ATHENS, Ga. --- It will simply be known as "The Hurdle."

Knowshon Moreno added another highlight to his brief collegiate career Saturday in the third quarter of Georgia's 56-17 victory.

Moreno posted 168 yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns. The sophomore tailback also tacked on three catches for 30 yards. But the buzz around Sanford Stadium concerned one play: The Hurdle.

"We saw him do that once before in practice," Georgia coach Mark Richt said, "and I redshirted him anyway."

Late in the third quarter, Moreno electrified the red-and-black clad fans when he took a handoff right, burst through a seam in the middle and leaped over Chippewas safety Vince Agnew like he was auditioning for the U.S. Olympic track team. The play is listed in the stat sheet as a 29-yard run. Georgia fans and players know better.

"I said 'Whoa, did he just do that?' " Bulldogs left guard Vince Vance said. "Then I had to get back on my block."

Moreno downplayed the play.

"I was just coming around the corner following my blocks," he said. "I think instincts just took over."

On the strength of big plays like Moreno's leap, Georgia scored its second-most points in a game in Richt's eight-year tenure. Safety CJ Byrd said the Bulldogs didn't use their No. 2 ranking as motivation.

"We're really not worried about it," said Byrd, whose team fell behind Southern Cal in the latest Associated Press poll despite throttling Georgia Southern last week. "Number one, No. 2, No. 15. We just have to play our game."

Georgia's defense contained Central Michigan junior quarterback Dan LeFevour, described in the media as Florida quarterback Tim Tebow's twin because of his dual-threat ability. LeFevour went 23-for-43 passing for 250 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing four times for 19 yards.

"We didn't put a lot of pressure on the quarterback like we should," Georgia defensive end Jarius Wynn said. "But we sucked it up and went hard."

The Bulldog defense came up with a huge play late in the first half. Defensive end Demarcus Dobbs intercepted a Prince Miller deflection to snuff out a deep Central Michigan drive. Dobbs then chugged down the left sideline with a convoy of blockers for a 78-yard touchdown. Georgia led 28-0.

Central Michigan cut the lead in half just after halftime. But Moreno manufactured another big play, breaking off a 52-yard run in which he stiff-armed a man at the 30 and got pushed into the end zone.

Through two games, Moreno has 227 rushing yards on 26 carries with six touchdowns along with five receptions for 88 yards. Richt said those numbers make him a serious Heisman Trophy candidate.

"Those kind of numbers and that kind of style gets peoples' attention," Richt said. "He's playing on a winning team. He's gaining a lot of yards rushing and receiving ... those kind of characteristics will give you a shot."

Georgia's other possible Heisman contender, quarterback Matthew Stafford, also continued his solid play. He went 18-for-28 passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Stafford hit Mohamed Massaquoi in stride on a 54-yard bomb for a score midway through the third quarter to help the Bulldogs break the game open.

With a pair of big wins over non-conference opponents, Georgia's focus now shifts to South Carolina. The Bulldogs travel Saturday to Columbia seeking revenge for last season's four-point loss which ultimately kept them out of the BCS Championship Game.

"Last year is last year," Moreno said. "This year is another year. We've got to be ready."