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The biggest question mark for the Georgia Bulldogs heading into this season was the production they would get from their big men. Losing their top three post players from last year meant minutes and points were up for grabs.

It looks like the young forwards are beginning to get comfortable with their roles on the team.

Donte’ Williams had a career-high 17 points to lead four players in double figures as Georgia defeated South Dakota State, 72-61, to continue their unbeaten start to the season.

“On the scouting report, we saw that they weren’t really a big team, so we put emphasis on going down low and winning the low-post game,” Williams said.

Georgia (3-0) trailed by as many as seven in the second half, but an improvement in rebounding and fastbreak offense fueled a 21-6 run that put the Bulldogs in control.

“We wore them down with a lot of bodies,” Coach Mark Fox said after the game. “We didn’t play particularly well throughout the game, but we played hard. Winning the rebounding battle keyed [the second half run], and the transition game was a big part of that, too.”

Gerald Robinson added 15 points, and Nemanja Djurisic scored 12 of his 14 in the second half. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also had 14.  It was the first time this season that Georgia had more than two players in double figures.

“I just felt more confident that I could score,” said Djurisic, a freshman from Montenegro.  ”I took advantage of my ability to run fast and get some easy buckets. They could spread out and shoot, but they were not as strong inside.”

Fox preached improvements in the rebounding game during halftime, especially on the defensive end. South Dakota State (1-1) had 13 second-chance points in the first half but only four in the second.

Another key to the improved play was containing the Jackrabbits’ backcourt tandem of Nate Wolters and Taevaunn Prince, who scored 15 and 13 points, respectively, but combined for just five in the second half.

The Bulldogs shot just 20 percent from downtown but had a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint and made the Jackrabbits pay for their 11 missed free throws.

It was Georgia’s second win in the 2011 Progressive CBE Classic. They defeated Bowling Green on Sunday, 63-54.

Georgia gets the weekend off and returns to action next Monday night, when they face California in a continuation of the CBE tournament.

Final Score: Georgia 72, SD State 61. The Bulldogs move to 3-0 on the season. A 21-6 second-half run made the difference, turning a seven-point deficit into an eight-point lead. Donte’ Williams led four Georgia players in double figures with 17 points, the most any Bulldog has scored in a game this year. Nemanja Djurisic keyed the second-half play with 12 of his 14. The Dogs have the weekend off and return to action next Monday. Game recap to follow. Thanks for following WUOG Sports.

Georgia 68, SD State 58; 1:41 left in 2nd–SD State not helping themselves with so many missed free throws. Georgia getting balanced scoring with four players in double figures. The Dogs will most likely get to ice this game from the line.

Georgia 66, SD State 55; 3:24 left in 2nd–Largest lead of the game. Nemanja Djurisic is having a great half, scoring 10 of his 12 in the second, most of them on open lay-ups. It’s so much easier for Georgia when they get out on the fast break for easy scores.

Georgia 58, SD State 51; 5:08 left in 2nd–Williams has 13 now and is going to the line to shoot two. Bulldogs finally doing what they should have been the entire game: getting out on the break after a defensive rebound. Ware finds Robinson for an easy lay-in.

Georgia 52, SD State 46; 9:09 left in 2nd–Georgia on a 21-8 run and has done it by denying the paint in the last few minutes. The Bulldogs have effectively taken Prince and Wolters out of the game and are forcing more turnovers.

Georgia 48, SD State 44; 11:30 left in 2nd–Georgia going with the mindset that, if you shoot enough threes, eventually a few of them will go in. Caldwell-Pope has hit three triples and Sherrard Brantley’s trey gives Georgia its largest lead of the game.

SD State 40, Georgia 38; 15:12 left in 2nd–Forget shooting woes; both teams have come out firing in the second half. SD State extends their lead back up to seven, but Georgia ties it up at 38 before Chad White hits a tough lay-up to give the Rabbits the lead again.

Second half is underway. It’s a 20-minute game now.

If you’re Georgia (and none of you are), you have to use your athleticism and attack the paint in the second half. Settling for threes is exactly what SD State wants you to do. Go with some pick-and-rolls and force the issue. On defense, stay in front of Wolters and don’t allow him to penetrate. The Rabbits’ passing has been just average; make them beat you with good ball movement, not open lay-ups. And, for heaven’s sake, box out. SD State had 13 second-chance points in the first half. Don’t allow them multiple opportunities to score.

