UPDATED: MVP Aaron Murray leads Georgia to 45-31 win over Nebraska in Capital One Bowl
ORLANDO, Fla. – Aaron Murray would not say whether he had played his last game as a Georgia Bulldog – Alec Ogletree did, by the way – but whatever he decides he knows he’ll go into his next season off a win for a change.
Murray, a junior who is contemplating early entry into the NFL set a Georgia bowl record with five touchdown passes and threw for 427 yards overall to earn Capital One Bowl MVP honors and lead the No. 7 Bulldogs to a 45-31 come-from-behind victory over Nebraska Tuesday at Citrus Bowl Stadium. Murray was at the offensive controls as Georgia lost its previous two bowl games.
“It was an awesome game and I’m definitely very excited to get a win,” said Murray, who also set Georgia’s single-season passing record with 3,544 yards. “I don’t know what it feels like to go into an offseason with a win, so that in itself feels great. But it was great to get a win for these seniors and great to get 12 wins. As for the future, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m just enjoying the moment right now.”
Georgia offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo said he’ll sit down with Murray to talk about his future on Monday. Meanwhile, Murray said he’d return home to Tampa to discuss his options with his parents. The underclassman deadline to declare for the draft is Jan. 15.
Ogletree, a junior linebacker who led the Bulldogs with 13 tackles on Tuesday, said after the game he is definitely going to make the jump to the pros. He and outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, also a junior, both project as first-rounders. Jones did not announce a decision on Tuesday, however.
The 2012 Bulldogs (12-2) become just the third team in UGA history to win 12 games in one season. They the 1980 national champions (12-0) and the 2002 SEC champions (13-1). Georgia has won 22 games over the last two seasons.
“Well, it’s more fun to win than to lose,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “We’d lost the last two (bowl games) and we were getting kind of tired of that. We’ve worked so hard to get better from that 6-7 year (in 2010). We didn’t win the SEC Championship but we certainly performed a lot better . . . and we wanted to win this bowl to prove – maybe to ourselves – that we were one of the best teams in the country. So I’m just thankful for the victory.”
It didn’t come easy. The Bulldogs, who had jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead on an early safety and touchdown, found themselves trailing 31-23 late in the third quarter. But Georgia’s defense limited Nebraska (10-4) to only one second-half score and Murray rallied the Bulldog’ offense.
Murray led them on a 79-yard scoring drive to tie the game. After three straight Todd Gurley runs – the freshman paced the Bulldogs’ with 125 yards rushing and a touchdown — Murray hit Tavarres King on an 11-yard completion for a third-down conversion. Georgia was 12-of-17 on third down for the game.
On the next play, Murray connected with a diving Chris Conley on a 49-yard touchdown pass to bring the Bulldogs within two with 7:26 to go in the third quarter. Georgia elected to go for the two-point conversion and Murray made good on it with laser pass to Rhett McGowan over the middle that tied the game at 31-all.
The game-winning play came with Murray scrambling toward the right sideline early in the fourth quarter. He directed a tightly-covered Keith Marshall to change his route and head toward the end zone down the sideline. He hit Marshall with a nifty back-shoulder throw that resulted in a 24-yard touchdown and a 38-31 Georgia lead with 14:52 to play.
The outcome still hung in the balance, however. Georgia’s defense stopped the Cornhuskers near midfield and forced them to punt. Taking over at their own 15, the Bulldogs faced third-and-12 from their own 13 when Nebraska sent a full-house blitz. But Georgia had a perfect call played – a tunnel screen to Conley, and Murray had the presence to withstand the pressure, avoid a deflection, and hit Conley in stride as he streaked across the middle of the field. Conley ramled 87 yards untouched a touchdown and a two-score lead.
“That was a designed play,” said Conley, who finished with 136 yards and two touchdowns on two catches. “Coach Bobo did a great job on the play-calling, recognizing the house blitz. Murray made that check at the line, made a great throw and all I had to do was catch and run.”
