Murray Leads No. 9 Georgia Past No. 6 LSU 44-41
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Aaron Murray threw four touchdown passes, including a 25-yarder to Justin Scott-Wesley with 1:47 remaining, and No. 9 Georgia rallied to beat No. 6 LSU 44-41 in a thrilling game between Southeastern Conference powerhouses Saturday.
The Bulldogs (3-1, 2-0 SEC) completed their opening-month run through a gauntlet of top 10 teams with a victory that propelled them back into the thick of the national championship race.
LSU (4-1, 1-1) got a career-best 372 yards passing from former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger in his return to Athens, and the Tigers went ahead 41-37 on Jeremy Hill's 8-yard touchdown run with 4:14 to go.
But that was plenty of time for Murray and the high-powered Bulldogs on a day when neither defense had much success. He completed three straight passes to quickly move the Bulldogs into LSU territory, and freshman J.J. Green broke off an 18-yard run to the Tigers 25. Then it was Scott-Wesley, breaking wide open behind the secondary to haul in a pass and tiptoe just inside the pylon for the winning score.
Murray ran for Georgia's other touchdown on a sneak and finished with 298 yards passing inGeorgia's second victory over a top 10 team after a season-opening loss to Clemson.
Two out of three against top 10 opponents? Georgia will take it.
Murray and Mettenberger were in the same recruiting class at Georgia, contending for the starting job in the spring of 2010 until a criminal case ended the competition.
Mettenberger pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery charges and was kicked off the team that summer. His mother, Tammy, still works in football operations for the Bulldogs, though coach Mark Richt gave her the week off because of all the attention surrounding her son.
The former teammates did all that could be expected of them.
Mettenberger had three touchdowns on 23-of-37 passing, continually burning the Bulldogs on third down. He completed a 25-yard pass on Odell Beckham on third-and-22 to improbably extend an LSU drive that led to Hill's go-ahead touchdown.
But Murray delivered the final blow.
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