Like Georgia coach Mark Richt, the powers that be in the SEC office overlooked Marshall Morgan’s missed 26-yard field against Missouri this past Saturday and awarded him the league’s Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Morgan, a senior from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Morgan on three field goals, including a game-winning 34-yarder with 1:44 remaining to lift the Bulldogs to a 9-6 win over Missouri on Saturday at Sanford Stadium. It represented the first time since 1995 that Georgia won without scoring a touchdown.
The winning kick was the second of Morgan’s career. He hit a 42-yarder in overtime to beat Tennessee in 2013. His nine points Saturday gave him 371 for his career, which ties Morgan for fourth on the SEC all-time list with Tennessee’s Jeff Hall.
Morgan has struggled some this season. When he hooked a chip-shot attempt wide left with 5:40 remaining Saturday, it was his fourth miss in 13 attempts this season.
But Morgan got a pep talk from Richt before trotting back on the field to attempt the go-ahead kick with 1:44 play.
Said Richt: “I told him I love him, no matter what. There’s so much pressure on these kids. I told him, ‘I believe in you, so relax and focus on your job and your fundamentals and let it rip.’ ”
That exchange has gone viral on social media this week.
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