ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray has a message for Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley should the two meet before Saturday’s game at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“Hey, how are you doing today?” Murray said he would tell the 6-foot-5, 298-pound menace. “Please don’t kill me.”
The Bulldogs have been rolling offensively, scoring 30 or more points in five straight games for the first time in program history, and are poised for another outburst against the Tigers. That hinges, however, on Georgia not only giving Murray time to throw but keeping him safe.
Fairley leads the Southeastern Conference with 18 tackles for loss and in consecutive weeks knocked Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett out of the game with a concussion and sent LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee to the sideline for several possessions with a wrist injury.
“The biggest problem, in my opinion, is Nick Fairley, because he makes it very difficult,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “We talk about getting the ball downfield to A.J. [Green], but to do that you have to hold the ball a little while. It’s hard to hold the ball a little while when that guy is coming, because he is relentless.
“I think Ben Jones is a pretty good center, and I think Cordy Glenn is a pretty good guard, but this guy is a lot to handle.”
Should the Bulldogs negate Fairley by moving the ball deep or out on the perimeter, a lot of points could be on the way. Auburn ranks just 55th nationally in scoring defense (allowing 24.3 points per game) and 52nd in total defense (allowing 355.9 yards per game), though Tigers defenders did perform well in big league wins over Mississippi State and LSU.
Georgia’s average of 42.8 points per game the past five weeks reflects Auburn’s average of 42.2 for the entire season, so nobody is expecting the equivalent of a baseball pitching duel on the Plains.
“We’re going to have to put up points, bottom line, and I really think we can do that,” Bulldogs sophomore receiver Tavarres King said. “Hopefully this week we can do something great and shock the nation.”
Richt didn’t know if Murray was ready to get in a shootout with Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett during their Sept. 18 matchup. That was Murray’s third career start, and he is a veteran now by comparison.
Murray already ranks fourth in SEC history in total offense (2,484 yards) and fifth in passing yards (2,307) among freshmen.
“Our goal is to eat up the clock and keep their offense on the sideline,” Murray said. “If we can do that and limit their opportunities to score, it would be huge for us. We’re going to have to make sure we’re hitting on all cylinders.
“We’ve done a great job for five weeks and are feeling good. We feel like we can move the ball versus anyone.”
Murray had lousy first quarters the past two weeks against Florida and Idaho State, and he hopes those are out of his system. He also hopes to be intact after facing Fairley, who body-slammed LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson for a key fourth-quarter sack.
“I don’t even want to think about that,” Murray said. “That’s not a pleasant thought. I’m going to do some extra praying this week.”
Said Richt, who described Fairley as the closest thing he’s seen to Warren Sapp: “It does make me kind of nervous.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.