University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Claims 27-14 Victory Over Tennessee
October 08, 2005 | Football
Oct. 8, 2005
Box Score | Photo Gallery
Two-Minute Drill
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--- Pushing their undefeated record to 5-0, the No. 5-ranked Georgia Bulldogs took care of the then No. 8-rarnked Tennessee Volunteers 27-14 in front of a Neyland Stadium capacity crowd of 108,470 and a ESPN national television audience.
The Bulldogs held Volunteer tailback Gerald Riggs Jr. to 52 yards rushing and were able to score in all four quarters of the game. While senior quarterback D.J. Shockley led the Georgia attack with 207 passing yards and 51 rushing yards, senior safety Greg Blue stalled the Volunteer offense with 14 tackles for the Bulldog defense.
Georgia redshirt sophomore fullback Brannan Southerland¹s first career touchdown was also the Bulldogs' first touchdown of the day. Following an 83-yard drive, Southerland plowed through the line for a 1-yard touchdown to give Georgia a 7-0 edge with :17 left in the opening quarter.
Both teams were then forced to punt a combined five times in the second quarter before the Bulldogs added a field goal as time expired in the first half. Redshirt sophomore Brandon Coutu's 18-yard field goal was set up by Georgia sophomore Charles Johnson sacking Tennessee quarterback Rick Clausen and jumping on the loose ball after Clausen fumbled.
The Bulldogs concluded a 5:32 drive with 25-yard field goal from Coutu in the third quarter before the Volunteers scored for the first time.
Clausen was able to sneak into the end zone from 1 yard out after his teammate Jonathan Wade intercepted one of Shockley's passes and took the ball all the way to the goal line.
Georgia was able to extend its lead to 20-7 with 8:50 left in the fourth quarter on Thomas Flowers' 54-yard punt return for a touchdown. It was the redshirt sophomore's first career touchdown and the team's first special teams touchdown of the season. Bulldog sophomore tailback Thomas Brown, who finished with 94 yards rushing, put the game out of reach with his 18-yard touchdown run in the final two minutes of play.
Although Tennesse scored a 24-yard passing touchdown as time expired, Georgia's defense held its opponent to 48 net rushing yards and had five players with at least five tackles during the 27-14 victory.
Worth Noting...
- Georgia's captains for this game were seniors Greg Blue, Kedric Golston, Bryan McClendon and D.J. Shockley.
- Redshirt freshman Brannan Southerland scored his first career touchdown against the Volunteers.
- Freshman wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi¹s first career rushing attempt went for 23 yards on a reverse from Thomas Brown.
- Senior cornerback DeMario Minter snagged his first career interception in the second quarter versus Tennessee.
Mark Richt said . . .
"I don't know where to start. I am very excited and thankful for the win.
We played a great football team tonight, and we played great. We kept our poise and stayed united. There was no finger pointing when bad things happened. D.J. Shockley had to fight adverse conditions and handled things like a champion."
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