College football

Bulldogs avert upset

A fourth-quarter field goal and late defensive stand give Georgia a 16-13 victory against UAB.

By Associated Press
Published October 26, 2003

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ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia got away with another one.

For the second week in a row, the Bulldogs struggled against a big underdog, needing Billy Bennett's third field goal with 12:57 left to beat UAB 16-13 on Saturday.

Now it's time to get serious. Georgia faces Florida on Saturday with 17th-ranked Auburn and an improved Georgia Tech also on the schedule.

Last weekend Georgia trailed Vanderbilt 2-0 at halftime before winning 27-8.

This time, Georgia was behind 13-10 late in the third. Bennett tied it with a 29-yard field goal then connected from 31 yards to put the Bulldogs ahead.

But there wasn't much more for Georgia to get excited about.

"I don't think the team was real hyped up like we usually are," defensive tackle Ken Veal said. "But you can't use that as an excuse. You've got to come out and play."

Coach Mark Richt was hoarse after the game.

"Maybe I'm doing more yelling than normal," he said, managing a smile.

UAB, a 29-point underdog, played well for the second week in a row against a ranked team. The Blazers led No. 15 TCU 24-16 in the third quarter but lost 27-24 after quarterback Darrell Hackney suffered a season-ending thumb injury.

That forced UAB to give redshirt freshman Chris Williams his first start against the nation's top-ranked defense. He fared well, making no major mistakes and keeping the Blazers in the game.

"I am real proud of my players," UAB coach Watson Brown said. "Our plan was to get into the fourth quarter and make the game as short as possible."

The Bulldogs had to make a late defensive stand to preserve the victory. Williams completed a 24-yard pass to Bradly Chavez to the Georgia 32.

But a delay of game penalty backed up UAB, and Derrick White sacked Williams for an 11-yard loss. Under heavy pressure, Williams' next two passes were incomplete.

"A win is a win. Never forget that," said quarterback David Greene, who completed 20 of 33 passes for 221 yards. "When the team isn't playing well, the best thing you can do is fight it out and try to find a way to win.

"We haven't played well the last two weeks, but we still managed to fight and win."

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