Halftime: Georgia 29, SD State 29. Both teams shoot around 32% in the first half, but the offensive play was much better in the last few minutes. SD State has been causing Georgia all sorts of problems on the offensive boards, and Prince has led the charge. He’s up to a game-high 13 points, and his put-back at the first-half buzzer sent both teams into the locker room all tied up. Wolters has played a pivotal role as well. He’s having little trouble getting by his defenders and cutting to the rim for easy lay-ups or kick-outs to open shooters. He has 10 points. Williams and Caldwell-Pope both have eight points, while Robinson has seven.

Georgia 22, SD State 22; 2:10 left in 1st–Gerald Robinson is slowly breathing some life into the Georgia offense. He’s scored the last 7 Bulldog points. Prince continues to play well for the Rabbits and leads all scorers with 11.

SD State 16, Georgia 10; 8:50 left in 1st–Despite their superior size in the post, the Bulldogs are allowing a lot of open space to the basket. Nate Wolters with two quick uncontested lay-ups. Largest lead of the game for either team. Coach Fox takes a 30-second timeout to talk things over.

Georgia 8, SD State 6; 11:38 left in 1st–The Bulldogs continue to try their luck from three with poor results. Donte’ Williams leads the team with four points. At the other end, Taevaunn Prince, a 6′3″ freshman from Canada, has been the best player of the game thus far. He has five points and three offensive rebounds. Coach Mark Fox going with mass substitutions, much like hockey lines.

SD State 3, Georgia 2; 15:17 left in 1st half–Ugly game so far as both teams struggle to find their offense. Georgia has a height advantage down low but has not tried to exploit it. The Bulldogs are 0-3 from downtown.

And we are underway in Stegeman Coliseum…

Starting lineup for SD State: G–Nate Wolters, G–Brayden Carlson, G–Chad White, F–Griffan Callahan, F–Tony Fiegen.

Starting lineup for Georgia remains unchanged through three games: G–Dustin Ware, G–Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G–Gerald Robinson, F–Marcus Thornton, F–Donte’ Williams.

Senior guard Gerald Robinson and freshman guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are the co-leading scorers in the early season for the Bulldogs at 13 points per game apiece. Sophomore forward Donte’ Williams grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds over the weekend against Wofford and will lead Georgia’s extremely young frontcourt.

Good evening, Bulldog fans. Ken Nasse here to blog tonight’s game between Georgia (2-0) and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (1-0) of the Summit League. This game is part of the 2011 Progressive CBE Classic that includes 12 teams competing in four different regions, with three teams in each region. The host teams are Georgia, Cal, Notre Dame, and Missouri. The Bulldogs won their first game in the tournament, 63-54, over Bowling Green on Sunday. The tournament will move to Kansas City next week for the semifinals and finals.

This is the first ever meeting between the Bulldogs and the Jackrabbits. The only time that Georgia has ever played a current member of the Summit League was back in 1980, when they beat Oral Roberts, 81-65.

If you didn’t recognize many of the faces on the Georgia basketball court tonight, there was no need to adjust your TV set. This is a brand new team.

Five players made their debuts for the Bulldogs tonight, as Georgia opened up its season with a 62-49 home victory over Wofford.

Freshman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led all scorers with 15 in his first college game. The former McDonald’s All-American shot 5-12.

“It was a good opening game for us,” Coach Mark Fox said after the game. “We knew we would be forced to play at both ends of the floor for 40 minutes. All these guys have so much to learn and so much to experience.”

Senior guards Dustin Ware and Gerald Robinson added 14 and 11 points, respectively.

With their top three big men from last season gone, the Bulldogs had three forwards playing in their first game. Though they struggled to make an impact early on, Georgia’s post players combined to score 15 points, all of them in the second half.

“The big guys will be just fine once we start jelling and get more games under our belt. They just have to keep their confidence,” Ware said.

The Bulldogs never trailed after Caldwell-Pope’s breakaway dunk put them ahead 15-13 with 7:58 left in the first half, but they were also unable to put Wofford away until the closing minutes.

“This is my third time playing Wofford in my four years here,” Ware said. “I knew they were a good team, experienced in the backcourt just like we are. They’ve always made it tough every year.”

Georgia ended the game on just 34% shooting but took advantage of 13 Wofford turnovers, which were turned into 14 points for the Bulldogs.

Brad Loesing led Wofford with 13 points, while Drew Crowell added 12.

Nemanja Djurisic, the 6′8″ freshman from Montenegro, scored 8 second-half points for Georgia. Sophomore forward Donte’ Williams had a game-high 13 rebounds.

Georgia will be back in action this Sunday against Bowling Green.

