Down a score with ten seconds left to play, it appeared Georgia was going to lose on the road to Tennessee in what would have been a monumental upset. Instead, the Volunteers fumbled the ball away in overtime, gifting the Bulldogs the 34-31 overtime road victory in conference play.
Georgia vs. Tennessee 2013 final score: Bulldogs escape Knoxville with 34-31 win
A near-drastic result for the Bulldogs turns into a win.
The Bulldogs weren't exactly dominant in the first half, but were still able to build a solid 17-3 lead. Marshall Morgan hit a 56-yard field goal to start the scoring, and Aaron Murray found Chris Conley for a one-yard touchdown pass to make it 10-0 after one quarter.
Michael Palardy hit a 26-yard field goal to bring it within a score, but Murray responded with another short touchdown pass -- this one a four-yarder to Rantavious Wooten.
Tennessee was able to put together a great drive midway through the fourth quarter, culminating in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Justin Worley to Marquez North, who made an incredible diving grab in the end zone.
The Vols were able to tie it up later in the quarter, as Jalen Reeves-Maybin blocked a punt deep in Georgia territory. Devaun Swafford recovered and returned it 15 yards for the score, making it 17-17.
Georgia was able to respond immediately, with a three-yard rushing touchdown from Brendan Douglas to start the fourth quarter, but Tennessee would not go away easily, as Rajion Neal scored less than four minutes later to make it 24-24.
Tennessee put on an impressive drive late in the fourth, converting on a fourth down in Georgia territory on a play-action pass that brought them into the red zone. The 13-play drive (which lasted nearly seven minutes) culminated with another Neal touchdown run, this one from seven yards, giving the Vols a 31-24 lead with less than two minutes to play.
Georgia had one last chance, bringing the ball within the opposing ten-yard line and getting a pass interference call in the end zone with 16 seconds left. After two incomplete passes from Aaron Murray, the quarterback found Rantavious Wooten in the end zone to tie the game back up with five seconds to play.
The Volunteers received the ball first in overtime, and drove down the field before a drastic fumble by Pig Howard rolled out of the end zone, giving Georgia the ball with just a field goal needed to win.
Marshall Morgan hit the 42-yard field goal, giving the Bulldogs the 34-31 win.
The Bulldogs lost three important skill players in the game, as running back Keith Marshall, wide receiver Michael Bennett and wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley all suffered injuries that knocked them out of the contest. Punter Collin Barber was also knocked out of the game with a concussion on the blocked punt.
Box Score Hero: Rajion Neal. The Tennessee running back had 28 carries for 148 yards and two scores.
Rankings Ramifications: Georgia was ranked No. 6 in both polls, while Tennessee did not receive any votes.
But Did They Cover? The Bulldogs were a 14-point favorite, so they did not.
For More On This Game: Check out Dawg Sports and Rocky Top Talk for the post-game reaction.
Next Week’s Schedule: Georgia squares off with Missouri at home in another SEC matchup next Saturday, while Tennessee gets a week off before facing South Carolina.
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