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Bulldogs Soar Past Nebraska 45-31
Aaron Murray threw for
428 yards and 5 touchdowns as the Georgia Bulldogs set a Capital One
Bowl record with 589 yards in beating The Nebraska Cornhuskers 45-31 on
New Years Day in Orlando, Florida.
Georgia's first posession
ended when Aaron Murray's pass was intercepted at the 4-yard line by
P.J. Smith on a ball intended for Chris Conley. Georgia had driven from
their own 25 to Nebraska's 36.
Nebraska followed with a
3-and-out and Shawn Williams blocked the Nebraska punt into the
endzone. Justin Scott-Wesley appeared to have the touchdown recovery
but the ball squirted away from him and several players before finding
the back of the endzone for a safety and the first points of the game.
Soon
after, Arthur Lynch caught a 29-yard TD pass from Murray. Lunch was
wide open on a crossing route and easily ran for the score. It was a
10-play 80-yard drive to put Georgia up 9-0.
Nebraska answered
with a long TD drive of their own and then took the lead when Murray's
screen pass was intercepted by Will Compton and returned 20-yards for a
score.
Murray attoned for the interception quickly with a
75-yard bomb to Tavarres King on the drive's first play putting Georgia
back ahead 16-14.
Nebraska countered with a 55-yard completion
to the tight end Ben Cotton on the Cornhuskers first play of the drive.
Georgia's defense stiffened and forced a field goal that Nebraska
missed.
After a Georgia punt, Damian Swann picked off a
Nebraska pass and returned it over midfield to give Georgia good field
posession.
Tailback Todd Gurley took a direct snap in the wildcat formation 24-yards fo a TD to take a 23-14 lead.
After
a 39-yard field goal and a defensive stop, Nebraska took the lead back
24-23 on a pass from Tyler Martinez to Rex Burkhead for a 22-yard
score.
Nebraska took the 2nd half kickoff and marched down the
field to take a 31-23 lead after a Burkhead 2-yard plunge. Nebraska
would not score again.
Georgia's passing attack responded as
Murray found Chris Conley for a 49-yard score. Coach Richt called for a
2-point conversion and Murray hit Rhett McGowan to tie up the game at
31-31.
In the first play of the 4th quarter, Murray scrambled and hit Keith Marshall for a go-ahead 24-yard TD.
After
forcing Nebraska to punt, Georgia recorded the biggest play of the
game. Murray hit Conley on a slip screen with plenty of open field in
front of him as he sprinted for a 87-yard touchdown. The score was
Georgia's longest pass play of the season, gave them a 45-31 lead and
set a Capital One Bowl record.
Damian Swann's 2nd interception helped seal the game for Georgia.
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