ATHENS, Ga. – Should Saturday afternoon become a shootout at Sanford Stadium, will Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray have enough firepower?
Arkansas will be eager to atone for last season’s 52-41 home loss to the Bulldogs. Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallett threw for 408 yards and five touchdowns against Georgia, and the 6-foot-6, 238-pound junior could use a similar showing as the first step to Heisman Trophy consideration.
Murray, a 6-1, 209-pound redshirt freshman, just wants a different result from last Saturday’s trip to South Carolina.
“We only scored six points last week, so our offense is definitely looking to come out and redeem itself,” Murray said Tuesday. “I think everyone is hungry. We watched the film and saw where we had our opportunities and didn’t capitalize on them.”
Mallett has started 15 games for the Razorbacks since sitting out the 2008 season after transferring from Michigan, leading the Hogs to 40 or more points eight times. Murray doesn’t have the notoriety or the experience of his upcoming counterpart, but he has completed 31 of 47 passes (66 percent) for 352 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
“We have got to let him shoot a little bit more than we have lately,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “Can Murray match Mallett? I don’t know about that. Of course, Joe Cox had a heck of a game last year, and no one would have predicted that.”
Cox completed 18 of 25 passes for Georgia in last year’s meeting for a career-high 375 yards and five touchdowns, which tied a program record. Receiver Tavarres King and tight end Orson Charles had scoring receptions from 50 and 44 yards out, and Cox was named the Walter Camp Foundation’s national offensive player of the week.
Murray said he spoke with Cox briefly Tuesday morning, reliving last year’s game and discussing Saturday’s matchup.
“Last year’s game was unbelievable,” Murray said. “It was probably the game of Joe’s life. I hope I can just get anywhere near the game he had.”
Cox benefited last year from the attention Arkansas put on receiver A.J. Green, who still riddled the Hogs with seven receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns. That focus left the deep middle open for Charles and fellow tight end Aron White, who had a 21-yard scoring catch.
Green has been suspended for the first four games, but Georgia has appealed to the NCAA with the hope he can be cleared by Saturday’s noon kickoff on ESPN.
Murray watched last year’s game against Arkansas from the sideline. Kris Durham, who has been Georgia’s leading receiver in Green’s absence, stayed back in Athens while continuing to recover after surgery on his torn labrum.
“It could be a 7-0 or 7-3 kind of game this time around, but whatever you give Aaron, that kid is going to do,” Durham said. “Our offense may be our best weapon in keeping the Arkansas offense off the field.”
Said Murray: “I hope it’s the same for our offense, but I hope our defense stops them this year.”
Should the Bulldogs lose to the No. 12 Razorbacks, they would be 1-2 overall and 0-2 in the SEC under Richt for the first time.
“I don’t know how big a game can get, but this is big,” Richt said.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or (423) 757-6524.