Sports

The annual G-Day football game isn’t about piling up the stats. It’s about team chemistry and bragging rights. Both the Red and Black squads built up the team unity today, but only the Black squad earned bragging rights with an 18-11 win over their Red brethren.

Freshman quarterback Christian LeMay led the Black team on a game-winning drive, and redshirt freshman Ken Malcome ended it with a 12-yard touchdown run with 2:53 left in the game. The Red team could get no further than the Black 37-yard line on the ensuing drive.

“I thought we moved the ball pretty well, especially in the second half, ” said Black quarterback Aaron Murray. “As an offensive unit, it’s hard to gel when you haven’t played with the guys next to you.”

The Red team took an 11-10 lead with 6:59 left to play on a 5-yard rush by Carlton Thomas, but they couldn’t convert the two-point attempt afterwards. Thomas believes that the running game will be crucial to the Bulldogs’ success in the 2011 season.

“The backfield is one of the most experienced units out there,” Thomas said. “However many carries we need to make, we’ll do it, whether it’s 20 carries, 30 carries, whatever.”

The only other touchdown of the game was made by Branden Smith, who gave the Black team a 10-5 lead in the third quarter with a 28-yard run after a catch from Murray. Smith is expected to play all over the field for the Bulldogs next season as a defensive back, running back, and kick returner.

“We got a lot of people competing for the kick returning job,” Smith said. “Communication and technique are the keys for the defensive backs.”

There were a lot of young, inexperienced players out there playing today, but the G-Day record crowd of 43,117 fans got to see several bright spots for the future. There may not be NFL football next season, but Bulldog fans can count on another exciting season between the hedges.