Georgia took a 21-3 lead into halftime and held on for a decisive victory despite a sluggish second half by the offense. But Todd Grantham’s defense put in a productive day at the office by holding the visiting Bulldogs out of the end zone and causing three turnovers.
“We played great defense,” said head coach Mark Richt. “Our boys up front are getting the job done. Coach Grantham is doing a great job of making the right calls and we’re executing well.”
Things did not go as swimmingly on the other side of the ball, however, as QB Aaron Murray threw for a modest 160 yards with three interceptions. One of those picks was taken in for a State touchdown.
“Three picks is inexcusable,” said Richt. “We can’t do that and expect to win the games we’re about to play.”
One bright spot for the offense was the play of freshmen Isaiah Crowell and Malcolm Mitchell. Mitchell had five catches for 60 yards and a score while Crowell led all rushers with 104 yards. It was Crowell’s third game with more than 100 yards in his brief career.
Despite the feel-good nature of the win, Georgia’s woes in putting teams away persisted. This was especially evident in the third quarter when State botched a punt attempt at their own 14-yard line, giving the Bulldogs a prime opportunity to put the game out of reach. But the Dawgs sputtered on offense and faced a fourth-and-one at the Bulldog five. Richt elected to kick a field goal and, after a bad snap, the visitors found themselves with the ball three yards ahead from where they gave it to Georgia.
“I was really pleased with the defense, especially in the second half,” said Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen. “We made some adjustments at the half. As the game went on, our guys got more comfortable and were able to execute at a high level.”
Georgia got out in front right away, as the offense clicked on a 33-yard touchdown drive in the Bulldogs’ first possession of the game. Brandon Boykin set Murray and company up with a 30-yard punt return to the State 33. Three plays later, Murray connected with Orson Charles on a 21-yard touchdown pass.
Next week, the Bulldogs travel to Knoxville to face Tennessee. It is a place where Richt’s teams won three in a row from 2001-2005, but have since lost two in a row in blowout fashion. The Vols will come in 3-1 with a loss to Florida.
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