Final score: Georgia 62, Wofford 49. Caldwell-Pope scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half to lead the Bulldogs to a season-opening victory. Dustin Ware added 14 for Georgia. The Bulldogs didn’t put Wofford away until the final minutes, but they also were never really threatened. Game recap to follow shortly. Thanks for following WUOG Sports.

Georgia 53, Wofford 45; 2:19 left in 2nd–Djurisic tacks on two more points from the free throw line. The big man is playing well in his debut.

Georgia 51, Wofford 42; 4:49 left in 2nd–Free Djurisic! The big man scores twice on a couple of assists from Robinson. Timeout, Wofford.

Georgia 46, Wofford 38; 7:47 left in 2nd–Giltner has eight points this half, and Wofford is sticking around despite sloppy ballhandling.

Georgia 44, Wofford 34; 10:16 left in 2nd–Crowell hits back-to-back jumpers to cut the Georgia lead to six, but John Florveus, also playing in his first Georgia game, responds with two straight buckets of his own.

Georgia 38, Wofford 30; 12:34 left in 2nd–Sherrard Brantley ends a Georgia six-minute field goal drought with a three-pointer. Djurisic scores the first basket of his Georgia career. Giltner starting to play well for Wofford with 10 points. Georgia shooting just 13-42 for the game, but Wofford has 11 turnovers.

Georgia 32, Wofford 23; 15:49 left in 2nd–Donte Williams hits a lay-up, and we finally have a basket from a Georgia big man. Nemanja Djurisic, the 6′8″ freshman from Montenegro, has checked in for the first time, the fourth debutant for Georgia tonight.

Second half underway…

Both teams shot just 33% from the field in the first half. It’s clear that Caldwell-Pope has been given the green light to show his shooting stroke whenever he finds space. He has taken the #1 jersey that former Bulldog Travis Leslie left behind when he was drafted in the second round of the NBA draft this past June. He may not have Leslie’s jaw-dropping athleticism, but he is a dangerous scoring threat from anywhere on the floor. The onus is on Robinson and Ware to be leaders of this raw squad.

Halftime: Georgia 30, Wofford 21–Caldwell-Pope is firing at will and leads all scorers with 13. Robinson has 9 and Ware 8. No other player has scored yet for Georgia. Brad Loesing leads Wofford with six.

Georgia 24, Wofford 19; 3:33 left in 1st–Robinson coming alive here toward the end of the half. He now has 9 after a nice drive and lay-in. Wofford endured a span of over five minutes without a field goal. Loesing’s three-point play cut the lead to five.

Georgia 15, Wofford 13; 7:58 left in 1st–Georgia continues to shoot poorly, but Gerald Robinson ties the game at 13 with a three-pointer. Caldwell-Pope then gives Georgia the lead on a breakaway dunk.

Wofford 11, Georgia 10; 11:24 left in 1st–Poor shooting has plagued the Bulldogs early on. Just 4-14 so far. Ware is up to 8 points after another three. Caldwell-Pope scored his first career basket on a lay-up after a backdoor cut. Coach Mark Fox going with substitutions early and often. Nine Bulldogs have entered the game thus far.

Georgia 5, Wofford 3; 15:51 left in 1st half–Dustin Ware with all 5 for the Dogs so far. Brad Loesing nailed a three for the Terriers. Both teams with shaky play early on, which is to be expected for a season opener.

And we’re underway…

Starting lineup for Wofford: G–Brad Loesing, G–Kevin Giltner, F–Drew Crowell, F–Jarell Byrd, F–Domas Rinkasalis

Starting lineup for Georgia: G–Dustin Ware, G–Gerald Robinson, G–Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, F–Donte Williams, F–Marcus Thornton. Caldwell-Pope, the 2011 McDonalds All-American, will start in his UGA debut.

To say that Georgia has an inexperienced team would be an understatement. Five players are gone from last year, including three starters and the three top big men. The Bulldogs’ roster features four true freshmen, a redshirt freshman, and a community college transfer. The leading returning scorer is senior guard Gerald Robinson, who averaged 12.2 points per game last season. Point guard Dustin Ware, a four-year starter, averaged 8 points a game. The next-highest returning scorer from last year is junior guard Sherrard Brantley (2.9 ppg).

Hello, Bulldog fans. Ken Nasse here to blog the boys’ home opener vs. Wofford live from Stegeman Coliseum. The Lady Dogs just wrapped up an 83-60 win over TCU in their opener, so a double-header treat for the fans here tonight. Also, I’m told that the UGA Equestrian team defeated Auburn today. I don’t have a score for that simply because I don’t even know if they keep score in an equestrian game/match/meet/contest.

