Georgia players saw Jackets play

ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia receiver Kris Durham and snapper Ty Frix returned to their stomping grounds last Friday night, and they had company.

Durham and Frix are Calhoun High alumni and watched the Yellow Jackets advance in the Class AA playoffs with a 36-19 win over Westminster. Joining them were several Bulldogs teammates, including quarterback Aaron Murray, receiver Tavarres King and inside linebacker Christian Robinson.

"They enjoyed being in the big city," Durham said.

When asked how Calhoun fans reacted to Murray's appearance, Durham said, "People had to do a double-take, because they realize that sometimes I'm going to bring some of my teammates. One year I brought Matthew [Stafford] with me, and that caused a little stir. We would be walking down the aisle, and I'd turn around and everybody would be sitting there staring at Matthew."

The traveling Bulldogs watched two sets of Yellow Jackets during their weekend off. They also attended Georgia Tech's 30-20 win over Duke in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon.

Georgia hosts Georgia Tech this Saturday night.

"I'm glad they wanted to go check it out," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said. "I like college football, and I like the chance to watch a good college football game, and it's also who you're playing next. There are no rules against it."

Georgia Tech has two kickers, starter Scott Blair and backup Andy Elakman, who graduated from Calhoun, and outside linebacker Anthony Barnes played at Calhoun before moving to Cartersville.

So how were the Bulldogs treated at Tech?

"There were a few words exchanged towards us," Durham said. "We didn't want to say anything, because we were on their turf."

Not feeling it

Former quarterback Frank Tarkenton, who led the Bulldogs to the 1959 SEC title and never lost to Tech, is having a hard time getting pumped about Saturday night.

"You play for championships, and neither one of them are going to be anywhere near any championship and may be at a little Class B bowl at best," Tarkenton told Atlanta's 680 "The Fan" Tuesday. "Georgia needs to win just to get bowl qualified, so I'm not very excited."

Often outspoken, Tarkenton voiced his displeasure with the way Georgia's season has transpired.

"We have the best wide receiver in all of football and [he] will probably get picked No. 1 or No. 2," he said. "Justin Houston is probably the best defensive end in the conference, maybe in the country, and will be a top-10 pick. At quarterback, who could ever have hoped for Aaron Murray to be more than he's been? He's been unbelievable.

"And we've beaten Louisiana-Lafayette, Idaho State, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Tennessee when Tennessee didn't know who they were."

Odds and ends

Murray practiced again Tuesday and said he felt no pain from the chest contusion he suffered at Auburn. ... Richt recently sent South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier a congratulatory letter for winning the SEC East. ... Georgia Tech has finished .500 or better in ACC play for a league-record 16th consecutive season.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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