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No. 3 Georgia blasts Georgia Tech in SEC title game tuneup

Nov 25, 2012 - 12:10 AM Athens, GA (Sports Network) - Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall combined for 163 rushing yards and four touchdowns, as No. 3 Georgia blasted Georgia Tech, 42-10, at Sanford Stadium.

Gurley ended with 97 yards on 12 carries and was augmented by Marshall's 66 yards on seven totes for the Bulldogs (11-1), who kept up the momentum heading to the SEC title game next Saturday against Alabama, which thrashed Auburn in Tuscaloosa.

Aaron Murray completed 14-of-17 passes for 215 yards and scores to Jay Rome and Rhett McGowan. Malcolm Mitchell led the receiving corps with 88 yards on three catches.

"Our goal was to win every phase of the game, for every unit to win. I think we may have done that. That's more than a coach can ask for really," said Georgia head coach Mark Richt.

Tevin Washington and Vad Lee went 10-of-21 passing for 120 yards and one interception for the Yellow Jackets (6-6), whose three-game win streak ended ahead of a meeting with Florida State in the ACC title game next week.

David Sims totaled 71 yards and Georgia Tech's lone touchdown on 14 carries, and Robert Godhigh contributed 66 yards on five receptions in defeat.

Gurley's 3-yard run capped the opening series and put the hosts up 7-0. Mitchell provided Georgia with excellent field position, taking the opening kickoff 47 yards to the Yellow Jackets' 44.

Godhigh was on his way to a TD run on Tech's next possession, but had the ball stripped just before the goal line by Baccari Rambo, who returned it 49 yards to midfield. Eight plays later, it was 14-0 as Gurley took it in from the one.

"Any time you turn the ball over it isn't a good thing, but I think it hurt the flow of the game," said Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson. "They got off to a great start, scored, and we got the ball back and went right down the field and looked like we were going to go in for a score and turn it over. Instead of us having a first down inside the 10, they had it at midfield and went back and scored in about four or five plays."

The Yellow Jackets converted their next drive, as Chris Tanner made a 38-yard field goal, but Georgia came right back on a 15-yard TD run from Marshall.

It was 28-3 for the hosts as Murray connected with McGowan on an 11-yard scoring pass inside of three minutes to play in the second quarter. The 25- point margin stood at halftime.

Murray and Rome combined for a 24-yard scoring pass early in the third quarter and Marshall added a 17-yard TD run punctuated with a dive to the near pylon on the right sideline later in the period.

Sims' 9-yard run to paydirt in the fourth was Georgia Tech's lone answer to the Bulldogs' onslaught.

Game Notes

Georgia, which has won four in a row over their state rivals and 11 of the last 12 meetings, also improved to 33-1 at home vs. non-conference opponents under Richt ... The Yellow Jackets outgained the Bulldogs, 426-379, and racked up 26 first downs to 18 for the hosts ... Gurley also had two catches for 20 yards and Godhigh added 44 yards on six carries ... Rambo added an interception, the 16th of his career which tied the school record currently held by Jake Scott ... Georgia also ran its season point total to 456, snapping the previous record held by the 2002 squad.