No. 4 Georgia Struggles in Victory

Georgia got away with another one.

For the second week in a row, the No. 4 Bulldogs struggled, this time needing Billy Bennett’s third field goal with 12:57 remaining to beat Alabama Birmingham, 16-13, on Saturday.

Now, it’s time to get serious. Georgia (7-1) heads to Jacksonville next weekend for a game against No. 25 Florida.

“If we go out and play Florida like we did the last two games, we’re going to be in for a long night -- a real long night,” receiver Bryan McClendon said. “But it should be easier for us to get up for Florida.”

A week earlier, the Bulldogs trailed Vanderbilt, 2-0, at halftime before rallying for a 27-8 win.

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

Bennett also became the leading scorer in school history with 355 points, passing Kevin Butler’s mark of 353.

But there wasn’t much more for Georgia to get excited about on this day.

“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.”

Alabama Birmingham (3-5) was a 29-point underdog.