In the final home game between the hedges at Sanford Stadium for the seniors, the Georgia Bulldogs started early and didn’t let up, ultimately defeating the visiting Kentucky Wildcats 59-17 on a frigid night in Athens.
In the victory, the Dawgs’ offense amassed a whopping 602 total yards to go along with 59 points, which is the largest scoring output since 2011 when the Dawgs played New Mexico. The Bulldogs outgained the Wildcats 602 to 211.
Senior quarterback Aaron Murray tied David Greene’s school record for a non-kicker with his 52nd start as the Bulldogs’ field general. Murray led the Dawgs to a quick scoring drive to begin the game, connecting with senior Rhett McGowan on a nine-yard touchdown pass with over 13 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Dawgs’ signal caller completed 18 of 23 passes for 183 yards and four touchdown passes before being helped off the field at the end of the first half due to an apparent knee injury. When being helped off the field, the fans applauded the Tampa native. Murray was taken to a local hospital for a further evaluation of his knee. Junior Hutson Mason, who could be the starting quarterback for the Dawgs next season filled in nicely, having thrown for a touchdown as well as connecting on 13 of 19 passes for 189 yards.
“He went to the hospital to get an MRI and we’ll just wait and see,” said Richt. “He hurt it on the long run and it was bothering him. … Before the injury, he did a good job. He’s broken some records that probably won’t be broken for a long time. He’s played at a high level, especially this year.”
Murray also accomplished a feat that has never been done before in the SEC: he throw for 3,000 yards in four seasons. There have been only three quarterbacks to pass for more than 3,000 yards in four seasons in FBS history.
Sophomore tailback Todd Gurley only carried the ball eight times, but did manage to rush for 77 yards. The Dawgs’ workhorse also caught five passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Since Gurley has returned to action, he has amassed 266 yards with three touchdowns on 21 receptions.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Dawgs have held their opponents to 20 points or under in three of the last four games. That is quite an improvement for a team that could hardly get off the field in the first half of the 2013 campaign. Junior inside linebacker Ramik Wilson continues to show why he is starting for the Bulldogs, recording nine tackles to go along with a sack.
The Bulldogs will travel to Atlanta next weekend to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in a rivalry known as “Clean. Old Fashioned Hate.”
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