ATHENS, Ga. (AP)—A.J. Green had another huge game catching the ball.
He’ll always remember this one for the ball that ricocheted off his left elbow.
Green hauled in eight passes for 153 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown, but his biggest play was a blocked field goal that helped No. 21 Georgia to escape with a 20-17 victory over Arizona State on Saturday night. Blair Walsh kicked a 37-yard field goal for the Bulldogs as time ran out.
“That’s got to be my best play ever,” Green said of his block. “That tops all the catches.”
Which is no small feat. The sophomore, who had a career-best 159 yards receiving against Arizona State a year ago, came up with a 36-yard grab for his final reception of the night to set up Walsh’s winning field goal.
Georgia (3-1) barely held up its end of next week’s Southeastern Conference showdown against No. 7 LSU, which had survived an upset bid of its own earlier in the day to beat Mississippi State 30-26.
A driving rain that swept through Athens before the game had moved out by the second half, so that couldn’t be blamed for Georgia allowing Arizona State (2-1) to get back in the game with a sloppy performance.
The Bulldogs appeared headed for an easy one, racing to a 14-3 lead in the first quarter, but they committed three turnovers after halftime, two of which led to touchdowns for Arizona State. The Sun Devils led 17-14 heading to the fourth quarter after Jarrell Holman returned an interception 47 yards for a score.
Joe Cox, coming off a five-touchdown performance the previous week against Arkansas, threw another pass that was picked off by Holman with 5 1/2 minutes remaining to put the Sun Devils at the Georgia 20 with the score tied at 17.
The Sun Devils failed to move the ball and called on Bobby Wenzig to attempt a go-ahead field goal from 37 yards away. The freshman handled the kicking duties in place of regular Thomas Weber, who is expected to miss five or six games with a groin injury.
Wenzig made his first attempt, a 43-yarder in the opening quarter, but he got off a low kick with the game hanging in the balance. The 6-foot-4 Green leaped up and got his arm on it, the ball fluttering harmlessly into the end zone, far short of the goal posts.
“I jumped as high as I can,” Green said. “It hit my elbow and I was like, ‘Whaaat?”’
Green wasn’t done. After Cox went to freshman Rantavious Wooten for an 11-yard completion to convert on third down, Green took off down the left sideline and made another huge play over Pierre Singfield. The 36-yard pass carried the Bulldogs to the Arizona State 22.
“That’s just the type of player he is,” Cox said. “He has that kind of ability to make plays at any point in the game, with anybody on him, whether it’s three people or man-to-man coverage. You’ve just got to give him a chance to make a play. He’s definitely a special player. I’m glad he’s on our side.”
From there, all Georgia had to do was run down the clock and leave the ball in the middle of the field for Walsh’s attempt. The sophomore had not missed all season, and he improved to 8 for 8 with a field goal right through the uprights on the final play.
“I knew it was going to come down to me,” Walsh said. “We don’t get on the field that much as kickers. Anytime you can get out there and be the difference, that’s awesome.”
The Bulldogs celebrated near the center of the field, while several Arizona State players collapsed on their side of the line. Holman flung away his helmet in disgust.
“It’s just a tough one to lose,” said Holman, who also had a fumble recovery along with his two interceptions.
Dimitri Nance rushed for 92 yards and scored Arizona State’s first touchdown on a 6-yard pass from Danny Sullivan. That drive began when Travis Goethal stripped the ball away from Caleb King and Holman fell on it at the Georgia 37.
Three plays later after Nance’s TD, Holman was at it again. He picked off a pass from Cox at the 47, bounced off one attempted tackle and weaved his way to the end zone for the score that put the Sun Devils ahead for the first time. A small contingent of fans from out West chanted “A-S-U! A-S-U!” while the soggy home crowd looked on in stunned silence.
“We played well,” said Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson, whose team dropped to 3-27 against ranked opponents since 2000. “We got a turnover late in the game to set up the win, but we did not capitalize.
“It’s heartbreaking to come so close and not win.”
