Tailback J.J. Green said he can’t say for sure how many times he has heard “you’re one play away from playing” from Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and running backs coach Bryan McClendon. But, he assured, it’s “a ton.”
“They’re always telling you that,’” said Green, a freshman. “You’re like, ‘come on, Coach.’ You don’t ever think about it. And then it happened. I WAS one play away.”
He was, and Green came through big time. With star tailbacks Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall on the sideline with injuries, the 5-foot-9, 183-pounder came off the bench to carry the load for the Bulldogs. Green finished with 129 yards on 17 carries to help No. 6 Georgia secure a 34-31 overtime win over Tennessee.
“I always knew I could do that,” said Green, who was a midyear enrollee out of Camden County High. “I’ve been doing it in practice against the first defense. They knew it. Those guys were telling me, ‘just get in there and do what you do.’”
The Bulldogs went into the game knowing they would be without Gurley, who suffered a sprained ankle early in the second quarter against LSU. But they felt good coming into the game because of Marshall, who had 164 yards and a pair of 70-plus-yard touchdown runs against Tennessee last year.
But Marshall was lost for the game — and possibly for the season — because of a right knee injury suffered at the 5:29 mark of the first quarter. He was running a flare route in the left flat when Cameron Sutton, a freshman cornerback from Jonesboro, came up to defend. Sutton dove for Marshall’s legs and cut them out from under him. The pass was incomplete, and Marshall immediately began to writhe in pain on the ground.
Marshall, who already had gained 33 yards on five carries, left the field via golf cart with his right knee wrapped in ice. His return this season is unlikely.
Green was first to replace him. He already had a 17-yard run earlier on the possession. Georgia threw a first-down pass on the first play, then freshman Brendan Douglas came in and made a pair of 6-yard runs to set up the Bulldogs’ first touchdown.
Douglas had 10 carries for 25 yards and scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. But Green was on the field on Georgia’s final two drives.
“When we signed him we didn’t even know what he was going to play,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “We thought he might play cornerback or maybe wide receiver. … He’s probably thinking he’s playing for the third spot at best. But he can play.”
Thanks to his efforts, Georgia has now had a back with 91 or more yards in every game.
Said Green: “I didn’t know I was going to play running back until after the first week of spring. So I just practiced and learned the plays from there. Everything else is history.”
Morgan comes through: Richt called over Marshall Morgan before he went out to try a potential game-winning field goal in overtime. What did he say?
“I told him I think he’s the best kicker in America, and I wouldn’t want anyone else taking this kick,” Richt said.
Morgan rewarded his coach’s confidence. His 42-yarder from the left hash mark was good.
“It was a great day,” said Marshall, a sophomore who missed the first two games of the season because of suspension. “I set a new personal best on the long field goal and made a game-winner. But what I’m really happy about was my kickoffs. I had four touchbacks tonight. So that was good, too.”
Morgan’s 56-yarder in the first quarter was the longest ever made by a Tennessee opponent in Neyland Stadium. He missed a 39-yarder attempt in the third quarter that hit the left upright. He also made all his extra points, including a 35-yarder after a personal-foul penalty.
Etc.: Freshmen Quincy Mauger and Shaq Wiggins got their first career starts at safety and cornerback, respectively. … The Bulldogs had a punt blocked and recovered for a touchdown for the second time this season. North Texas also scored off a block. … Junior defensive end Ray Drew had two sacks and now has three in the past two games. Rantavious Wooten's six catches (38 yards) were a career high. … Tennessee broke out new uniforms Saturday. The Vols donned gray uniforms, or "Smokey Gray," as they called them. It was the first time they wore an alternate uniform at home since Oct. 31, 2009.
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