Aaron Murray had to be at his best to carry Georgia through their in-state rivalry game with Georgia Tech to let his teammates heal before next week's SEC Championship. He threw away the Bulldogs' first drive, but played almost mistake free football from then on, including four touchdowns and 252 yards in Georgia's 31-17 win over the Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium Saturday.
Freshman Isaiah Crowell was held out of the game with a sprained ankle despite warming up with the team and dressing for the game. The move was made ostensibly to keep the freshman fresh for LSU in next week's SEC title game, and thanks to Murray's passing the Bulldogs' opportunistic takeaways, Crowell was barely missed.
Tech quarterback Tevin Washington threw two third quarter interceptions, allowing Georgia to extend a 17-10 lead to 31-10. Washington was replaced by true freshman Syngyn Day, who led the Yellow Jackets to a touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter.
The Tech triple option was held to 243 yards, almost 80 yards under their average on the season. Entering the game, the Bulldogs were ranked second in the country in rushing defense (84.5 yards allowed per game). The Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs both averaged 4.6 yards a carry, as freshman Ken Malcome lead the team with 39 yards in the absence of Crowell.
Georgia (10-2, 7-1 SEC) extends their school record winning streak to ten games, and will be No. 1 LSU in the SEC Championship next week in the Georgia Dome. Georgia Tech finishes the year 8-4, and will await their bowl fate.
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