UGA’s Moreno shows he can catch too

Georgia tailback Knowshon Moreno was surprised to hear after Saturday’s game that his touchdown off a screen pass in the second quarter against Auburn was the first of his career.

“Really?” he asked. “Are you sure? That’s kind of cool.”

It was pretty cool for Georgia when it happened. Moreno rambled 35 yards down the sideline behind guard Cordy Glenn before splitting two Auburn defenders the last 10 yards to get in the end zone. The score put the Bulldogs ahead 7-6 with 3:08 left in the second quarter.

“I had those big linemen up in front of me making blocks. I was just running down the field,” Moreno said.

That catch was one of four receptions by Moreno. He finished with 189 yards, including 131 yards rushing on 22 carries.

“We didn’t really invent any new plays for him,” coach Mark Richt said. “We’re always trying to get the ball to Knowshon.”

Moreno has 1,244 yards rushing this season, the eighth-best total in school history and 90 shy of his mark last season. That’s also 254 yards rushing in the last two games.

“The thing I like the most about Knowshon the last two weeks in particular is just how he’s practiced,” Richt said. “Not that he doesn’t always practice well but he’s just had a different attitude starting two Tuesdays ago and it hasn’t changed since. I don’t know if people got under his skin about him taking himself out of the game but, if so, thank you.”