Cox leads fourth-quarter comeback to save No. 9 Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Freshman quarterback Joe Cox rescued No. 9

Georgia with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter -- the

second a 20-yarder with 46 seconds left -- and the Bulldogs beat

winless Colorado 14-13 on Saturday.

Cox, who took over late in the third quarter for an ineffective

Matthew Stafford, threw a 23-yard TD pass to fullback Brannan

Southerland with 9:11 to go, and capped the comeback with his

20-yarder to tight end Martrez Milner.

Colorado, 0-4 under new coach Dan Hawkins, built a 13-0 lead

behind quarterback Bernard Jackson, who passed for 140 yards and

ran for 85 yards and a touchdown. But Cox brought the Bulldogs

(4-0) back from the brink of what would have been a surprising

loss.

Cox finished 10-of-13 for 153 yards, including his first two TD

passes. Stafford, also a freshman who had replaced injured starter

Joe Tereshinski earlier in the season, was 8-of-16 for 76 yards and

a fumble before he was taken out by coach Mark Richt.

Georgia was in danger of its first shutout loss since 1995

before Cox saved the day even though Colorado made two fourth-down

stops in the final quarter.

After Georgia's first TD, Bulldogs' cornerback Paul Oliver

caused a fumble with a hit on Hugh Charles, and defensive tackle

Jeff Owens recovered at the 50 to give the Bulldogs an opportunity.

But on fourth-and-3 at the 11, Cox's pass was deflected at the

line.

Georgia's defense held, and the Bulldogs took possession for

their last drive at the Colorado 43. Cox passed to Mohamed

Massaquoi for 11 yards to the 25 before finding Milner in the

middle of the end zone on a third-and-6.

On Cox's first possession, he drove Georgia deep into Colorado

territory, but the Buffaloes stopped tailback Kregg Lumpkin on a

fourth-and-3 run from the 13.

The loss was the eighth straight over two seasons for Colorado,

its longest losing streak in 42 years.

Colorado shut down Georgia's running game until Kregg Lumpkin,

third on the Bulldogs' depth chart at tailback, gained 52 yards,

most in the final quarter.

Colorado led 10-0 at halftime, but could have been a bigger

lead.

Colorado was denied on its first scoring opportunity when Dale

Dixson blocked Mason Crosby's 26-yard field-goal attempt. Later in

the first quarter, a would-be touchdown pass from Jackson to Dusty

Sprague was negated by a false-start penalty, forcing the Buffaloes

to settle for a 26-yard field goal from Crosby.

Colorado needed only four plays to drive 63 yards for a

second-quarter touchdown. Jackson kept Georgia's defense

off-balance, running before passing to Dusty Sprague for a 16-yard

gain and then dropping back to pass before running for 28 yards to

the Georgia 19.

Jackson's screen pass to Charles gained 18 yards to the 1, and

the quarterback scored on a keeper the following play.

Georgia's only scoring threat of the half ended with a missed

53-yard field goal attempt by Brandon Coutu.

A turnover helped set up a 36-yard field goal by Crosby early in

the second half. Colorado defensive tackle George Hypolite sacked

Stafford on Georgia's first possession of the half, causing a

fumble that Hypolite recovered at the 19. The field goal pushed the

lead to 13-0.