Murray wasn’t sharp early. He threw interceptions on two of Georgia’s first three possessions, including one that Nebraska linebacker Will Compton returned 24 yards for a touchdown. But he was extremely sharp when it mattered, completing 7-of-8 passes for two touchdowns as the Bulldogs’ turned a tie into a 14-point lead.
“It definitely was a tough start with a couple of picks early,” Murray said. “But they were early on and we knew there was a full game ahead of us and we were still in the game. It was great after that second pick to come out and have a nice (75-yard) touchdown to Tavarres.”
Murray’s 427 yards on 18-of-33 passing tied his career record as a Bulldog. The yards, the five touchdowns and the 87-yarder were all Georgia bowl records. He also set the school record for TDs in a season (36) and total offense (3,548 yards) and added to his record for career TD passes (now 95). He narrowly missed a sixth touchdown strike, which King couldn’t haul in in the end zone in the game’s final minutes.
Murray closes out his junior season with 3,893 yards on 249-of-388 passing and 36 TDs with 10 interceptions. After the game, Georgia fans chanted “one more year” to Murray as he accepted his MVP trophy in an on-field ceremony shortly after the game.
Murray wouldn’t say but did let it slip that he is “gonna miss the best fans in the country.”
Whether that’s now or a year from now will be determined later.
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304 comments Add your comment
Clowney is King
January 1st, 2013
5:21 pm
Any of you Dawg fans see the hit and forced fumble by Clowney? Awesome!
goFalcons
January 1st, 2013
5:21 pm
I wish UGA would of caught that last TD bomb……it was a great throw and I just wish he would of caught it……..What a great win by UGA
Davismac
January 1st, 2013
5:21 pm
UGA should dis-own Pollak… Geeez!
Dawg
January 1st, 2013
5:21 pm
Observer,
Shut up and be glad they won you old grump. It’s New Year!
Beamer
January 1st, 2013
5:22 pm
Well done, Murray. You played a great game, had a great season and have put up amazing numbers in your career.
LEEM
January 1st, 2013
5:22 pm
I have forgotten more football than you know 2013
GATA
January 1st, 2013
5:23 pm
Just enjoying the win – way to start the year Dawgs!!
Dewayne
January 1st, 2013
5:23 pm
What’s up with these idiots wanting Huston Mason? Wtf has he done? Nothing, he can’t beat Murray to get on the field. Not Murray’s fault he is a way better QB than Mason so get over it. Murray had a good day, 19-34 428yards, 5TDS and 2ints. A QB rating of 198.4. I think that’s a very good day, but you hater a$$ clowns wouldn’t know that.
bc_cadet
January 1st, 2013
5:25 pm
@Jon Koncak you are a moron! didn’t see Spurier in the SEC champ this year…They chocked like they always do. Way to change the subject when you know your comments are stupid.
Cohutta Dawgman
January 1st, 2013
5:25 pm
Huck Faters. GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!
LEEM
January 1st, 2013
5:26 pm
Thank you Dewaye
westtexasdawg
January 1st, 2013
5:26 pm
Once and for all. This is a FOOTBALL game, not MISS UNIVERSE contest. Teams participate to give THEIR BEST and win. Nebraska GAVE THEIR BEST, and SO DID GEORGIA. And UGA won. That says it all.
Go Dawgs!!!
sflanagan21
January 1st, 2013
5:27 pm
I like our chances next year….
GO DAWGS!!!!
CasualObserver
January 1st, 2013
5:28 pm
Haters gonna hate. UGA won 12 games and came up five yards short of being in the national championship game….not bad for “underachievers” with “bad coaching”. If they were my team, I’d settle for that every year!
Dawg in VA
January 1st, 2013
5:28 pm
I am proud of the Dawgs but frustrated with the defensive play, not necessarily the players but the formations. How can you stop a running defense with only two down linemen? Additionally our LBs were playing 6 yds off the line. We had gaps that were So wide that even I could create a hole big enough for my back to pick up 6-8 yds or more.