Tip-off in about 30 minutes here.

Thirty minutes of dominating football was enough for Georgia to coast to a 63-16 victory over New Mexico State.

It was the seventh consecutive victory for the Bulldogs, who used five second-quarter touchdown passes from Aaron Murray to jump out to a 49-3 halftime lead before most of the offensive starters were rested in the second half.

The five touchdown passes is a new Georgia record for touchdown throws in a quarter, and all five were to different receivers.

“It’s been like that all year for us,” said Murray, who ended the day 18-for-23 for 238 yards. “We’ve had guys stepping up and make catches. Coach Bobo’s done a great job of calling plays that allow me to use the whole field.”

In fact, nine different players scored touchdowns for the Bulldogs (7-2, 5-1 SEC). Two of them, Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith, are normally starring on the other side of the ball as defensive backs.

“It wasn’t all me,” Smith said of his 56-yard dash that opened the scoring. “The whole line did an awesome job of blocking. They opened it up for me. I just used my speed.”

It was the first time Georgia topped the 60-point mark since 2004, when they scored 62 against Kentucky.

Missing four tailbacks due to injury or suspension, the Bulldogs were drastically understaffed behind the quarterback. The brunt of the rushing duties fell to 5′6″ Brandon Harton, who had run for just 33 yards this season prior to this game. The redshirt sophomore made the most of his starting debut, racking up 99 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

“It was everything I could have hoped for, just making positive plays and contributing to a win, and helping my team whenever I could,” Harton said.

New Mexico State (3-6), didn’t have much to cheer about during the game. Running back Kenny Turner was a one-man show, totalling 221 all-purpose yards and scoring the Aggies’ two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

The game was a good warm-up for the Bulldogs’ next game, a home showdown against the Auburn Tigers next Saturday. Georgia is tied with South Carolina for first in the SEC East but must finish with a better record to win a chance at the SEC title as the Gamecocks hold the tiebreaker between the teams.

End of game: Georgia 63, New Mexico State 16. The Bulldogs dominated from the second quarter on and extend their winning streak to 7 games. Nine touchdowns were scored by nine different players. A recap of the game to follow shortly after interviews. Thanks for following WUOG Sports.

Touchdown, New Mexico State. Turner scores for the second time, as he was wide open for a 22-yard pass from Colwell. The extra point is no good, and Georgia’s lead is now 63-16 with 1:59 to go.

Touchdown, Georgia: Rhett McGowan with a nice pass from Mason for 23 yards. Dogs go up 63-10. First time Georgia has scored over 60 points since scoring 62 against Kentucky in 2004.

Touchdown, New Mexico State. Kenny Turner gets a well-deserved touchdown on a 10-yard rush. The score is 56-10 with 13:43 left in the game.

End of 3rd quarter: Georgia 56, New Mexico State 3. Fans beginning to stream out of the stadium as Georgia is just 15 minutes away from a blowout win. Colwell has played well for the Aggies so far, though.

Georgia eleventh drive:  Mason with a long completion to Conley, a 46-yard play. Karempelis rushes in for a TOUCHDOWN. His first score of the season. 56-3 Georgia.

New Mexico State tenth drive: It seems Matt Christian has also thrown his last pass as Travaughn Colwell comes in as QB for the Aggies. He rushes for a first down to the 21. Aggie rushers fumble on two straight carries but recovered both of them. Colwell completes a 14-yard pass for another first down. Colwell converts NM State’s fourth 1st down of the drive, but he follows that up by throwing three straight incompletions. Georgia will take over on their own 7 after the punt.

Georgia tenth drive: Aaron Murray’s day is apparently over. Hutson Mason lines up behind center. No starting offensive linemen are in for Georgia. Mason completes a first down pass to Charles, but the drive falls apart and Georgia punts to the Aggie 10.

Start of 3rd quarter: Aggies kick off to Branden Smith, who returns it 33 yards to the 37.

Third quarter about to get underway…

The Aggies actually had almost two minutes more of possession than the Bulldogs, but were penalized seven times compared to none for Georgia. The Aggies have only converted on three of their 10 third downs.

For New Mexico State: Matt Christian started off nicely but has since gone cold. He threw 12-for-24 for 156 yards and an interception. Kenny Turner has 132 all-purpose yards. Georgia’s defensive speed is overwhelming the Aggies right now. Christian has no time to throw the ball, and his receivers have been well covered.

