Georgia had its back against the wall.
Coming off a season-opening loss to Clemson, the Bulldogs couldn’t afford to start out 0-2 by losing to No. 6 South Carolina at home on Saturday.
But Aaron Murray and Todd Gurley made sure No. 11 Georgia would stay alive in its quest for a BCS title.
Murray threw for 286 yards and four touchdowns and Gurley rumbled his way to 115 rushing yards as the Bulldogs beat the Gamecocks, 41-30, in what was arguably the most entertaining game of the young season.
It was maybe the biggest win of Murray’s illustrious career, too, as he made several clutch throws to stymie South Carolina and get revenge for a 35-7 shellacking at Williams-Brice Stadium last season. With the win, he stays alive in the Heisman race after getting bested by Tajh Boyd in week one.
Meanwhile, Gurley continued to show why he’s one of the best backs in the nation, grinding out 92 first-half yards to set the tone for the Georgia offense.
South Carolina didn’t go down without a fight. The Gamecocks stormed back after being down, 17-3, early in the game. Mike Davis showed he may be a superior back to the departed Marcus Lattimore, as he notched his second-straight 100-yard game with 149 yards and a score on 16 carries. Quarterback Connor Shaw also had an outstanding game, throwing for 228 yards and two touchdowns while adding 75 yards on the ground.
The Gamecocks will have to bounce back next week against Vandy if they are to stay alive in the SEC East.
As for the Bulldogs, they are now 1-0 in the SEC and have the potential to shrug off that opening loss and win out. At this point, the Sept. 28 matchup with LSU looms especially large, as the Tigers may be the only thing standing between Georgia and its third-straight SEC East title.