Blair Walsh kicked a 37-yard field goal in the
waning moments of regulation to lift 21st-ranked Georgia to a 20-17 win over
Arizona State.
Joe Cox completed 17-of-31 passes for 242 yards with a touchdown and two
interceptions for the Bulldogs (3-1), who have won three in a row since a
season-opening loss on the road against Oklahoma State.
A.J. Green led all Georgia receivers with eight catches for 153 yards and a
score. He also blocked a potential go-ahead field goal late in the fourth
quarter to keep the score even at 17.
"Every win is a good win," said Georgia head coach Mark Richt. "We hate to
frazzle everyone's nerves, but maybe we're just trying to get the next team
overconfident. I am super proud of our effort, especially on defense. They
played lights out. It was an exciting game."
Danny Sullivan threw for 116 yards on just 10-of-32 attempts for the Sun
Devils (2-1), who were coming off a pair of home wins over Idaho State and UL-
Monroe.
Dimitri Nance rushed for 92 yards on 25 carries and caught a TD in defeat.
A 21-yard field goal by Walsh tied the game at 17 in the early stages of the
final frame.
On the Bulldogs' next two series they were stifled on fourth down at the ASU
28, and Cox was picked off by Jarrell Holman for a second time.
Holman returned the ball to the Georgia 21, but the Sun Devils came away empty
handed when Bobby Wenzig's field goal attempt was denied by the right hand of
Green with about 4 1/2 minutes to play.
The Bulldogs took over possession on its own 21. There were two third-down
conversions on the drive, including a 36-yard pass play between Cox and Green
that put the ball at the ASU 22. Three straight runs later, Walsh came on and
booted the game-winning field goal.
"We played well. We got a turnover late in the game to set up the win, but we
did not capitalize," said ASU head coach Dennis Erickson. "The difference is
that they made a catch at the end of the game and we didn't. It is heart-
breaking to come so close and not win."
After going three-and-out on the game's initial drive, the Bulldogs drew first
blood on their second offensive sequence. An Arizona State penalty on third
down kept the drive alive for Georgia, and Cox threw a strike down the right
sideline on the next play to Green for a 56-yard touchdown.
With standout kicker Thomas Weber sidelined for at least the next month due to
a groin injury, Wenzig drilled a 43-yard attempt through the uprights to put
ASU on the board.
Another critical infraction aided Georgia on its next series. Facing a 3rd-
and-3 from the ASU 28, the Bulldogs were given a fresh set of downs via an
interference penalty. Caleb King ran for 10 yards and Fred Munzenmaier pounded
the ball up the middle from two yards out to give the home team a 14-3 lead
with 51 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Late in the first half, ASU advanced into Georgia territory, but Sullivan was
picked off by Bacarri Rambo, derailing a potential scoring drive.
King fumbled on the Bulldogs' first drive of the third quarter. Travis Goethel
recovered the ball for the Sun Devils at the Georgia 37. ASU covered the short
field in eight plays, with Nance hauling a six-yard toss from Sullivan to cap
the drive.
On the next series, Cox was intercepted by Holman, who rumbled 47 yards for
the go-ahead score.
Game Notes
Georgia won the only previous meeting with the Sun Devils, a 27-10 final in
Tempe last season...The Bulldogs are 10-4-1 against schools from the
Pac-10...Nance caught four passes for 47 yards...King rushed for 55 yards on
11 carries.
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