Georgia Football: Bulldogs Blast Kentucky 59-17
By Danny Bishop
Nov 23, 2013; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray (11) leaves the field injured against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Georgia Bulldogs honored the senior class prior to teeing it up ‘Between The Hedges‘ for the final time this season. Aaron Murray was the last to be introduced, he was the first to leave the stadium. Murray suffered an injury to his left knee late in the first half and was not seen again after being assisted off the field and directly into the locker room. Coach Mark Richt said after the game that, “Murray went to the hospital to get an MRI and we’ll just wait and see. He hurt it on the long run and it was bothering him. … Before the injury, he did a good job. He’s broken some records that probably won’t be broken for a long time. He’s played at a high level, especially this year.”
Murray tied David Greene for the most starts by a non-kicker with his 52nd game, if available next week against Georgia Tech, he would tie Blair Walsh’s school record at 53. Murray finished the day 18-for-23 for 183 yards and four touchdowns, he now owns the following SEC records: Completions (921), Passing Yards (13,166), TD Passes (121) and Total Offense (13,562). Murray moved to No. 2 on the SEC all-time list for Pass Attempts with 1,478 behind Jared Lorenzen (Kentucky) at 1,514.
Murray also became the first QB in SEC history to have at least 3,000 yards passing for four seasons, he hit the 3,000 mark exactly on a 16-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tailback Todd Gurley.
Richt made the decision to give the ball to the offense after winning the toss, the Dawgs scored the first three possessions and never looked back. Tightend Arthur Lynch had four receptions for 42 yards and two TD’s, Rhett McGowan hauled in seven as he and Gurley each had 90 yards and a TD. Gurley carried the ball 8 times for 77 yards. Both freshmen tailbacks scored touchdowns, Branden Douglas had 12 carries for 59 yards while J.J. Green gained 35 yards on 6 attempts.
Backup quarterback Hutson Mason entered the game for the final drive of the first half and played most of the second half, he finished the night 13 of 19 for 189 yards and a TD.
Junior linebacker Ramik Wilson had a team-high nine tackles, including a sack. He came in tonight leading the SEC in tackles with 110. Senior Garrison Smith tallied two forced fumbles with seven tackles, including two sacks and three tackles for loss. Harvey-Clemons also racked up six tackles, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
Post Game Quotes
Coach Mark Richt
On the team’s play…
“The boys practiced well all week. I think they were sincere about wanting to play well for the seniors. And our honorary captain, Bill Goldberg, did a good job. He spoke to the boys right before the Dog Walk. I wish we could use him every week. He scared me. I would play hard too.”
On Hutson Mason…
“The second-team QB has got to stay ready because they never know when their opportunity will happen. He’s been practicing well for a long time but he hasn’t had a lot of opportunities. For him to get playing time and to play well was good to see. … He’s a sharp kid and he knows our system. We have a lot of faith in his abilities.”
On the defense…
“Overall, it was a very good performance by our defense. I thought they played extremely well throughout.”
On the seniors…
“What a great bunch of guys. They’ve led well. With all the wacky things that happened, we never flinched as a team, and that’s because our leadership
is so strong. … It was tremendous to see how our fans responded to them during Senior Day.”
Quarterback Hutson Mason
On the offense…
“We did great. I’m not sure on the number of drives or plays that we had, but I think we scored on almost every drive. We can build on this moving forward. We have a big game against Georgia Tech coming up and we’re going to be ready for it.”
On seeing significant playing time…
“I didn’t really feel nervous, but more excited. I think that it’s good to get out there in a game like this–this is probably the first time I’ve played in something other than a ‘spring-like’ crowd. I think this is good because it helps me get out my first-game jitters…Every time I get to go out on the field and play I get excited. It’s a blessing to be able to play here in front of all of these great fans. I just try to have fun.”
Tightend Arthur Lynch
On Aaron Murray’s injury…
“It’s really unfortunate, especially the way that he’s played the last couple of games and really the entire season. This one in particular is tough because I know it was an emotional one for him. It’s just a shame. I’m just hoping for the best.”
On Hutson Mason’s performance…
“He did great. There’s no drop-off of expectations from anyone on this team. Everyone knows that he has the ability to run this offense with efficiency. If Hutson is in the game, it’s his team.”
Offensive Guard Chris Burnette
On the game…
“This was a great win for us. Everyone played well–offense, defense and special teams. This is a great way to go out. I’m going to miss playing in front of these fans and in this stadium. I’ve been blessed.”
Defensive end Garrison Smith
On his emotions…
“It’s a good emotion. I accomplished everything that I wanted to accomplish. I wanted everyone to know that I’m a good football player and I think I proved that. I made my coaches proud and my parents proud, so when I look back, I’ll have no regrets. I left it out on the field. I played my hardest on every play. I really will have no regrets.”
On the defense…
“This was our best game. We made a few mistakes but we’ll correct them. We’re getting better every game. And this is a young defense–I’m excited to watch them next season. I think I’m the only senior leaving, and they’re getting so much better every day. I see it on the film and I see it on the field. They’re going to be special next season.”