Georgia rallied to tie it on Walsh’s 21-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the final quarter. The Bulldogs passed up their first chance at the go-ahead kick—going for it on fourth and less than a yard on the Arizona State 28. Fred Munzenmaier, who had scored in the first quarter on a 2-yard run, was stuffed for no gain.
But Walsh and the Bulldogs got another chance—thanks to Green.
Head to Head - Week 4
| Team | Total Yds | Pass Yds | Rush Yds | First Downs | 3rdD% | Pen./Yds | Turnovers | Time of Poss. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State | 204 | 116 | 88 | 14 | 30.8% | 8/74 | 1 | 30:03 |
| Georgia | 334 | 242 | 92 | 17 | 40.0% | 7/55 | 3 | 29:57 |
54 Comments
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so....the sec was overrated, and the big 12 was weaker that touted.
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Strong win by an SEC team over a lower tier PAC 10 team. Wyoming could do better than Arizona State.
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As far as the SEC goes, there are record books that seem to suggest SEC teams do represent a very competitive conference over a substantial time. Does USCalifornia play Alabama or Florida?
When you're a little older, and have experienced a little more sports programming, your need to post about who invented the wave will subside as will your need to rant when your guys lose. USC had the largest mass streak ever recorded,...University of South Carolina, and that is as irrelevant as who was called the "Dawgs" first..
Lets see how the PAC does at the end of the season, Georgia, one of the oldest universities in the US, will be there long after most of the PAC falls into the ocean.
Does living on a fault line cause people to make absurd pronouncements based on only a season or two of competition? Drive to Puyallup and breathe deeply, it will help clear your thoughts!
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There is/was a poser/poster named Dawgmeat who claimed the following:
#1 "the 'world' doesn't have a clue who Georgia is as a school, or what it is as a state.
#2 Stated that Wash. had a better record vs. ranked teams in the past 8 years as compared to UGA.
#3 (and Worst of All to post on a BullDog Site) "That Washington was using "Dawgs" ( I guess referring to there 'Huskies' monicker) before Georgia was ... god damned copy cats"
So, Again, Dawgmeat in Particular this is for you:
One really can't address Who we are without saying who we have BEATEN just the last 8 years (you know the Mark "can't coach" Richt era)
2001: 9-4 beat Houston Nutt & Arkansas, top ranked U Tenn ( in Knoxville no less)
2002: 13-1 SEC Champions Beat ACC contender Clemson, Alabama (in Tuscaloosa), Another win over Tennessee (in Athens), Arkansas in the SEC Championship, and former mentor Bobby Bowden & FSU in the Sugar ( a BCS ) Bowl
2003: 11-3 SEC Eastern Div Champs SHUT OUT Clemson (in Clemson SC with Radio Leading the team onto the Field), Embarassed "Dr." Lou Holtz & South Carolina (in Athens), Back to back wins against Ala. & Tenn. and Beat Purdue in the Capital One Bowl (which matches up the Big 10 #2 vs SEC #2)
2004: 10-2
Revenge against BCS co-Champ LSU (45-16), again Beat Houston Nutt (this time in Ark), Beat arch rival Florida, & beat a respectable Barry Alvarrez coached U of Wisconsin in Outback Bowl
2005: 10-3 SEC Champions (once again) Embarass Dan Hawkins & his vaunnted Boise St Broncos ranked AP #18(we were beating them so bad he even pulled his golden boy QB Jared Zabranski at the half), Rolled over Tennessee in knoxville ranked #8 AP, Beat Ga Tech #20, Avenge our 2003 title loss to LSU #3 AP in the2005 SEC Championship
2006 9-4 (the year of the rotating QB and we find an eventual NFL #1 Draft Pick) SHUT OUT South Carolina in Columbia (only the 2nd time Steve Spurrier was ever shut out, the first time was when he coached the Duke Blue Devils in the 80's), then we end the season with 3 straight victories over top ranked teams
Auburn #5 & Ga Tech #16 per our regular rivalry schedules, and Frank Beamer and his VT Hokies #14 in the Chick-Fil-A (formerly Peach) Bowl
2007 11-2 smash the claims of the rising Ok State Cowboys (35-14), beat Nick Saban and the "Rising" Tide (in Tuscaloosa and in OT), Beat Defending National Champion and hate raval Florida Gators #9 with their eventual Heisman winning Soph Phenom Tim Tebow (42-30), Blacked Out Auburn #18 (45-20), only humbled kentucky #22 (24-13) Beat State Rival Ga Tech (31-17), and once again Blacked Out Hawaii #10(the only UNDEAFEATED team at that time) in the Sugar Bowl (41-10)
2008: 10-3
Beat Up and Coming Vanderbilt #22, Trounced LSU #11 in Death Valley (52-38), and Beat Mich State #19 in Capital One Bowl (24-12) ** true UGA was the Pre Season No 1 we never had a consistent O-line to open rushing holes for Knowshawn Moreno, Or provide adequate pass protection for Mathew Stafford. This by know means belittles the efforts made by Alabama & Florida in their victories over UGA in this season of high expectations. The Season Finale loss to GA Teck that snapped a 7 game series winning streak, I place squarely on the defense's total lack of focus in the 3rd qtr allowing Tech something like 250 yards rushing and scoring 24 straight points.
