Saturday night, the Georgia Bulldogs played a game of which their fans should be proud. Mark Richt's Dawgs played well enough to win, but a handful of big plays pushed the advantage the way of the South Carolina Gamecocks. Steve Spurrier admitted after the game that Georgia played better and that he wasn't quite sure how USC managed the victory.
I'm not either, but these two plays involving defensive lineman Melvin Ingram help tell the tale. First, his 68-yard fake punt for a touchdown -- and, no, "defensive lineman" wasn't a typo:
And here's his acquisition of a late Aaron Murray fumble, forced by Jadeveon Clowney, that resulted in what turned out to be the winning score:
After an opening stretch tougher than that of any team in the country, Georgia finally enters the more navigable portion of its schedule. Coming into Saturday, Richt's job appeared to be in imminent danger. I don't know if that's changed, but after the effort his team put up against the best team in South Carolina history, Dawgs fans should feel a note of hope that this team could still challenge in the division, with a little help.
For more, visit Georgia blog Dawg Sports and South Carolina blog Garnet And Black Attack.