Aaron Murray was a machine in the first half, going 18-for-23 for 238 yards, and he threw five touchdowns to five different receivers. Chris Conley led the receiving corp with 4 catches for 80 yards. Brandon Harton shook off that early fumble quite nicely, rushing 10 times for 89 yards and a touchdown on his first career start. Brandon Boykin has been an all-around star. He caught a 42-yard touchdown pass on offense and recorded 5 tackles on defense. Both Boykin and Branden Smith, two defensive backs, have scored today.

Time for me to throw some first half stats for you. Each team had nine first half possessions. Georgia’s possessions: seven touchdowns, a punt, and a fumble on their first drive. NM State’s possessions: five punts, a field goal, a fumble, an interception, and a turnover on downs. Georgia has 438 yards of total offense compared with 198 for the Aggies.

End of 2nd quarter: Georgia 49, New Mexico State 3. The half mercifully ends for the Aggies. I assume they’ll have to finish the game due to standard procedure, but their offense is stagnant, and their defense is porous. Georgia having no trouble so far, and are well on their way to a seventh consecutive victory.

Georgia kicks it short, and the clock runs out.

Georgia ninth drive: Murray completes to Conley to the 15 yard line. 25 seconds left in the half. Harton takes a pass down to the 6 and steps out of bounds. Murray takes his time and strikes to Aron White in the endzone. TOUCHDOWN, Georgia. White’s momentum after the TD catch sends him flying into the hedges outside the field. After some difficulty, his teammates help him back to his feet. The team and the fans are loving it right now. Georgia 49, New Mexico State 3. Just 9 ticks left until halftime.

New Mexico State ninth drive: The clock dips under two minutes left in the half, and the Aggies are in no hurry to give Georgia the ball back before halftime. Boykin makes a nice tackle for a 4-yard loss at the Aggie 14. Georgia calls a timeout with 44 seconds left, and they will indeed get the ball back for one last drive. Boykin takes the punt and breaks several tackles down to the Aggie 32.

Georgia eighth drive: TOUCHDOWN. Murray immediately throws another perfect pass, this one a 19-yard TD to Orson Charles. Georgia has scored three touchdowns on their last six offensive plays. Georgia 42, New Mexico State 3.

New Mexico State eighth drive: Aggies return to the 32 with 2:26 left in the half. Christian’s first down bomb is easy pickings for Rambo. INTERCEPTION. Rambo runs it all the way back to the Aggie 19-yard line. Second turnover of the day for NM State. Any sense of offensive punch has long been lost.

Georgia seventh drive: Bulldogs take over at their own 41. Harton, who’s played very well today, runs for a first down into Aggie territory. Murray then airs out a perfect long throw to Chris Conley, a 47-yard strike for a TOUCHDOWN. Murray claims his third TD throw of the day. Georgia 35, New Mexico State 3. I wouldn’t expect to see the starters too much in the second half.

New Mexico State seventh drive: Christian throws for 13 yards to Todd Lee on first down. Turner spins down to the Georgia 45 for a first down. Third and 6 for the Aggies. Christian’s pass deflected incomplete by DeAngelo Tyson. Aggies go for it on fourth down at the Georgia 41. The pass to Bateman falls incomplete after good coverage by Boykin.

Georgia sixth drive: Play action on first down leads to an 18-yard pass to King. Another short pass to Brandon Boykin, who comes in at running back. Boykin beats B.J. Adolpho to the sideline, breaks his tackle, and has nothing but daylight ahead of him. TOUCHDOWN, Georgia. A 42-yard play for Boykin. Georgia 28, New Mexico State 3. Georgia’s offensive juggernaut continues with 6:27 left in the half.

New Mexico State sixth drive: A penalty on the kickoff return leaves the Aggies at their own 14 to start out the drive. Baccari Rambo makes a good defensive play to force an incompletion. On third down and 6, Christian keeps the ball and runs a yard short of the first down. Another punt, another fair catch by Boykin at the Georgia 35. Penalty on the Aggies adds five yards to that.

Georgia fifth drive: Murray shows his athleticism on first down, outrunning the defense wide for a 22-yard gain. Harton then busts a 20-yard run, and the Dogs are down to the Aggie 35 in two plays. Kyle Karempelis, a 5′9″ freshman, rushes for 20 more yards down to the Aggie 11, the longest rush of his young career. One play later, Murray finds a wide-open Michael Bennett in the end zone for a Georgia TOUCHDOWN. The Dogs had no trouble getting down the field, needing only 5 plays and less than 2 minutes to go 77 yards. The new score is Georgia 21, New Mexico State 3, and the Bulldogs are starting to blow this game open with 8:41 left in the half.

