ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia finally got an invitation to the bowling party.
Aaron Murray completed 15 of 19 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs to a 42-34 win Saturday night over rival Georgia Tech at Sanford Stadium. A.J. Green was again Murray’s favorite target with eight catches for 97 yards, while Washaun Ealey had 118 rushing yards on 13 carries.
Georgia improved to 6-6 with the victory and is bowl-eligible for a 14th consecutive year.
Anthony Allen had 166 yards on 29 carries to lead the Yellow Jackets, and his 7-yard touchdown with 4:57 remaining pulled Tech within 35-34. Scott Blair, Tech’s senior kicker from Calhoun, missed the extra point wide left to leave the Bulldogs in front.
Georgia stopped Georgia Tech on downs with 1:38 remaining, so the Yellow Jackets allowed Ealey to break free for a 20-yard touchdown with 1:29 left so they could get the ball back with a chance to tie with a touchdown and two-point conversion. Those hopes ended when Justin Houston intercepted Tevin Washington at the Georgia 37 with 35 seconds remaining.
Bulldogs coach Mark Richt improved to 9-1 against the Yellow Jackets, and it’s the first time Georgia has won nine times in a 10-year stretch in the rivalry.
Ealey’s touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 40 seconds left in the third quarter gave Georgia a 28-21 lead. The Bulldogs went up 35-21 just 24 seconds later when a Washington fumble was scooped up by Houston, who rambled 18 yards to the end zone.
The fumble recovery for a score was the first by Georgia since linebacker Tony Taylor ran 29 yards in a 15-12 win over the Yellow Jackets in 2006.
Most of the night was an offensive showdown between Murray’s arm and Tech’s triple-option offense. The Yellow Jackets (6-6) were held to 205 rushing yards in last season’s 30-24 loss to the Bulldogs in Atlanta but racked up 395 Saturday night, more than their nation-leading average of 319.
Murray had three touchdown passes in the first half, giving him 24 for the season. Matthew Stafford set the program’s single-season standard with 25 touchdown passes in 2008, while Eric Zeier (1993-94), D.J. Shockley (2005) and Joe Cox (last season) also threw for 24 touchdowns.
Georgia rushed for 339 yards in last season’s win in Atlanta but gained only 9 yards on its first 10 carries Saturday night. The Bulldogs finally broke through on the ground just before halftime when Ealey ripped off runs of 34 and 13 yards, which set up Murray’s 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bruce Figgins that gave the hosts a 21-14 lead at the break.
Murray completed six of seven first-quarter passes for 147 yards, which included a 66-yard touchdown to senior split end Kris Durham and a 32-yarder to sophomore tight end Orson Charles. The Durham score on a tunnel screen was the longest TD pass by Murray this season and the longest of Durham’s career.
Trailing 14-0 after 15 minutes, Tech got on track, covering 71 yards on 10 plays to pull within 14-7 and marching 95 yards on 14 plays to tie the game at 14. Between those touchdowns by the Yellow Jackets was a 65-yard drive by the Bulldogs that stalled at the Tech 5 when Murray was stopped on fourth-and-1.
Bulldogs fullback Shaun Chapas fumbled a short opening kickoff, and the Jackets recovered at Georgia’s 27. Tech gained 8 yards in three plays but was stuffed on fourth-and-2 from the 19 when linebacker Darryl Gamble tackled Orwin Smith for a 1-yard loss.
The Yellow Jackets used a 19-yard run by Embry Peeples to get into the red zone on their second possession, but Bulldogs safety Bacarri Rambo caused a Smith fumble that cornerback Brandon Boykin recovered at the 5. Murray passed to Green over the middle for 22 yards to the 27 on the ensuing play and moments later connected with Durham for the 66-yard score.