COLUMBIA, S.C. – Kris Durham continues to be Georgia’s go-to receiver.
The fifth-year senior from Calhoun, Ga., led the Bulldogs for a second straight game by tallying three receptions for 76 yards during Saturday’s 17-6 loss to South Carolina. Durham assumed the role of starting flanker from junior A.J. Green, who is sitting out an NCAA four-game suspension for selling his Independence Bowl jersey.
“I just go in there with the same mindset I always have,” Durham said. “I realize with a guy like A.J. not in there, I’m going to get more opportunities, and I’m just trying to take advantage of those. You can’t replace A.J. It’s not possible.
“If the rest of us pick it up a notch, then we can scrape the bare minimum of what he has.”
Durham, who had five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown in the opening win over Louisiana-Lafayette, produced the biggest gain Saturday when he broke free from safety DeVonte Holloman for a 55-yard pickup down the right sideline late in the third quarter. That set Georgia up with a first-and-goal from the 10-yard line, but Washaun Ealey fumbled two plays later.
“We were setting him up all day for that play, doing little things here and there,” Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray said. “Kris did a great job of being the guy, getting open and making the catch.”
Said Durham: “I wish I could have broken the tackle and gotten into the end zone, but those are just things you have to continue to work on.”
Houston’s big day
Georgia junior outside linebacker Justin Houston is the SEC’s top returning sack specialist and is off to a solid start. After getting a sack last week against ULL, Houston collected three Saturday.
“That’s my job, to rush the passer,” Houston said. “I was just trying to do all I could do to help this team win.”
Houston, who finished with 10 tackles and a forced fumble, had Georgia’s first three-sack game since Marcus Howard made life miserable for Hawaii’s Colt Brennan in the Sugar Bowl after the 2007 season.
Bulldog bites
Senior fullback Shaun Chapas left the game in the second quarter with a left ankle injury and did not return. … Freshman twins Alec and Alexander Ogletree became the first brothers in the same game for Georgia since 1999, when Dustin and Miles Luckie played. … Penalties have not been a concern this season, as the Bulldogs were flagged just four times for 25 yards Saturday. … The buyer of Green’s jersey was Chris Hawkins, who played cornerback at North Carolina from 2001 to ’03, and, according to ESPN.com, is being investigated by NCAA officials for his relationship to current Tar Heels players. … The Bulldogs had used all three second-half timeouts by the 7:09 mark of the third quarter.
Gamecock gossip
Coach Steve Spurrier improved to 13-5 against Georgia, including an 11-1 record with Florida and a 2-4 mark at South Carolina. … The Gamecocks improved their all-time record to .500 at 536-536-44.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or (423) 757-6524.