Athens, GA (Sports Network) - Knowshon Moreno ran for 196 yards and three touchdowns, leading 10th-ranked Georgia to a 44-34 victory over Troy at Sanford Stadium.

Matthew Stafford threw for 217 yards and a pair of late second-quarter scores for the Bulldogs (7-2), who had a tougher game than some expected and won their third straight.

Georgia, which has a half-game lead over Tennessee in the SEC East, will play two more conference games at home over the next two weeks against Auburn and Kentucky. The Volunteers, though, have three more conference games and control their own destiny by virtue of a 35-14 win over the Bulldogs last month.

Moreno has run for 1,003 yards this season and became the first Georgia freshman with 1,000 yards on the ground since Herschel Walker in 1980.

"I think Knowshon is continuing to get better," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "We are blocking better for him, and he is reading a lot better. He had that one big run of 80 yards that was huge for him. But even without that he has over 100 yards. And Jason Johnson had some great carries out there. I was pleased with the running game. It was a great balanced attack today."

Omar Haugabook completed 29-of-45 passes for 310 yards with a pair of scores and two interceptions for Troy (6-3), which had won six straight. The Trojans' three losses have all come against SEC opposition, as they opened the year with setbacks at Arkansas and Florida.

Troy held a 10-7 lead after the first quarter, but Georgia rattled off 17 points in the second and never trailed again.

"I thought it was a good game," Troy coach Larry Blakeney said. "I noticed we kept the homecoming crowd around and the crowd that stayed booed us for trying to execute, which was funny. I think we certainly had the potential to win, and I doubt we'll get any quick invites back here."

Brandon Coutu tied it just 15 seconds into the second quarter with a 36-yard field goal, but with just under three minutes left it was still knotted until a 25-yard punt return by Thomas Flowers set the Bulldogs up with a first down at their own 48.

Stafford went to the air and threw a 27-yard pass to Mohamed Massaquoi, before Demiko Goodman fumbled after a short reception. Moreno recovered for the Bulldogs and Stafford followed with a 22-yard scoring strike to Tripp Chandler with just 45 seconds to play before the intermission.

Travis Boyd fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Akeem Dent recovered for Georgia at the Troy 43. Soon after, Stafford hit Sean Bailey with a 20-yard scoring pass to send the Bulldogs into the locker room with a 24-10 advantage.

Troy took the second-half kickoff and marched to the Georgia one-yard line, but had to settle for a 19-yard field goal from Greg Whibbs.

Stafford was picked off in the end zone on Georgia's first second-half series and the Trojans answered with an 80-yard drive for a touchdown. Haugabook finished the five-play set with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Kennard Burton to pull Troy within 24-20.

The Bulldogs again answered with a pair of quick scores at the conclusion of the period.

Coutu drilled a 46-yard field goal with 2:03 left in the third and Georgia recovered a Haugabook fumble soon after, leading to Moreno's one-yard TD run with 1:08 to play, extending the advantage to 34-20.

Haugabook's one-yard touchdown run on fourth down just over two minutes into the fourth quarter again pulled Troy within a score, but Coutu answered with a 26-yard field goal with 8:53 remaining and a 59-yard punt return by Flowers set up Moreno's second one-yard touchdown run of the half to increase the Georgia cushion to 44-27.

A five-yard touchdown pass from Jamie Hampton to Jerrel Jernigan in the closing seconds accounted for the final margin.

Jernigan finished with 102 yards and two scores on 11 receptions for Troy, which took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on a 25-yard field goal by Whibbs.

Moreno fumbled on Georgia's second offensive play to set up the early score, and a fumble by Brannan Southerland on the next Bulldog possession gave the Trojans a first down at the Georgia 35.

Whibbs then missed a 49-yard field goal, but a false start penalty negated the play and forced Troy to punt.

After the touchback, Moreno atoned for his earlier mistake with an 80-yard touchdown scamper to put Georgia in front.

Haugabook was picked off at the Georgia 11 on Troy's next series, but the Trojans got the ball back and marched 80 yards on four plays for a touchdown. Haugabook hit Jernigan with a 32-yard scoring pass to put Troy on top, 10-7.