"In big games, you can look at one column, the turnover column, and we didn't win it tonight," Soul coach Bret Munsey said. "But I'm not here to blame one person. We're 4-1. We got a great football team. We fought hard, but at the end of the day, you can't turn the ball over."
The first miscue came from Sean Scott early in the second quarter. Georgia (5-1) and the Soul had traded punches to the tune of a 21-14 Force lead when Scott laid the ball on the ground on a reverse. It took two plays for gritty Georgia quarterback Chris Greisen to find Chris Jackson with a 7-yard touchdown and a two-possession lead.
Georgia's wide receivers, particularly Jackson and Troy Bergeron, had the Soul's defense on its heels throughout. Jackson had 124 receiving yards and two touchdowns while Bergeron had 182 yards and four touchdowns.
Bergeron's final touchdown provided the game's most unusual play. On a fourth and 1 from the Georgia 11, Greisen found Bergeron on a deep sideline route. Bergeron broke free from Eddie Moten, but fumbled the ball first off the side wall at about the 2-yard line and then off the back wall and through the end zone where Bergeron picked it up harmlessly.
The masses, including owner Jon Bon Jovi, were expecting the play to be ruled a touchback. Instead, it was called a touchdown. The place went nuts.
"It was definitely a catch," Bergeron said. "No doubt in my mind."
Boos rained down as the zebras huddled to untangle the play. ESPN2 cut away to the owner's box where Bon Jovi, unaware he was on, disgustedly put up a pair of middle fingers.
Double oops.
Thing is, the play was ruled correctly. Bergeron is allowed to recover his own fumble.
After the game, Bon Jovi hustled down to the locker area to offer his apologies to the Atlanta people, particularly the owner, Arthur Blank.
