Our columnist Mark Bradley offers his take on the game.
1. Aaron Murray's status makes the week ahead even more interesting. The Georgia quarterback stayed down after being flung to the ground by Kentucky tackle Za'Darius Smith late in the first half, although Georgia coaches would say afterward that Murray had hurt his left knee earlier in the quarter on a 28 yard-run. (He'd waved off substitute Hutson Mason and convinced his coaches to let him keep playing.) After Smith's throwdown, Murray had to be helped to the locker room and was taken to St. Mary's Hostpial for an MRI. No diagnosis was available Saturday night, but coach Mark Richt did say "it would be tough" for Murray to start against Georgia Tech. Which, as Richt said a disconsolate Murray told him at halftime: "That's how our season has gone." A man who hadn't missed a collegiate start might miss the final regular-season game of his career.
2. Then again, backup Hutson Mason looked pretty darn good. Doubtless in the attempt to prepare his No. 2 quarterback for the possibility of a start against Tech, Richt allowed Mason to throw nearly as many passes on the night than Murray had. Indeed, Mason actually threw for more yards (189 against Murray's 183) and completed 13 of 19 passes. (Said Richt of Mason: "He's been ready for a couple of years.") Then again, this was against a really bad Kentucky team that hasn't won an SEC game and had no chance of matching the Bulldogs in manpower. Tech will be rather more motivated come Saturday afternoon at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
3. If this was Murray's last bow as a Bulldog, it was a darn good one. The fifth-year senior threw four touchdown passes on Senior Night, becoming only the third collegian ever to pass for 3,000 yards in each of his four seasons. (Boise State's Kellen Moore and Hawaii's Timmy Chang were the first two.) Murray even ran for 31 yards, including a 28-yard gain off an option read. He'd been the last senior introduced – all others were called in alphabetical order – and he drew a massive ovation from the Sanford Stadium audience. It was a shame he wasn't able to stick around until the end to enjoy it all. "I feel just sick," Richt said. "There's kind of a crummy feeling right now."
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