Bulldogs Use Overtime To Defeat Eagles

Saturday, November 21

Athens, Ga.

7:00 PM

University of Georgia

Georgia Southern

November 21, 2015 | Football

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	OT	Total
Georgia Southern Eagles (7-3, 5-1)	00	07	07	03	00	17
Georgia Bulldogs (8-3, 5-3)	07	00	07	03	06	23

Michel's OT Touchdown Leads Georgia Past Georgia State

Statistics / PDF :: Post-Game Notes :: Post-Game Quotes :: Photo Gallery

ATHENS, Ga. -- Sophomore running back Sony Michel ran untouched for a 25-yard touchdown on Georgia's first play of overtime to give UGA (8-3,5-1) a 23-17 victory over Georgia Southern (7-3, 5-1) in Sanford Stadium on Saturday night.

The game served as senior night and the final regular season home game for the Bulldogs. Additionally, Que was named Uga X in a passing of the collar ceremony during pre-game festivities.

Symbolic to the night, it was several seniors who stepped up big when it mattered. Senior linebackers Jake Ganus and Jordan Jenkins both made crucial stops in the first-half of the overtime period to stop the Eagles from putting any points on the board in extra time.

Post Game Video


Post Game Audio
Lambert to Godwin TD

Michel rumbled his way to 132 total yards on the ground on 23 carries along with one touchdown. Quarterback Greyson Lambert finished 16 of 25 through the air with 183 yards and one touchdown. Senior wide receiver Malcolm Mitchel hauled in five catches for 73 yards to lead the UGA receiving unit. The Bulldogs held the Eagles to just 277 total yards on the game.

"A lot of really good things happened, but the turnovers really hurt us," head coach Mark Richt said after the game. "We got the touchdown on our first drive and then turned it over when it looked like we might go up 10-0 or 14-0. Then early in the second half, we had it in really good shape and we fumbled and they scooped and scored to go ahead. All of a sudden, we had to really get after it. We kept our poise and our composure and kept doing our jobs until the very end. I was proud of the way we finished. The defense stoned them in overtime. We got the stop on fourth down and that allowed us to get it in the end zone and finish it."

Georgia came out of the gates ready to play, scoring on its first drive. Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie took an end around 23 yards to the house to put the Bulldogs up 7-0 just under four minutes into the game.

Neither team was able to find its groove offensively for over a quarter until Georgia Southern found its way onto the scoreboard via a one-yard plunge from running back L. A. Ramsby. The Eagles struck again on a 62-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown, but the Bulldogs answered with a touchdown of their own on a 12-yard pass from Lambert to Terry Godwin in the corner of the endzone.

Both squads traded field goals and were content with heading to an overtime period. Several stout defensive plays by Leonard Floyd left Georgia Southern with a fourth and one near its own 10-yard line. Ganus and Jenkins stepped up when it mattered most and stuffed the Eagles behind the line of scrimmage. Michel took the Bulldogs' first play of overtime 25 yards for the score to secure the win for UGA.

The Bulldogs return to action next Saturday for their final regular season game of the year in their annual battle against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. The game time and broadcasting network will be announced later this week.

Click to watch the Zaxby's Big Hits of the Game

Passing Leaders
Georgia	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
Lambert	16/25	183	1	0
Ga. Southern	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
Upshaw	3/5	47	0	0
Ellison	1/2	-3	0	0

Rushing Leaders
Georgia	CAR	YDS	TD
Michel	23	132	1
McKenzie	2	19	1
Ga. Southern	CAR	YDS	TD
Breida	20	66	0
Upshaw	7	67	0

Receiving Leaders
Georgia	REC	YDS	TD
Mitchell	5	75	0
Godwin	2	22	1
Ga. Southern	REC	YDS	TD
Johnson	1	28	0
Campbell	1	17	0

Georgia		Ga. Southern
17	1st Downs	11
2-10	3rd Down Conv.	6-16
1-1	4th Down Conv.	0-1
313	Total Yards	277
16-25-183	Passing	4-7-44
30-130	Rushing	53-233
2-15	Penalties	3-25
2	Turnovers	1
27:15	Possession	32:45