Aaron Murray wanted nothing more this week than to send Georgia’s senior class out with a game to remember.
The junior quarterback provided a record-setting performance to make it a reality.
Murray threw five touchdown passes to set a Georgia bowl record, including two in the fourth quarter, as the No. 6 Bulldogs (12-2) beat No. 23 Nebraska (10-4), 45-31.
Murray shook off a pair of first-half interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and passed for 427 yards — also a Bulldogs’ bowl record — against the nation’s top-ranked passing defense. He was the game’s most valuable player on the way to earning his first bowl victory at Georgia.
The Bulldogs also reached 12 wins for the third time in school history.
“I don’t know what it’s like to head into an offseason with a win,” Murray said. “It’s a great feeling to get a win. It’s great for the seniors, who have meant so much to this team.”
Nebraska (10-4) lost its third consecutive bowl game, and finished the season with two straight woeful defensive performances. The Cornhuskers lost the Big Ten championship game 70-31 to Wisconsin.
The Cornhuskers led 24-23 at the half, but committed two of their three turnovers in the final 30 minutes.
Taylor Martinez had two interceptions and two touchdown passes for Nebraska and Rex Burkhead rushed 140 yards in his final college game.
GATOR BOWL
Northwestern 34, Miss. St. 20
The stuffed monkey spent the last year in storage, out of sight but still in everyone’s mind. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald dusted it off and even had it on the sideline yesterday as a reminder of the Wildcats’ decades-long, bowl losing streak — the old monkey on their backs.
Now, it’s in pieces.
Behind huge interceptions early and late, No. 21 Northwestern (10-3) beat Mississippi State (8-5) in Jacksonville, Fla., and snapped college football’s longest postseason losing streak. The Wildcats hadn’t won a bowl game since 1949, a nine-game skid that was tied with Notre Dame for the longest in NCAA history.
It’s history now. And as a reward, Fitzgerald let his players rip the monkey to shreds in the locker room.
Quentin Williams returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the game and Nick VanHoose set up another touchdown with a 39-yard interception return in the fourth. Those plays were the difference in a back-and-forth game that featured more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (six).
HEART OF DALLAS BOWL
Oklahoma St. 58, Purdue 14
Clint Chelf threw three of his team’s five touchdown passes and Oklahoma State (8-5) shook off a tough Big 12 finish by rolling up 524 yards and forcing five turnovers by Purdue (6-7) in a dominating victory in Dallas.
The Boilermakers fell to 0-4 on New Year’s Day.