SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 12, 2011
Aaron Murray passed for four first-half touchdowns, and No. 16 Georgia moved to the brink of its first SEC East title in six years with a 45-7 rout of No. 25 Auburn at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.
The Bulldogs (8-2, 6-1 SEC) need to beat Kentucky at home next week to win the East and advance to the SEC Championship Game Dec. 3 for the first time since 2005. If Kentucky upsets the Bulldogs, South Carolina would win the East.
Tied at 7-7 midway through the first quarter, Georgia scored 28 unanswered points to lead 35-7 at halftime. Murray completed 13-of-16 passes for 216 yards in the first half, and Bacarri Ramboกฏs 24-yard interception return for a score with 9:41 left in the half fueled the blowout.
Murray threw touchdown passes to Tavarres King (8 yards), Michael Bennett (27 yards), Bruce Figgins (15 yards) and Malcolm Mitchell (25 yards). Ramboกฏs interception came 55 seconds after Figginsกฏ touchdown reception to give the Bulldogs a 28-7 advantage.
Auburn (6-4, 4-3) never got on track offensively. The Tigers, second in the SEC in rushing yards per game (191.1), rushed for just 20 yards in the first three quarters.
Georgiaกฏs eight-game win streak is the programกฏs longest since 1982. Both Isaiah Crowell (132 yards) and Carlton Thomas (127 yards) topped 100 yards rushing as the Bulldogs finished with more than 500 yards of total offense. Murray finished 14-of-18 for 224 yards, and set a new school record for most touchdowns in a season (27).
Auburn plays host to Samford on Saturday.