FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Since August, coach Mark Richt has emphasized Georgia’s need to find offensive playmakers outside of A.J. Green.

Green led the team with seven receptions for 137 yards in Georgia’s 52-41 win over Arkansas Saturday, but the receiving game was anything but limited to him.

Redshirt freshman receiver Tavarres King and freshman tight end Orson Charles got their first career touchdowns and senior Michael Moore has 91 yards, helping quarterback Joe Cox pass for 375 yards and tie the Georgia record with five touchdowns.

“Everybody’s playmakers,” Moore said. “There have been a lot of people showing up and making plays on this team. And that’s how it’s going to be. It’s not going to be one or two person show like they say it was last year. There’s a lot of guys that are going to make plays.”

Coming into the season, Georgia’s offense looked like it would be the Bulldogs’ weak point – but it’s been anything but. The Bulldogs have now put up 93 points in their last two games, with Saturday’s 52 tying last year’s mark at LSU for their most in a conference road game since 2004.

“It was awesome. It was everything I dreamed it would be,” King said of his touchdown. “We had a lot of fun out there today. On that touchdown, Joe just looked at me, I looked at him and I knew it was coming my way. I embraced my opportunity and went up and got the ball.”

SAMUEL GOES BIG, KING RETURNS

With the line parting like the Red Sea in front of him, Georgia tailback Richard Samuel got the rare chance to show off his speed during Saturday’s second quarter, motoring for an 80-yard touchdown.

It was the longest touchdown run by a Georgia player since Knowshon Moreno booked an 80-yarder against Troy in 2007, and the longest in an SEC game since Robert Edwards got 80 against Kentucky in 1997.

“It was just a needed run for the running backs, just to show that they’re good for more than just five, six yards a carry,” Samuel said. “It was a good little run.”

Excluding his one big run, though, Samuel wasn’t good for two yards a carry – he did run for 104 yards on 16 carries. But subtract the 80-yarder, and he ran for just 26 yards on 15 carries.

After a lingering hamstring issue kept redshirt sophomore Caleb King out of preseason camp and the Bulldogs’ first two games, he made his return in Fayetteville.

He ran for 11 carries and 59 yards.
“It’s just adding another asset to the little rotation we’ve got going on here,” Samuel said. “It’s good to have him back in the rotation and just playing football.”

MORE TURNOVERS

Georgia’s problems holding onto the football surfaced quickly against Arkansas.

After turning the ball over twice in the first quarter a week ago, and the results were no better against the Razorbacks.

Prince Miller muffed early in the first quarter after Brandon Boykin backed into the play on coverage. Arkansas responded with a touchdown four plays later.

With 24 seconds left in the first quarter, Joe Cox tossed to Samuel, who mishandled the ball and the Razorbacks’ Adrian Davis recovered the fumble. Again, Arkansas made Georgia pay for the miscue, with Ryan Mallett hitting Greg Childs for a 30-yard touchdown on the next play.

The Bulldogs turned the ball over a third time in the second quarter when Cox threw an interception down the middle of the field on a third-and-long play.

Georgia now has nine turnovers on the season, leading to 40 points by the opposition.

“We shot ourselves in the foot a lot and we still put up more than 50 points,” said Moore. “That just shows that we still have a long way to go. We can’t make mistakes and stupid penalties. We still have a long way to go and that just shows that we can be that much better.”

KICKERS CONTINUE TO EXCEL

Placekicker Blair Walsh and punter Drew Butler continued to impress Saturday.

Walsh kicked 35-yard, 37-yard and 31-yard field goals against the Razorbacks, making him a perfect 6-for-6 on the season.

Butler, whose 54.1 yard average led the SEC coming into Saturday’s game, had four punts for 221 yards, an average of 55.2 yards.