New Mexico State fifth drive: Short kickoff is returned to the Aggie 34 by Taveon Rogers. Christian has all day to throw it on first down, but Kemonte Bateman can’t get his hands around the pass. Christian again has time on third down and throws it into the dirt. Aggies forced to punt again. Fair catch by Boykin at the Georgia 23.

Georgia fourth drive: Brandon Boykin returns the kickoff to the Georgia 39-yard line. Brandon Harton with a big rush down to the Aggie 34. Harton with another first down rush to the Aggie 22. He now has 52 yards on the day and looks to have recovered from that early fumble near the goal line. Murray misses Tavarres King on third down, but an offsides call on the Aggies gives the Dogs another chance. Another incompletion, but the Dogs get bailed again, this time on a pass interference penalty on Jonte Green. 1st down for Georgia. Brandon Harton takes the ball at the 4 and rumbles into the end zone. TOUCHDOWN, Georgia. The Bulldogs extend their lead to 14-3 with 11:46 left in the second quarter. Harton takes his total to 61 yards on just seven rushes today.

Apologies for some wireless connection issues. New Mexico State kicked a field goal to bring the score to Georgia 7, New Mexico State 3.

End of 1st quarter: Georgia 7, New Mexico State 0.

New Mexico St. fourth drive: Fantastic play by the Aggies to start their drive. Christian hits a wide-open Kenny Turner for a 48-yard gain down to the Georgia 30. Bulldogs put pressure on the QB, but Christian keeps his composure and finds Turner, who runs all the way down to the 11. Completion down to Jackson KaKa at the Georgia 5 yard line. The first quarter ends, and the Aggies will have 3rd and goal there on the first play of the second.

Georgia third drive: Two straight Michael Bennett receptions leads to a first down. Murray 9-10 so far today. He then throws a couple incompletions, the last one a long ball to Aron White to bring up fourth down. Todd Lee calls for the fair catch at the Aggie 21.

New Mexico St. third drive: Aggies take a knee and start on their own 20. First down pass to Taveon Rogers good for 16 yards. 1st and 10 at the 36. Christian going with mostly short passes so far. Kenny Turner picks up another first down after breaking a tackle. The drive stalls out after two incompletions and a 1-yard pass. Aggies punt it down to the Georgia 20. NM State moved the ball a little bit that drive, but Georgia stood their ground well on defense.

Great run by Smith, who was just too fast for the Aggie defenders. Expect him to get some more carries throughout the game with the Bulldogs so thin at running back today.

Georgia second drive: Fake 23 blast with a backside George reverse gains two yards. Branden Smith then turns on the jets for a 56-yard touchdown run. TOUCHDOWN, Bulldogs. Georgia takes a 7-0 lead with 7:17 left in the 1st.

New Mexico St. second drive: Big play for the Aggies on third and 10. Pass out to Austin Franklin who runs to the 44. FUMBLE, TURNOVER. The Aggies give it right back to the Dogs as Kenny Turner coughs it up. Shawne Williams recovers for Georgia at their own 42.

Georgia first drive: 19-yard pass out to Orson Charles on second down to get into Aggie territory. Murray finds Tavarres King at the Aggie 20 for a first down. FUMBLE. Harton makes a great run inside the 5 but gets stripped. The ball rolls into the endzone, and the Aggies recover. TURNOVER, touchback. Not a great start for Harton, who has only had 11 carries this season prior to today. Aggies will take over on their own 20.

1st Drive for NM St: 3 plays, 6 yards, punt. 40-yard punt down to the UGA 30, where Brandon Boykin gets clobbered.

1st Quarter

New Mexico State takes the kickoff to start the game. 1st down on their own 25.

Just minutes away from kickoff here. Follow me on Twitter (@KublaiKen) for all sorts of sports fun.

Hey, Bulldog fans. Ken Nasse here to live blog the homecoming game between 18th-ranked Georgia and the New Mexico State Aggies. This is the fourth time in history that these two teams have met, with the Dogs winning the first three. Georgia (6-2)comes in red hot, on a six-game winning streak. The Aggies (3-5) have lost their last two and surely won’t be favored to break that streak today, even with Georgia missing their top four tailbacks due to suspension or injury. Little-used Brandon Harton will get the start at that position.

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.

Final Score: Black 18, Red 11.

