JACKSONVILLE — Aaron Murray won’t be talking trash next time he comes home. He swears.
But if Murray decided to give his friends a little lip, to remind everyone back home which school won Saturday’s game at EverBank Field, he wouldn’t be at fault.
Since signing with Georgia as a senior at Tampa Plant High in 2008, Murray has absorbed plenty of jabs. Nothing serious, he says. Just friendly ribbings — “You’re Gator Bait and this-and-that.”
When he returns to Tampa, Murray won’t repeat the score — 24-20, Bulldogs — but he said he will wear his Georgia T-shirt with pride.
He was far from his best Saturday, completing 15 of 34 passes for 169 yards, but he did came through in the clutch, tossing a pair of touchdown passes to tightly covered receivers on fourth downs.
The No. 22 Bulldogs started slowly and trailed 17-3 late in the first half, but on 4th-and-5 from the Florida 20 yard-line, Murray connected with Michael Bennett on a flag route in the end zone with 1:28 left in the second quarter.
“That was huge to get us back in the game,” Murray said. “As an offense, we just got to keep going and going and going. And we did that. We kept chugging along.”
Georgia completed the comeback in the third quarter. On 4th-and-5 from the Florida 14-yard line, Murray tossed a fade to Tavarres King, who hauled the ball in over Gators cornerback Jaylen Watkins.
Saturday’s game was not Murray’s best performance. He entered the game averaging 236.1 yards per game, second in the Southeastern Conference. And he only completed 44 percent of his passes — 17 points below his season average.
Still, he completed pivotal passes, including four completions to fellow Plant alum Orson Charles, who hauled in a team-high four catches for 31 yards. Also, Murray at times beat Florida with his feet, rushing for 42 yards.
Most importantly, Murray came out on top this time. In last year’s meeting, he and the Bulldogs fell 34-31 in overtime. Murray’s last pass was an interception.
Earlier this week, Georgia coach Mark Richt suggested his quarterback had been too excited before last season. Murray agreed, saying he kept his emotions in check this time.
Even so close to home. Even down two touchdowns. Even on fourth down.
“We just kept fighting,” he said. “That’s something we’ve done all year — keep fighting, fighting, fighting.”
And not trash talking.
Contact Tyler Jett at tjett@alligator.org.
