Georgia corners score on offense

Friday, January 1, 1904

Cornerbacks Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith expected to aid Georgia's depleted tailback position Saturday afternoon against New Mexico State and did just that as the Bulldogs rolled to a 63-16 win in Athens.

The two combined on just three offensive touches but made much of them, with Smith scoring on a 56-yard run midway through the first quarter and Boykin on a 42-yard reception midway through the second. The touchdown reception was a first for Boykin, whose other two career catches netted 14 yards Sept. 17 against Coastal Carolina.

"I didn't know exactly what we were going to do coming into the game, but I knew I would get called on, and it ended up playing out pretty well," said Boykin, who also had six tackles and 33 yards on kickoff returns.

Smith started at tailback and rushed twice for 58 yards, opening the scoring with a 56-yard run midway through the first quarter. It was his first start at tailback since last year's opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.

"It really felt good," Smith said, "and I'm just waiting for another opportunity to come my way."

Big first half

The Bulldogs led 49-3 at halftime, tying for the program's most points in the first 30 minutes since 1950. Georgia also scored 49 in the first two quarters in a 70-6 trampling of Northeast Louisiana in 1994.

Georgia's 42-point outburst in the second quarter is the largest for 15 minutes, according to school records that date back to 1960.

"Aaron Murray was very sharp, there's no doubt about it," coach Mark Richt said. "He was on the money and made really good decisions all the way through. When you have five TDs in a half, you've played pretty darn good."

The Bulldogs wound up averaging 9 yards a play.

Splitting time

Georgia senior kickers Blair Walsh and Brandon Bogotay split time like never before against the Aggies, with each tallying five kickoffs with one touchback apiece. Walsh was successful on all five of his extra-point tries, while Bogotay made all four of his attempts.

The Bulldogs did not attempt a field goal.

Not going there

After an 18-of-23 performance for 238 yards and five touchdowns, Murray was a guest on ESPN Radio. After discussing his 30-minute performance and his plans for watching Saturday night's games, he was asked to fall in line with the other guests and make a prediction on the Alabama-LSU game.

"I'm not going to make a pick, because if we were to play the team I didn't pick in the SEC championship game, I wouldn't want anyone saying anything," Murray said.

Odds and ends

Walk-on receiver Rhett McGowan, a former Calhoun High standout, had a career-best four receptions for 51 yards and scored his first college touchdown on a 23-yard catch from Hutson Mason with 5:51 to play. ... Redshirt sophomore tailback Brandon Harton not only had 98 rushing yards on 15 carries but wound up with 142 all-purpose yards. ... Freshman receiver Chris Conley had a career-best 126 yards on five catches. ... Murray's five touchdown passes in a quarter are topped in NCAA Division I only by Houston's David Klingler in 1991. ... The Bulldogs have 12 interceptions this season, with junior safety Bacarri Rambo responsible for six. ... Georgia did not register a sack after collecting six last week against Florida.