STFU
January 1st, 2013
5:29 pm
well here is what I know,
Mark Richt is not only getting balder, he is getting chubby too. I mean the man has put on 25 pounds.
bobby
January 1st, 2013
5:29 pm
Murray played well today but he isn’t ready for the NFL he needs on more year
Papa Doc
January 1st, 2013
5:30 pm
UGA win shows overall talent and overall lack of character – coach is the reason
curious
January 1st, 2013
5:31 pm
Might be time to reassess the defensive coordinator.
vf
January 1st, 2013
5:32 pm
Good to see a lot of the young guys on D playing good today. Swann will be one of the best corners in the country next year. Lots of promise for our young D next year. I’m excited to see them against Clemson.
jcobb
January 1st, 2013
5:32 pm
Thanks GT fan, I wish I could say the same, but I can not! My dad could, and I lost him on Christmas Eve, maybe I should change my attitude now to be more like him! I should be more like him in a lot of ways! Congrats to the Jackets, totally kicking Lane Kiifin’s butt yesterday, looked like he was dressed to not be recognized, except he did seem to try to give PJ a nice congratulations after the game!
dawglova
January 1st, 2013
5:33 pm
Bobby I hope that was a joke. Murray is as ready as he can get. If he was an inch or two taller there would be no question who the top pick in the draft would be
KJ
January 1st, 2013
5:34 pm
“Mark Richt is not only getting balder, he is getting chubby too. I mean the man has put on 25 pounds.”
Well, I think most people were too focused on the game to notice. You might be a little “different”. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
sflanagan21
January 1st, 2013
5:35 pm
td- I was thinking the exact same thing! Marshall showed great concentration and even better hands! I love Marshall and he is no doubt very talented but he has to put on 10 more pounds of muscle this year or he will never be able to break that first tackle.
dawglova
January 1st, 2013
5:36 pm
And for anyone saying they hope Murray leaves you know nothing about qb play or football in general. Mason may be a very good qb. But he has done nothing yet. Uga has a proven commodity at qb with Murray. That will not be the case if he leaves. Sec games are not practice or running the scout team.
tell me again
January 1st, 2013
5:37 pm
Nebraska’s offense is good as is Martinez and they run a scheme we never see – the D did a good job. The offense racked up almost 500 yards passing and 5 TD’s throwing against the #1 ranked passing defense in the nation – and some of you people still are not happy with Murray? Well, I know several of the “posters” on here are the same person using different names ~ just shut up and go play with your X box. The Dawgs had a great year and go into the off season with their heads held high. We won this one without several key players who were injured including Malcolm Mithchell who had to leave in the first qtr. with a cincussion. Proud of our Dawgs! Sic ‘Em!
dawglova
January 1st, 2013
5:38 pm
Anyone who thinks Murray is not a damn fine qb knows nothing about the position or football in general.
dewnsav
January 1st, 2013
5:38 pm
pretty amazing, Murray won the MVP on what I considered an off day for him…he missed on many throws…had a few drops, but normally he would have had 9-10 more completions…hope to see him back next year…go dogs
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
5:39 pm
Lady gym dogs January 5!
sflanagan21
January 1st, 2013
5:39 pm
vj, yes Swann is a BEAST!! I’ve been saying it for 2 months now that our young boys on D that will be playing next season are special and very talented!!! Our D will be a lot faster next year and way more motivated then this years D. Not taking anything away from our Seniors and JJ and Tree but we have some studs on campus and some studs coming in that will step up next year.
GO DAWGS!!!
KilroyDawg
January 1st, 2013
5:39 pm
@GTfan
Thanks for the kind comments. Good win for you guys yesterday also. Love seeing Kiffin take a beating. The senseless comments by other fans gets very old and just scream of childishness!
dawglova
January 1st, 2013
5:41 pm
And I will take mark richt over any coach in america. He is one of the classiest men in all of sports and a damn good coach to boot.
Murray the millionaire
January 1st, 2013
5:42 pm
if he gets hurt as a dog next year, he may not…be a millionaire.
