ATHENS, Ga. (AP) Branden Smith says Georgia doesn't have an official name for its direct-snap package made famous by the Miami Dolphins' wildcat.

``We just call it the Branden Smith package,'' Smith said. ``We hadn't run that since the first game.''

Smith, a freshman from Atlanta's Washington High, is a cornerback who also has played at receiver, on special teams and, in his self-titled package, at quarterback this season. He has had two short receptions but has been most effective on runs, including a 61-yard touchdown run against South Carolina.

Smith made the most of his direct snap in Saturday's 38-0 win over Tennessee Tech when he lined up at quarterback and sprinted for a 52-yard touchdown with 3:01 left in the first quarter.

Smith's speed continues to amaze his teammates, including quarterback Joe Cox, who said he tried to serve as a decoy on the play.

``I lined up at receiver and just ran off the ball and tried to occupy a cornerback,'' Cox said. ``I looked over and (Smith) was already 30 yards downfield. That kid is incredible.''

Smith had three carries for 72 yards even though Cox said the Tennessee Tech defense was yelling ``Reverse! Reverse!'' every time the freshman joined the offensive huddle.

``You can know the play,'' Smith said, ``but you've got to stop the play.

``Everybody knows when Branden Smith comes into the game he gets the ball or something is going to happen. I tried to make something happen.''

Coach Mark Richt said he wants to keep Smith's priority on defense but said his chances on offense will increase through his career.

``We couldn't put a lot of offense in with him because he's learning defense,'' Richt said.

FALSE START: Richt insists his team can't work harder at avoiding penalties.

The hard work didn't kept Georgia from ranking last in the Southeastern Conference with its 74 penalties for 610 yards through eight games, so the coach tried a different tact in Saturday's game against Tennessee Tech.

Every time a Georgia player was called for a penalty, he went straight to the sideline.

Richt hoped the punishment would lead to a reduction in penalties. Instead, as quarterback Joe Cox said, ``We had a lot of shuttling today'' with players coming in and out of the game.

Richt admitted the experiment wasn't a success after Georgia drew 11 penalties for 86 yards. The Bulldogs struggled with false-start penalties, especially in the second half.

``That might have got them so tight they couldn't hold still,'' said Richt of the rash of false starts. ``That's what we did this week. I don't know if we will continue to.''

Cox said the Tennessee Tech players were yelling ``right in the middle of my snap count,'' causing Georgia's linemen to jump.

HOMECOMING FOR GOLDEN EAGLES: Tennessee Tech's roster includes 15 players from the state of Georgia, including backup quarterback Tre Lamb of Calhoun.

Lamb saw substantial playing time behind starter Lee Sweeney in the second half. He was 3-for-6 passing for 37 yards and had three carries for a loss of 19 yards.

HOMECOMING FOR BULLDOGS: The reported attendance for Georgia's homecoming game was 92,746. There were about 10,000 empty seats, based on estimates from the press box.

It was Georgia's first shutout in a homecoming game since beating Kentucky 21-0 in 1981.

BIG DAY FOR TIGHT ENDS: Georgia was without A.J. Green, the SEC's leading receiver who was held out with a rib injury. Tight ends Orson Charles, Aron White and Arthur Lynch helped fill the void. Charles had three catches for 41 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown. White had two catches for 53 yards. Lynch, a freshman, had two catches for 17 yards the first of his career.

``I think we took what the defense gave us,'' Cox said. ``We have good tight ends, and if they're going to cover our receivers and leave our tight ends open, we'll take it.''

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)