Tempers flare at game's end

By MARK BRADLEY and TIM TUCKER

AUBURN, Ala. -- Both teams lost their composure in the final two minutes of Auburn's victory over Georgia.

Georgia players seemed upset when Auburn defensive lineman Nick Fairley, who had been called for roughing the passer earlier, slammed into Aaron Murray's legs after the Bulldogs quarterback threw. Murray stayed down for a couple of minutes and had to be helped off the field.

Hutson Mason entered at quarterback. On the next play, a run up the middle by Washaun Ealey, tempers flared. Players left both benches, their coaches attempting to restrain them. Trooper Taylor, an Auburn assistant, pushed an agitated Fairley past midfield to protect him. Michael Goggans, an Auburn defensive end, was ejected for throwing a punch.

Two plays later, another Auburn player -- defensive tackle Mike Blanc -- also was ejected for throwing a punch.

On the next play, Mason took a knee and let the clock expire. Said Georgia coach Mark Richt: "Tempers were flaring and were out of hand. I thought if we ran another play things could get out of hand. My goal was to take the knee and make sure nothing broke out. When things get that hot and that emotional, I thought it was the wise thing to do."

"Just really disappointed in that," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. "That's a lot of reflection on us as coaches, and I'm embarrassed by it. That's not who we are. That's not the way we carry ourselves, and we will address it tomorrow. . . . I am not happy about it at all."

Richt said another reason he had Mason take a knee on the game's final snap was: "I wanted all our players to be available for  Georgia Tech," the Bulldogs' next opponent.

Murray injury

Murray was not in the game for the final five plays Saturday after limping off the field.

Georgia suffered other injuries in the game.

The most serious appeared to be to cornerback Sanders Commings, who injured his right ankle in the third quarter and did not return to the game. He was seen on crutches on the sideline before being taken to the locker room on a cart.

Linebacker Reuben Faloughi injured his left leg in the fourth quarter and did not return. In the first half, defensive linemen Demarcus Dobbs and DeAngelo Tyson left with injuries, but both later returned to the game.

Green's game

Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green had a career-high nine catches and surpassed 100 yards receiving for the seventh time, finishing with 164 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the first quarter.

His two scoring catches covered 31 and 40 yards, the second of which gave Georgia a 21-7 lead.

Green’s game increased his season totals to 41 catches, 674 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns, despite being suspended for the first four games.

Boykin sets record

Brandon Boykin now has returned kickoffs for more yards than any player in UGA history.

He broke the record with a 26-yard second-quarter return that gave him 1,655 yards on 62 career returns at that point. The old record was 1,637 yards by Gene Washington on 71 returns from 1973-76.