Connor Welch starts the drive by completing a 25-yard pass to Israel Troupe. King gets another first down with a run to the Black 38. Redshirt sophomore LB Reuben Faloughi gets a sack on Welch. Faloughi gets another sack on the next down. On 3rd-and-18, Welch is forced to go long to Michael Bennett, but the pass falls short. Fourth down; the last chance for Red. Welch overthrows Bennett, and that will do it. The Black team with the white jerseys pulls it out on a nice drive by freshman QB Christian LeMay. The Black squad still tries to pile up some more offense, but the clock runs out.

Matt DeGenova sacks LeMay on first down from the 25. LeMay completes to Brown out to the 30. First down for the Black team. LeMay passes to Bradberry across the 40. Another first down as Brandon Harton runs to the Red 46. With under five minutes to play, Ken Malcome gets across the Red 40. LeMay keeps for a first down at the 35. First down, Black. Malcome carries to the 25. LeMay is putting quite a drive together. He passes to Charles, who is run out of bounds at the 12. TOUCHDOWN. Malcome basically walks into the endzone after the line opened up a huge hole for him. The two-point conversion is good on a Murray pass to Bradberry. With 2:53 to go, Black 18, Red 11.

Fourth Quarter– Apparently, we have a new G-Day attendance record of 43,117. It doesn’t seem like that many people are still here though. Mason completes a pass into Black territory to King. First down at the 49. Junior DB Shawn Williams drops an easy interception on first down. Mason completes a short pass to King, and the receiver does the rest, running down to the 30-yard line. Connor Norman makes another great defensive play, breaking up a pass intended for Lynch. Another first down as Mason completes to Lynch at the 19. Thomas runs around left end down to the 6. First and goal. TOUCHDOWN. After getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage a few times, Thomas finally gets into the endzone. Two-point conversion fails; Mason’s throw is deflected incomplete. With 6:59 to go in the game, Red is back up, 11-10.

Aaron Murray back at QB for the Black team. Branden Smith uses his speed to break a few tackles on a seven-yard run. Taylor Bradberry gets a first down at the Red 49. Murray goes deep for Brown, who can’t grab it but gets a pass interference call on Red. Yet another fumble, the first by the Black team. Brandon Harton coughs it up, and the Red team recovers at their own 33. That’s the end of the third quarter. Black 10, Red 5.

Christian LeMay is back under center for the Black team, but he’s unable to come up with any kind of yardage. The drive ends in three plays. Red takes over at midfield. Hutson is immediately intercepted by Connor Norman on a pass over the middle.

Redshirt freshman QB Greg Bingham takes his first snap for the Red, scampers for a six-yard gain, then completes to redshirt sophomore WR Rhett McGowan for the first down at the 44-yard line. Kwame Geathers makes another tackle for loss. RB Alex Parsons breaks a tackle but is stopped well short of the first down. Timeout with 5:28 left in the third. Drew Butler punts; Black team takes over at their own 20.

Third quarterr– We’re underway with Murray completing a nine-yard pass. He hits Marlon Brown across midfield. First down at the Red 46. Murray completes to Orson Charles at the 34. The Black/White team is moving, but Alec Ogletree has been everywhere for the Red defense. TOUCHDOWN. Murray throws to Branden Smith, who beats Derek Owens to the sideline and runs for a 28-yard score. The Black team is back on top, 10-5.

A low-scoring first half was to be expected with all the injuries and such. The Red team had the better offense in the first half, outgaining the Black team 144-42, with eight first downs to the Black team’s two. But the Red team also had two turnovers. Mason passed for 65 yards; Murray for 37. Carlton Thomas was the leading rusher with 25 yards.

With 1:24 to go in the half, Team Red takes over on their own 45. Kwame Geathers breaks through the line and takes down Carlton Thomas for a 5-yard loss. On third down, Redshirt sophomore LB Chase Vasser makes a great tackle on King. Red punts to the Black 30. Jarvis Jones gets a touch sack on Murray. And that’s how the half ends. Not much action and even less scoring. Red takes a 5-3 lead into the locker room.

Black team also goes three and out. Christian LeMay, the freshman from North Carolina, can’t complete his first pass on a simple fullback toss.

Red team quickly goes three and out. Punts are pretty boring. The defense isn’t allowed to rush, and the returner isn’t allowed to return. The Black team takes over on their own 20. Under four to play here in the first half.

Marlon Brown catches an 18-yard pass on first down. Black team can’t convert on 4th-and-1. The Red team takes over on their own 49.

