Dawgs Win

FOOTBALL

Georgia (3-2, 2-1 SEC) ran its winning streak to three with today’s 24-10 victory over Mississippi State (2-3, 0-3 SEC). During this streak, Georgia has outscored the opposition 110-23. For the season, Georgia has outscored its opponents 58-10 in the first quarter. Georgia leads the series with MSU 17-6 including 10-2 in Athens.

Georgia’s defense held MSU to three points total including a shutout in the second half. MSU scored its lone touchdown on an interception return covering 72 yards by Darius Slay. It was the second by an opponent this year as South Carolina’s Antonio Allen had a 25-yarder. In the first half, MSU had just 115 yards on 33 plays, and for the game, a total of 213 yards on 67 plays. Georgia has held opponents to a combined 16 points in the first half over the last three games.

UGA registered four sacks in the first half, two by OLB Cornelius Washington and one each for OLB Jarvis Jones and N John Jenkins. UGA had five sacks coming into the game and matched that.

For the third time in his career, freshman Isaiah Crowell eclipsed the 100-yard mark as he had 22 carries for 104 yards.

Junior TE and game captain Orson Charles (3 rec., 46 yards) hauled in a 21-yard touchdown from QB Aaron Murray in the first minutes of the opening quarter to put Georgia up 7-0. Charles’ scoring catch was his team-leading fourth of the year.
Freshman FLK Malcolm Mitchell (5 rec., 60 yards) made it 14-3 with a 6-yard touchdown grab at the 1:58 mark in the first quarter. Mitchell has caught three touchdowns this season. Murray now has 13 TD passes on the year and finished 13-of-25 for 160 yards with two TDs and three INTs against MSU. Also of note, freshman receiver Chris Conley had the first catch of his career (an 8 yarder) in the final two minutes of the second quarter.

Junior CB Sanders Commings had his first interception of the year and his fifth of his career late in the second quarter deep in UGA territory. Junior TB Carlton Thomas ran in a 7-yard touchdown later to give the Dawgs a 21-3 lead. The UGA drive was eight plays for 81 yards. In the third quarter, CB Brandon Boykin stripped the ball and Commings recovered it on the MSU 15. UGA responded with a 28-yard field goal by Blair Walsh. Junior Shawn Williams snagged an INT, the first of his career, with 1:11 left as the Dawgs ran out the clock.

Georgia has forced 11 turnovers and converted them into 34 points. Murray threw his fourth interception of the year at the 8:32 mark in the second quarter. Mississippi State failed to score following the turnover. Georgia’s quarterback threw his fifth pick of the year at the 3:34 mark. But MSU’s Chris Relf threw an INT of his own at the 3:05 mark to give the ball back. Murray’s sixth pick came at the 8:31 mark of the fourth quarter and was a pick-six by Darius Slay for 72 yards. Opponents have scored 35 points off nine Dawg miscues. Murray’s three picks today matched his season total and tied a career-high versus Florida last year.

Junior ILB Mike Gilliard led the way with nine stops while junior FS Bacarri Rambo, senior Brandon Boykin and freshman Amarlo Herrera had six apiece.

Redshirt freshman receiver Michael Bennett made his first start for the Dawgs. Also, junior ILB Christian Robinson returned to action in the first quarter after missing the last two games with a foot injury while junior receiver Marlon Brown played for the first time in two weeks after injuring his ankle.

Senior FLK Israel Troupe sat out the game with a right knee bruise.

Georgia’s captains on Saturday were junior TE Orson Charles, junior FS Bacarri Rambo, senior RT Justin Anderson and junior OLB Cornelius Washington.

The Dawgs (3-2, 2-1 SEC) travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to face the Volunteers (3-1, 0-1 SEC). ESPN will televise the game at 7 p.m.