State Falls At Georgia, 24-10
ATHENS, Ga. - Turnovers,
injuries, and a lack of offensive production kept the Mississippi State
Bulldogs from pulling out a win in Athens, Ga., Saturday, a place they
have not found victory since 1956.
In front of a packed house at
Sanford Stadium, Mississippi State fell into an early 21-3 deficit at
the end of the first half and could not recover. Mississippi State's
defense kept the Maroon and White in the game, but in the end,
Georgia's offense dominated the scene for much of the day.
Mississippi
State managed 10 points on the board throughout the game, scoring with
a 42-yard field goal from Derek DePasquale in the first quarter and a
72-yard interception return for a touchdown by junior defensive back
Darius Slay midway through the fourth quarter. The defensive touchdown
gave the Bulldog hope for a comeback, but a late Chris Relf
interception capped the victory for Georgia.
The opening drive
for State ended about two minutes after it began, stalling after four
plays and six yards. On Georgia's first possession, the Bulldogs from
UGA went 33 yards on three plays, ending with an Aaron Murray 21-yard
touchdown pass to receiver Orson Charles.
The next drive for
State would result in the DePasquale field goal and the Bulldogs would
fail to find pay dirt for the next three quarters.
Georgia
quarterback Aaron Murray would go on to score six one more time, a
6-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Mitchell late in the first quarter,
upping the Georgia lead to 14-3 at the end of the first period.
The
Mississippi State defense reeled off two interceptions in the second
quarter, one by sophomore defensive back Nickoe Whitley on Georgia's
opening drive of the second quarter, and the other by linebacker
Cameron Lawrence, the first of his career. That interception put the
Bulldogs on Georgia's 28 to start, but Relf's second pass would fly out
of the hands of receiver Chris Smith and into the hands of UGA
defensive back Sanders Commings.
Throughout the game, MSU backup
quarterback Dylan Favre made appearances while senior Chris Relf dealt
with injuries. Favre was 0-for-2 through the air and was sacked once
for a 10-yard loss.
Mississippi State would force a fumble in
the third period and get the Darius Slay interception return, but the
Maroon and White-clad Bulldogs could not cash in their opportunities
for points on the board.
The Bulldogs will continue their road
schedule next Saturday, as they travel to Birmingham, Ala., to face the
UAB Blazers, which is set to kickoff at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be
broadcasted live on SportSouth and through the MSU Radio Network.
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