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The Georgia Diamond Dogs could only get through Mississippi State’s defense for one inning. But they sure made that inning count.

Brett DeLoach and Jonathan Hester hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning, providing enough offense for Georgia to get a 4-3 victory over 24th-ra nked MSU, the fourth SEC win in a row for the Bulldogs from Athens.

After two infield singles by Kyle Farmer and Zach Cone, DeLoach brought them home with his first homer of the season. On the very next pitch from Chris Stratton (4-2), Hester hit his third round-tripper of the season over the centerfield wall. Both home runs represented the first SEC hits of the year for DeLoach and Hester.

Michael Palazzone (4-1) came within one out of his second consecutive complete game but still picked up the win. He allowed three runs on six hits and struck out three. With two outs in the ninth and the tying run on second, closer Tyler Maloof struck out Adam Frazier for his 10th save of the season and his second in as many days.

Georgia (13-14, 5-3 SEC) won a doubleheader last Sunday against LSU and defeated MSU (19-8, 4-4 SEC) last night, 4-1.

Apart from the sixth inning, Chris Stratton (4-2) was excellent for MSU. He allowed just three hits and struck out five over the first five innings, and he couldn’t really do much about the two infield hits in the sixth. However, his two worst pitches of the game were cashed in by Georgia. Overall, Stratton allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out seven before leaving the game after the sixth inning.

Georgia will look to complete the sweep tomorrow in the third game of the series at 2pm.

Final Score: Georgia 4, MSU 3

Top 9th: Georgia 4, MSU 2– Bradford flies out to deep right-center. Verdin made the running catch. Parks doubles to almost the exact same spot. Collins pops out to third. Freeman pops a foul ball behind home plate, but Stephens drops what should have been the third out. Freeman singles between second and first to get Parks home. Palazzone comes within one out of his second consecutive complete game, but Georgia goes to the bullpen for closer Tyler Maloof to try to get the final out. Freeman steals second. The tying run is in scoring position. Maloof gets Frazier swinging to end the ball game. That’s Maloof’s 10th save of the season and his second in as many games. Palazzone improves to 4-1. Georgia improves to 5-3 in the SEC.

Bottom 8th: Georgia 4, MSU 2– Statz walks Cone. Cone steals second, then takes third on Freeman’s throwing error. DeLoach goes down on a called strike three on the inside corner. MSU brings on RHP Victor Diaz with a man on third and one out. Probably a smart decision with a couple of right-handers due up for Georgia. MSU can’t afford to give up any more runs here. Hester’s check swing is called a third strike. Diaz faces just one batter before giving way to RHP Caleb Reed, the fourth pitcher MSU has used today. Powell flies out to left. Reed does his job. It’s now up to the MSU bats.

Top 8th: Georgia 4, MSU 1– Palazzone strikes out Johnson. Ogden drives a triple off the centerfield wall. Shepherd grounds out to first but brings Ogden home. Vickerson flies out to center. MSU cuts the lead to 4-2 but will need a big ninth inning.

Bottom 7th: Georgia 4, MSU 1– MSU calls to the bullpen for lefty Tim Statz. Hyams flies out to left. Welton grounds out to the pitcher. Farmer flies out to deep center. Georgia still up, 4-1, after seven.

Top 7th: Georgia 4, MSU 1– Collins flies out to right. Freeman grounds out to short. Frazier flies out to center. As easy an inning as Palazzone will ever pitch.

Bottom 6th: MSU 1, Georgia 0– Stratton gets K number seven on Welton. Farmer gets an infield hit as Ogden can’t quite finish the play. Stratton’s wild pitch sends Farmer to second. This is Georgia’s first runner in scoring position today. Cone hits an infield single to short. Runners on first and second for the Bulldogs. HOME RUN. Brett DeLoach sends a three-run shot over the leftfield wall. That’s his first homer of the year, and Georgia has taken the lead, 3-1. Also DeLoach’s first SEC hit. HOME RUN. On the very next pitch, Jonathan Hester knocks his third home run of the season to center. Powell grounds out to first. Stratton walks Stephens. Verdin strikes out on three pitches. A big inning for Georgia. They hit two home runs on two pitches to take the lead. The last time Georgia hit back-to-back home runs was last year against Furman, when Zach Cone and Colby May did it.

Top 6th: MSU 1, Georgia 0– Vickerson grounds out to short. Bradford flies out to shallow left-center. Cone tracks down a fly ball to center and makes the catch. Three and out. Georgia defense remains strong, but the offense needs some runs.

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