ATHENS, Ga. - The Georgia Bulldogs are happy to have receiver A.J. Green back in the lineup, and they're glad Kris Durham never went away.
Durham totaled a career-best 112 yards on four receptions on an offense that racked up 547 yards and repeatedly blew through Vanderbilt during a 43-0 Southeastern Conference shellacking Saturday afternoon at Sanford Stadium.
The 6-foot-5, 212-pound senior from Calhoun, Ga., had a 55-yard gain on Georgia's first play from scrimmage and a 4-yard touchdown that made the score 19-0 midway through the second quarter.
"It's a lot of fun when a lot of things are clicking and a lot of momentum is going your way," Durham said. "It makes the game fun, and it's definitely a lot different from where we have been, being behind the 8-ball. I enjoy it, so hopefully we can keep the momentum going."
The win gave Georgia the unofficial Tennessee state championship for a sixth time in 10 seasons under coach Mark Richt. The Bulldogs (3-4, 2-3) defeated the Volunteers 41-14 last week, and their combined 70-point margin over the Vols and Commodores is the most since the 1981 team swept the pair by 76.
Georgia visits Kentucky this Saturday.
Vanderbilt (2-4, 1-2) was shut out for the first time since a 48-0 loss at Tennessee in 2003.
"This was a well-executed plan gone awry," first-year Commodores head coach Robbie Caldwell said. "We got whipped in every phase of the game."
Said Vandy quarterback Larry Smith: "It can't get any worse than today."
Saturday's game was close to becoming the first under Richt at home that didn't sell out, but the 92,746th ticket was purchased half an hour before kickoff. The home sellout streak is now at 61 games, which dates back to a 45-17 whipping of Arkansas State that opened the 2001 season.
Durham, who was the top target in September when Green sat out four games for violating NCAA rules, leads the Bulldogs with 453 yards on 22 catches. His 55-yarder set up a 32-yard Blair Walsh field goal, and his second catch was for the score.
On the third play of the third quarter, Aaron Murray lofted an attempt that Durham went up to get for a 22-yard gain that may have been the toughest of his career.
"That was an awesome catch," offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. "Durham has just made play after play. He stepped up big when A.J. was out, and today, when they were playing a lot of cover-2 on top of A.J., he made plays in the middle of the field and made that unbelievable catch on third down.
"The guy has been dealing with some nagging injuries, but he's sucked it up and performed."
Three plays after Durham's catch, Murray passed to Green for a 48-yard touchdown that made it 29-0.
"They were rolling a lot of coverage, so I had to get one underneath and try to get something going," Green said.
Durham's fourth catch was on the first play of Georgia's next possession, a 31-yard gain to the 46-yard line. Murray connected with Tavarres King for 31 on the same drive, which ended with a 9-yard scoring run by Carlton Thomas.
Murray, who went 17 minutes without a completion after the 55-yard gain to Durham, finished 15-of-24 for a career-best 287 yards. In his last three games, the redshirt freshman has completed 48 of 76 passes for 774 yards and seven touchdowns.
"It looks like we're getting better," Richt said. "It looks like we're playing with a little more passion."