UGA notebook

TAMPA, Fla. - Wisconsin All-American Erasmus James was virtually a non-factor in Georgia's 24-21 Outback Bowl victory over the Badgers.

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Billed with David Pollack as one of the nation's top defensive ends, James finished with a season-low two tackles with zero sacks and zero pressures on Bulldogs quarterback David Greene.

Pollack, meanwhile, finished with three sacks, forced and recovered a fumble, and deflected a pass en route to earning game MVP honors.

"I've got to give their guys credit," said James, who came in with a Big Ten-best eight sacks. "They did a good job of using their arms to keep me out."

SPECIAL TEAMS SHAKY: With starting snapper Brian Jordan out with an injured knee, Georgia turned to junior Jordan Wolf and sophomore Joe Tereshinski to take his place. The results were mixed.

Wolf was flawless snapping on field goals and extra points, but Tereshinski, who handled the duties on punts, bounced his third attempt to Gordon Ely-Kelso, who shanked his first kick 16 yards to give Wisconsin the football at the Georgia 49-yard line.

On the bright side, kicker Brandon Coutu was 1-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points.

CATCH OF A CAREER: Fullback Jeremy Thomas thought he had scored his last touchdown with the Bulldogs before his miraculous 24-yard reception off a tipped pass intended for wide-out Sean Bailey that put Georgia up 17-6 in the third quarter.

The touchdown reception was the first of his career. Thomas said he just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

"I just gave a little jump, and the ball ended up in my hands," Thomas said.

WHAT RECORD? Greene was oblivious to the fact that he passed former Tennessee great Peyton Manning as the SEC's career leader in total offense until told so by a reporter after the game.

"Really?" Greene said. "I really had no idea."

Greene set the mark on the game's first play when he completed a 31-yard pass to tight end Leonard Pope, surpassing Manning's record of 11,020 yards.

JUGGLING RELATIVES: Linebacker Odell Thurman was a busy man as he conducted his postgame interviews. Thurman was scouring through a plethora of text messages on his cell phone, mostly from relatives who watched on TV.

"They all want me to give them my jersey," Thurman said. "It's like this after every game. I might have to cut it up into little pieces."