Another week, another exciting Georgia win.
In a game that began in a deluge, the Bulldogs won another slugfest against another game opponent. This week, Georgia defeated Arizona State 20-17 on a last second field goal by Blair Walsh.
“Every win is a good win,” declared a relieved head coach Mark Richt. “We hate to frazzle everyone’s nerves, but maybe we’re just trying to make the next team over-confident. I am super proud of our effort. They have a fighting spirit and don’t fold up.”
The difference in the game was that one team had A.J. Green and the other did not. Green caught eight balls for 153 yards with one touchdown and also blocked a potential go-ahead field goal by ASU with 4:31 remaining in the game and the score knotted at 17.
“I am proud of coach (John) Jancek for having the vision to have AJ on the field goal block team,” said Richt. “In camp, he said ‘We want AJ’. And tonight, he came up big.”
GREEN MACHINE
A.J. Green is turning into a Bulldog legend. The former SEC Freshman of the Year made several more sensational plays tonight to will his team to victory.
“The kid just makes plays,” praised Richt. “He has talent that most don’t have, but he is still a humble kid and a quiet leader.”
Green started the scoring in the first quarter with another one of his spectacular runs after the catch. The sophomore from Summerville, SC, caught a ball from Joe Cox at about the 20, then beat two ASU defenders to the end zone.
“They were playing man (defense),” explained Green. “Joe threw a perfect ball and I just wanted to make a play.”
Georgia’s game-winning drive was also sparked by Green when he caught a 36-yard pass on a crucial third and six from the UGA 42. The catch set the Dawgs up at the ASU 22 with 2:07 remaining. Four plays later, Walsh hit the game-winner.
As if that wasn’t enough, Green appeared to have scored on a four-yard pass from Cox on the edge of the end zone late in the third quarter. The superstar receiver appeared to have dragged his toes inbounds after catching the ball, but the officials’ call of an incomplete pass was upheld after review.
“I thought I was in, but you can’t argue with the officials,” said Green.
Instead, UGA settled for a field goal on the drive to tie the game at 14 at the start of the fourth quarter.
TURNOVERS TRIP DAWGS AGAIN
After leading 14-3 at the half, the Bulldogs looked in control of the game and appeared poised to win convincingly. However, turnovers and penalties thwarted an easy victory and almost allowed the Sun Devils to come away with an improbable upset.
“I’ve been trying to stop the self-inflicted wounds,” declared Richt, obviously frustrated at another game filled with crucial Bulldog mistakes. “I have to get more drastic, I suppose.”
A Caleb King fumble at the Georgia 37 led to a Danny Sullivan to Dimitri Nance touchdown pass to draw ASU to within four early in the third quarter. On Georgia’s next possession, it would get even better for the Sun Devils. Joe Cox overthrew Mike Moore over the middle and was intercepted by ASU cornerback Omar Bolden. The play-making junior cornerback then returned the pass 47 yards to give the Devils a 17-14 lead.
In Cox’s defense, Moore did not appear to see the ball and made little effort to corral it.
“The weather had some effect on the ball,” said Cox. “You can’t chalk everything up to that, but it is harder to throw and catch in the rain. Some stuff, especially my two turnovers, are just poor decisions…and I need to work on that.”
Later, in the fourth, Cox over-looked a wide-open Aron White streaking across the middle, then threw into double coverage and was intercepted again by Bolden. ASU now had the ball on the Georgia 20 with just 5:31 remaining in a tie game.
Fortunately for the Dawgs, ASU went three-and-out and had to attempt a field goal, which was blocked by Green.
WOOT GETS HIS FIRST
Rantavious Wooten caught the first two passes of his college career tonight. The first was an important third down play when Cox hit him on a sideline route for 27 yards.
“It felt pretty good (to get his first catch),” said a jubilant Wooten. “I wasn’t thinking about it being my first catch. I just wanted to stay on the field and keep playing.”
The second catch was even more critical. UGA faced a third and four from their own 27 when Cox and Wooten hooked up again on third down on the game-winning drive. The catch was good for 11 yards and a first down.
UP NEXT
Georgia (3-1, 2-0) plays their division-leading counterparts from the West when No. 7 LSU (4-0, 2-0) comes to Athens next weekend. The Tigers held on to defeat Mississippi State today after a stout goal-line stand allowed the Tigers to preserve their lead with only a minute to play.
Georgia has won six of eight against the Tigers dating back to 1991. However, LSU holds the all-time series lead at 14-12-1.
Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com.
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