Dawgs Pick up Second Win of the Season

The University of Georgia improved to 2-2 today with a 27-13 victory over Ole Miss.

The Bulldogs’ second conference game of the season -- dubbed by some media as the “Hot Seat Bowl” -- pitted embattled UGA coach Mark Richt against a similarly challenged Houston Nutt of the University of Mississippi.

Both teams entered today’s matchup 1-2. Georgia . The sole win of the season to date for Ole Miss was the Rebels’ Sept. 10 victory over Southern Illinois. Both teams needed a conference win today -- the Bulldogs made it happen.

Georgia jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the Rebels put points on the board with a 38-yard pass from Randall Mackey to Donte Moncrief with five minutes left to play in the first half. Georgia answered with seven less than three minutes later as Aaron Murray connected with Aron White on a 35-yard touchdown pass. With the extra point, the Dawgs led 24-7.

Before the half drew to a close, Ole Miss added six on an 81-yard punt return by Nickolas Brassell. The two-point conversion failed and the Rebels headed to the locker room trailing 24-13 at the midway point.

After a scoreless third, the Bulldogs’ Blair Walsh kicked a 43-yard field goal for the final score in UGA’s 27-13 win.

Now the Bulldogs begin preparations for a four-game stretch of SEC challengers. Next week, UGA hosts Mississippi State. The Bulldogs travel to Tennessee on Oct. 8 and then to Vanderbilt on Oct. 15 before facing the University of Florida in Athens on Oct. 29.

Ole Miss will enjoy a brief respite from SEC play next week against Fresno State before facing No. 3 Alabama on Oct. 15.

In the meantime, both Richt and Nutt remain under pressure to meet the high expectations for both programs.

According to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Richt laughed at the “Hot Seat Bowl” label.

“I knew that would happen,” Richt said, chuckling as he shook his head. “That was pretty easy to predict. You’d think they could have thought of something better than that. I think a couple of kindergartners could have figured out that one.”

Nutt was more solemn in his response to a USA Today reporter.

“The bottom line is this: `Did you win the last game?' We didn't. That's the water that you're in and the water's going to be hot. You've got to accept it, but it does surprise me. Not much, but a little bit."