FOOTBALL
Sophomore cornerback Brandon Boykin became the first SEC player to have two 100-yard kickoff returns in one season in SEC history when he returned a Tennessee kickoff to even the score in the second quarter of Saturday’s game.
Boykin had already broken the school record after taking a kickoff 100 yards back for a touchdown versus South Carolina.
Boykin’s return versus the Vols also ties the longest scoring play on the road in school history.
The Dawgs had a 100-yard punt return for a touchdown in 1952 at Vanderbilt by Jimmy Campagna and a 100-yard INT return by Charlie Britt in 1959 versus Florida in Jacksonville. Since 1941, the NCAA put a maximum length on all plays at 100 yards.
Sophomore punter Drew Butler had to punt six times for a 49.8 average with four covering 50+ yards and one inside the 20. His first punt was his longest at 61 yards. He came in today leading the nation with a 49.8 average.
Redshirt freshman safety Bacarri Rambo caught a tipped passed for an interception and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. This was Rambo’s second career interception and the first defensive touchdown for the Dawgs this year. The Dawgs have had four INTs this year with Boykin also having two. This was the first interception return for a touchdown since Darryl Gamble returned a pair of picks for scores at LSU in 2008.
Redshirt sophomore split end Zach Renner blocked a punt with :23 seconds left in the opening half to give the Bulldogs two points on a safety as it went through the endzone. This was the third blocked punt of his career after he tallied one against Alabama and Arizona State in 2008. Renner tied the school record for blocked punts in a career along with Corrie Collier, Kendrell Bell and David Pollack. Renner’s latest punt block was the 17th for the Bulldogs in the Mark Richt era.
Sophomore placekicker Blair Walsh drilled a 52-yard field goal late in the second quarter. He is 5-for-8 from 50 yards or more in his career and 3-for-3 from that distance in 2009.
Sophomore flanker A.J. Green led the Dawgs with 60 yards receiving and tied his career-high with eight catches. It was the third time he had eight receptions in a game.
Freshman receiver Marlon Brown had his first career reception on a 9-yard catch in the 2nd quarter.
Freshman tightend Arthur Lynch started the first game of his career. The Dawgs started two tight ends on offense, six linemen and no wideouts after starting their first drive on their own 1-yard line.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot………..Tennessee won 45 to 19.