron Murray set career-highs in attempts, completions and yards tonight, going 22-for-38 for 326 yards. Murray had 3 TD passes and one interception. Murray connected with junior Brown for a 27-yard touchdown with under a minute to play in the first half. Murray then hit Brown for a career-long 75-yard touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter. This was the longest receiving touchdown for the Dawgs since Matthew Stafford hit Mohamed Massaquoi for an 84-yard score versus Florida in 2007. Murray has 40 career scoring passes, which is fourth in school history.

Senior PK Blair Walsh booted a 53-yard field goal at the 13:48 mark in the second quarter. Walsh is 2-for-4 from 50+ and 10-for-16 from 50+ in his career. He hit a career-long 56 yarder against Coastal Carolina earlier this season. He also added a 28 yarder in the second quarter and a 36 yarder and a 44 yarder in the third quarter to go along with three PATs to set a career high with 15 points. Walsh is now second in career points scored with 365. However, Walsh missed a 50 yarder and a 42 yarder and is 12-for-20 on the year. He became the fourth Dawg in history to attempt a school record six FGs in a game.

Junior TE Orson Charles blocked a punt in the second quarter after the punter dropped the snap. This was the second blocked punt for the Dawgs this year after freshman Corey Moore had one against Coastal Carolina. One play later tonight, QB Aaron Murray connected with SE Tavarres King for a 20-yard touchdown to give UGA a 10-0 lead. Vanderbilt’s special teams also blocked a punt in the fourth quarter with seven seconds remaining, the first by an opponent since Kentucky in 2008, Brian Mimbs was the Dawg punter.

Vanderbilt’s Andre Hal had a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 9:51 left in the third quarter. This was the first kickoff return for a touchdown against the Dawgs since Auburn’s Demond Washington had a 99-yard score in 2009.

Senior CB Brandon Boykin snagged an interception in Georgia’s end zone at the 7:28 mark in the opening period. The Dawgs were forced to punt four plays later. This is Boykin’s second INT this year and the eighth of his career (ninth for the team in 2011). The Dawgs’ pick was also their first turnover forced in the Red Zone and only technically the second Red Zone stop of the season for Georgia. #5 Boise State took a knee in the final play of the season opener.

In the second quarter, junior SS Shawn Williams had his second INT of the season and of his career. The Dawgs were forced to try a field goal after the turnover but missed. The Dawgs have 10 INTs this season. Georgia has forced 14 turnovers and converted them into 34 points. Opponents have scored 35 points off 10 Dawg miscues.

Vanderbilt’s Casey Hayward got an INT with 2:30 left in the contest at their own 2 yard line. It led to an INT by safety Bacarri Rambo as the Dawgs punted with 15 seconds left. Tonight, Georgia had three picks, matching the most since 3 versus Idaho State and Louisiana Lafayette last year.

Rambo led the Dawgs with eight stops tonight with Sanders Commings and Jarvis Jones next with six apiece.

Junior ILB Christian Robinson returned to the starting lineup for the first time since the South Carolina game. Robinson injured his foot versus the Gamecocks.

Georgia’s captains on Saturday were senior C Ben Jones, senior RT Cordy Glenn, junior SS Shawn Williams and redshirt freshman ILB Kosta Vavlas.

The Dawgs have an off-week before traveling to Jacksonville to face Florida on Saturday, October 29th, and it will be televised by CBS with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m.