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14th-ranked Bulldogs run away from No. 24 Auburn

Nov 13, 2011 - 2:02 AM Athens, GA (Sports Network) - Aaron Murray threw four touchdown passes to set a school record and No. 14 Georgia ran away from No. 24 Auburn, 45-7, to move a step closer toward the SEC Eastern title.

Isaiah Crowell ran for 132 yards and a touchdown, while Carlton Thomas added 127 rushing yards for the Bulldogs (8-2, 6-1 SEC), who have won eight consecutive games.

With a 6-1 conference record, Georgia sits in first place in the division ahead of South Carolina, which beat Florida earlier Saturday to move to 6-2 in SEC play. The Bulldogs can clinch the division with a victory against Kentucky next week.

"I'm trying to think of another game where we played this well in a situation that was so important to us," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. "I am as proud as I can be of our coaches and players. It's a great night to be a Georgia Bulldog."

Georgia was a picture of efficiency on Saturday. Murray completed 14-of-18 passes for 224 yards and set a Georgia single-season record by pushing his touchdown total to 27. That broke Matthew Stafford's mark of 25, set in 2008. Additionally, the Bulldogs finished with 528 total yards of offense, recorded 30 first downs and averaged 7.1 yards per play.

By contrast, Auburn struggled on offense the entire game, gaining only 195 yards and nine first downs. Clint Moseley threw for 140 yards for the Tigers (6-4, 4-3), while C.J. Uzomah passed for a touchdown.

Uzomah's score evened the game just past the midway point of the first quarter.

Murray had opened the scoring with an eight-yard pass to Tavarres King, ending Georgia's first drive -- a 12-play, 70-yard march. But on the ensuing Auburn possession, the freshman Uzomah found tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen with a four-run pass.

But after that, the Bulldogs dominated. They weren't perfect, with a few drives ruined by turnovers, but didn't wait long to take control.

After Auburn scored, Murray hit Michael Bennett with a 27-yard touchdown throw. Crowell's fumble ended Georgia's next touch, but Tigers running back Michael Dyer fumbled right after Auburn took over near midfield.

That put Georgia at the Auburn 40, and the Bulldogs needed six plays to score. Murray's 15-yard strike to Bruce Figgins made it a 21-7 game with a little more than 10 minutes left in the half.

Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo pushed the lead to 28-7 three plays into Auburn's next possession. He jumped in front of a Moseley pass to pick off the ball, then scrambled across the field for a 24-yard interception return touchdown.

Murray's 25-yard TD pass to Malcolm Mitchell with five minutes left in the half put Georgia ahead by four scores at the break, and the big lead enabled the Bulldogs to cruise in the second half.

Brandon Bogotay kicked a 26-yard field goal to end Georgia's first possession of the third quarter, and Crowell ended the scoring with his nine-yard TD run in the fourth.

"We got beat at every phase of the game tonight," Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said bluntly. "We didn't cover many people all night, couldn't stop the run and turned the ball over. That's why we got beat 45-7."

Game Notes

Moseley completed 11-of-22 passes for 140 yards...Dyer finished with a team- high 48 rushing yards...The Bulldogs are on their first eight-game winning streak since the 2002 season, when they began 8-0...Rambo recorded his seventh interception of the season and 12th of his career. He has three career interception returns for a touchdown...Murray has 51 career touchdown passes, tying Stafford's record.