Following Georgia’s 20-17 win against Arizona State Saturday, receiver A.J. Green said he played on the field goal block team “just when we need it.”

He may be “needed” more often now.

Georgia’s sophomore sensation had his breakout game against the Sun Devils in Tempe last season, with eight catches and 159 yards.

On a rain-soaked Saturday in Sanford Stadium, all he did was rack up a career-high 173 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. And oh yeah – he blocked a crucial late-game field goal attempt, then made a huge catch to set up Blair Walsh’s game-clinching 37-yarder.

Quarterback Joe Cox threw his second interception of the game (making the Bulldogs -9 on turnovers this season) in a 17-17 tie with 5:30 left to play. But the defense, and then Green, bailed him out.

The Bulldogs held on third-and-11 on their own 21, forcing a field goal attempt.

Enter Green, who camped out in the middle with his lanky arms, leapt, and got a hand on the kick.

“It was crazy,” said Green, who stands at 6-foot-4. “I just went up as hard as I could, and I felt it on my elbow and I looked up and the ball was going down. Like, I can’t believe I blocked it.”

On the Bulldogs’ subsequent drive, Green reeled in a long pass down the sideline. That set up a game-winning field goal for Blair Walsh, who was then 8-of-8 on the season.

From 37 yards out, Walsh improved to 9-for-9 as time expired, making Georgia the 20-17 winner.

It was the sophomore’s first game-winner, and Georgia’s first on the final play for since Brandon Coutu did it at Vanderbilt in 2007.

And who set it up? A.J. Green.

“That kid just makes plays,” said head coach Mark Richt.

Cox finished the game 17-of-31 passing for 242 yards and a score. But, like they’ve been all season, turnovers made Georgia’s win tougher than it needed to be.

“If it keeps happening like this [with wins] I won’t complain, but obviously we don’t believe that it’s something that can continue,” Cox said. “It’s crazy, because we talk about it every week, we need to cut out turnovers and penalties, but it just seems to be something that happens anyway.”

In addition to Cox’s pair of interceptions (one returned for a touchdown in the third quarter), tailback Caleb King fumbled in the third quarter, setting up a touchdown to put the Sun Devils back within striking range at 14-10.

King finished the game with 11 carries for 55 yards.