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Georgia coasts to easy win over Western Carolina

Sep 15, 2007 - 11:33 PM ATHENS, Georgia (Ticker) -- After a disappointing loss, Georgia enjoyed a breather.

Matthew Stafford tossed two touchdown passes and Knowshon Moreno rushed for 94 yards on 13 carries Saturday as the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs cruised to a 45-16 victory over Western Carolina of the Football Championship Subdivision.

In the first quarter, Georgia (2-1) still appeared to be affected by last week's 16-12 defeat to South Carolina - its 12th loss in 13 games against Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier.

The Bulldogs managed only a 3-3 tie after the first quarter and led just, 10-6, six minutes into the second period. But Georgia finally got its offense on track, scoring touchdowns on six of its next seven possessions.

"We did (struggle a little bit early in the game) but you have to give Western Carolina some credit," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "They weren't just going to lay down for us."

Last week, Stafford completed only 19-of-44 passes as the Bulldogs were held to four field goals - the first time they failed to score a touchdown at home since another loss to South Carolina in 2001.

Stafford was solid - if not spectacular - against the winless Catamounts (0-3), completing 14-of-20 passes for 174 yards.

"I definitely felt better," Stafford said. "We played well, went out there and took care of business. I felt pretty efficient. I pretty much threw the ball where it needed to be thrown."

Western Carolina closed to 10-6 on Johnathan Parsons' 40-yard field goal with 9:11 left in the first half, but Georgia used a quick-strike offense to break open the game.

The Bulldogs needed just four plays and 53 seconds to answer on Stafford's 16-yard TD pass to Brandon Coutu. Stafford was 4-of-4 for 62 yards on the drive.

The Catamounts pulled within 17-9 on Parsons' 46-yard field with a minute left in the second period. Once again, Georgia answered quickly, taking a 24-9 lead only 30 seconds later on Moreno's 23-yard TD and turning the game into a rout.

"That last drive of the first half really helped us finish the half well," Richt said. "We were hot and cold early but then we settled in and won pretty handily at the end."

It was the first career touchdown for Moreno, who also led the Bulldogs in rushing last week with 104 yards.

"We wanted to execute our game plan and we came out fighting," Moreno said. "The protection was great. The offensive line made holes, the receivers got open and we made throws."

The Bulldogs extended their lead in the third quarter on TD runs of two yards by Thomas Brown and four yards by Brannan Southerland, then made it 45-9 on backup Joe Cox's 34-yard TD pass to Demiko Goodman early in the fourth quarter.

Brown also caught a 10-yard TD pass with 12:54 remaining in the second quarter that gave the Bulldogs a 10-3 lead.

"I think 45 points is pretty good," Richt said. "You don't want to be greedy."

Western Carolina, which suffered its 12th straight loss, was kept out of the end zone until Mike Malone scored on a two-yard run with just under five minutes left.

"We moved the ball well," Western Carolina quarterback Todd Spitzer said. "We put points on the board. We got those points off field goals but not touchdowns. If you turn those nine points into three touchdowns, it's a totally different ballgame."

Malone was held to nine yards rushing on 13 carries after accumulating 322 all-purpose yards in last week's 45-21 loss to Eastern Kentucky.