Also between Mark Richt & Jim Donnan UGA has played in 12 straight Bowl games, (BTW Jim Donnan is 4-0 in Bowl games) Mark Richt is 6-2. Also UGA has Appeared in a total of 43 bowl games with a 24-16-3 record and has appeared in an NCAA leading 20 Different bowl games in it's illustrious history. It's Safe to say a few people have heard of us.
Meanwhile, what have the Huskies done lately, Hm? According to their own Media Guide The Shedding Slobering Mutts last Bowl APPEARANCE was a 24-34 loss to Pudue in the 2002 Sun Bowl. BTW wasn't that the year Coach neuheisel left Seattle in Disgrace? And, with exception of going 6-6 in 2003 after he left, have the Huskies even posted .500 record since ?
Finally, point #3 Who has been "Dawgs" longer? Who is the Real Copy Cat?
Although, Washington says they have started playing football since 1889, they only played just one game in 89 & one game in 90, and they show they did not have a coach for either game. Therefore, both schools have been playing "organized" football since 1892. Next , the University of Washington adopted "Huskies on Feb 3, 1922. Declared at the halftime of a Wash vs. Wash State Basketball game. Meanwhile on Nov. 3,1920 Morgan Blake of the ATLANTA JOURNAL suggested using the name "bulldogs with Georgia. Then 3 days later, after UGA played UVA to a 0--0 tie, ATLANTA CONSTIUTION write Cliff Wheatley used the name "Bulldogs " five times in his story, and UGA has been called the Bulldogs ever since.
BTW Dawgmeat, since I have established that UGA & Washington have been playing for almost the same length of time, how come your whimperring puppies haven't sniffed at 675 victories yet, but UGA has an impressive 725 victories.
Thus, fellow readers, i tell dawgmeat to "HEAL BYOTCH !!"
BTW great game against Stanford , Back to your kennel girl
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#30. Oregon played great. Don't get me wrong. Would not be disappointed to see them go undefeated the rest of the year. If they keep playing like they did today, they will beat Florida or whatever SEC team they will choose to put into the championship game.
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That would sure make Boise State look good.
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But I am and will always will be a Arizona State Sun Devils FAN!
Win or lose as long as those Kids play hard I will cheer for them.
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Funny how when a top rated Pac-10 team loses to a unranked Pac 10 team its because the teams are so deep but when a SEC team loses it because they are overrated. I guess that some smart Pac 10 logic your working with over there. Let me guess now you guys are going to jump on Oregon's nuts this week until they lose, right?
Pac 10 is inconsistent and overrated
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Call me in January when we win yet ANOTHER title.
GO GEORGIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Or perhaps , again, Cal just isn't that good. Come back next week when you get pounded again by SC and tell me you still believe that Cal is a good team.
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I'm sure the folks up in Washington are nice and all....but please no more discourse on the subject.
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