In a game that was nothing short of a classic, Aaron Murray battled back and forth with former Georgia quarterback Zack Mettenberger, ultimately guiding the No. 9 Bulldogs to a 44-41 victory against the sixth-ranked LSU Tigers in front of a crowd of 92,746. Georgia is now 3-1 and 2-0 in the SEC.
Murray completed 20 of 34 passes for 298 yards and tossed four touchdowns, proving once again that he can win the big game. Late in the fourth quarter with 4:14 remaining in regulation, the Tampa native drove the Dawgs’ offense 65 yards in six plays and connected with the speedster Justin Scott-Wesley for a 25-yard touchdown–the go-ahead score.
The Bulldogs’ signal caller also moved up to second right behind David Greene for career passing yards with 11, 429. Murray trails Green (11,528) by 99 yards and should break the record next weekend when the Dawgs travel to Knoxville to play the Tennessee Volunteers.
Defensively, the Bulldogs showcased a bend but don’t break defense. The Dawgs’ defensive unit allowed 10 of 15 third downs to be converted. Mettenberger, who threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns, moved the LSU offense at will throughout the game. However, when it came down to the most crucial part of the game, LSU’s final drive, the Dawgs’ defense stepped up and didn’t “break,” forcing LSU to turn the ball over on downs.
The victory marks the first time in school history that the Bulldogs have beaten two top 10 opponents at Sanford Stadium in the same season. The Bulldogs also extended their home-winning streak to 15 games.
Defensive lineman Garrison Smith expressed his sentiment on the victory.
“It feels good; just to keep winning” said Smith. “They said we can’t win the big games; this is big.”
Smith also made it clear that the team has unfinished business.
“We’re not complacent and we’re not happy with this win, we’ve got to improve,” said Smith. We were giving them (LSU) stuff. If we want to win a national championship and get to our ultimate goal, we can’t make mistakes so we’ve just got keep improving and keep getting better every day, every week.”
Running back Todd Gurley also left the game with an ankle injury in the second quarter, having rushed for 73 yards on eight carries. Gurley returned to the bench with a walking boot.
With plenty of games left to be played, the battle-tested Dawgs are still alive in the race for a national title appearance.
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