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Bulldogs pull away late to take down Missouri

Sep 9, 2012 - 5:48 AM Columbia, MO (Sports Network) - Aaron Murray completed 22-of-35 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns, as the seventh-ranked Georgia Bulldogs held off the Missouri Tigers, 41-20.

Todd Gurley carried the ball 10 times for 65 yards and a score for the Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0 SEC), who beat Buffalo by a 45-23 margin last week. Ken Malcome rushed for 33 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

Marlon Brown hauled in eight passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns for the victors. Tavarres King caught two passes for 41 yards and a score.

"I was proud of the boys and the job they did," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "You know, 21 points was really not indicative of how close the game was. We just made some plays at the end there that got some quick scores for us. It was definitely a great challenge for our football team."

James Franklin connected on 25-of-41 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Tigers (1-1, 0-1), who played their first-ever SEC game.

Marcus Lucas and L'Damian Washington each caught a touchdown pass.

"First of all, Georgia is a very good football team, as we expected, and I am very impressed with them as I thought we would be. I give them a lot of credit," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "You can't make mistakes, the kind of mistakes we made in the game like that, and survive."

The first points of the game didn't come until the second quarter. Murray was intercepted by Donovan Bonner in Georgia territory. Missouri had to settle for a 38-yard Andrew Baggett field goal with 12:07 left.

Marshall Morgan tied the game when he made a 52-yard field goal with under six minutes remaining.

The Tigers went back in front on Lucas' 41-yard TD catch. But Brown responded with a two-yard TD catch. Morgan missed the extra point to keep it a 10-9 game.

Washington caught a 69-yard TD pass early in the third stanza to give Missouri a 17-9 lead. But Georgia responded once again, this time with a 12-play, 75- yard scoring drive. King's seven-yard touchdown catch combined with a successful two-point conversion made it 17-17.

Baggett's 25-yard field goal gave the Tigers the lead with over 2 1/2 minutes to go.

Georgia, however, scored a touchdown on its ensuing possession and never looked back. Brown caught passes of four and 40 yards before hauling in an 11- yard TD pass, making it 24-20 with 51 seconds left.

Missouri turned the ball over on downs earlier in the fourth. Morgan followed with a 41-yard field goal to give Georgia a 27-20 margin.

Franklin was intercepted by Jarvis Jones later in the frame. Jones returned the ball 21 yards to the one-yard line. Gurley rumbled into the end zone to make it 34-20 with 7:33 to play.

Malcome's six-yard TD run over two minutes later accounted for the final margin.

Game Notes

Saturday's game was just the second meeting all-time between Georgia and Missouri, with the Bulldogs winning the first back in the 1960 Orange Bowl, 14-0 ... The Tigers beat FCS opponent Southeastern Louisiana, 62-10, last week ... The Bulldogs are 8-4 in SEC openers under Richt.