Dogs will wind up being No. 2 (some think they already are).
dawglova
January 1st, 2013
5:44 pm
I cannot wait to see turkey and Marshall behind a stronger line next year. UGA should be a team to watch for years to come with the pups waitin to step up from the grown dawgs leaving.
dawglova
January 1st, 2013
5:46 pm
12 wins for the third time in school history, and Rich is responsible for two of them. Know I will go into mourning until sept. 2013
Boat
January 1st, 2013
5:46 pm
Won the bowl game and finished with 12 wins. Let’s just enjoy it. Go Dawgs and can’t wait for the 2013 season to get here!
I Can't Wait
January 1st, 2013
5:46 pm
Coming September 2013 – Clemson – South Carolina – LSU
Destin Dawg
January 1st, 2013
5:47 pm
Just got in from the game. I’m shocked to see Murray voted as MVP, the committee wasn’t at the same game I was. He is blessed to have talented receivers to where he just heaves the ball in their general direction and they make plays. Happened all day, I saw him make one decent back shoulder pass toward the end of the game but everything else was all receivers making a play. TV doesn’t show you what’s really going on, he just isn’t that good. The Nebraska QB was more impressive IMO. Wouldn’t hurt my feelings for him to go ahead and try out for the NFL, but if scouts were at the game they he isn’t a high round pick. Jarvis Jones is a stud by the way.
sflanagan21
January 1st, 2013
5:47 pm
Yea if your a Real Dawg fan and you know football then you sure DON’T want AM to leave this year!!! Mason can’t extend the play like AM, Mason has a strong arm but he sure isn’t anywhere near as accurate as AM, Mason isn’t even the same caliber QB that AM is and that’s a FACT!!! Not taking anything away from Mason but he isn’t in the same league as AM is right now and as a Dawg fan I would much rather have our leader Am come back then to have a learning curb season with Mason. AM is the Real Deal and the kid WILL have a GREAT future in the NFL, take that to the bank!!!
KilroyDawg
January 1st, 2013
5:47 pm
Kudus to the players and coaches for a good win and a fine 12 win season. Now get out there and close on those 5 or 6 recruits left on the board. M Adams, L Tunsil, R Foster, C Lawson etc…come to UGA and play for a Christian man who does it the right way. Dawgs on the way up and you will want to be a part of the Red & Black…GO DAWGS!!!
Coffee Bluff DAWG
January 1st, 2013
5:47 pm
Congratulations to the 12-2 DAWGS. O will be loaded next yr, particularly if AM returns.
D has some holes to fill but some of the young players will step up and make this team a contender again.
Shankit
January 1st, 2013
5:48 pm
Tiring game to watch. First quarter, two interceptions, ready for Murray and BoBo to go. Second quarter, ready for defensive coordinator to go. Fourth quarter, how great BoBo and Murray are, put 45 points on board, love our defensive coordinator, shut Huskers down in 4th quarter. Wish I were a disinterested spectator, would have been a fun game to watch. Right now, having me a scotch, trying to unwind.
Rick James
January 1st, 2013
5:48 pm
@Jon Koncak
Just remember, Spurrier is your daddy.
—————————————————-
Ask daddy if he’s happy watching the SEC championship game on television the past two years.
Uncle Tom
January 1st, 2013
5:48 pm
I’m an oldtimer who’s been following the Dawgs for many decades. I’ve been on the Dump Richt band wagon several times because ANY halfway decent coach could come in here and recruit a Top 10 recruiting class. He does that. And all I ask is that we FINISH in the Top 10. All too frequently we have not. And our biggest problem is that our NFL calibre defense is ranked 71st in the country against the run. HOWEVER…………I’m now satisfied with this season and the direction of the program. We’re going to ranked as high as 5th (could have 2nd if we showed up in SC). But things now look good for the future. WOOF WOOF.
CommonSense
January 1st, 2013
5:48 pm
Amen dawglova. Some of these idiots would like to go into games next year against Clemson, South Carolina, LSU and others with an inexperienced QB? They must be morons. Please come back AM.
MarcusDawg
January 1st, 2013
5:50 pm
Great win. Our defense has lots of individual talent but don’ t mesh we’ll together, I Think we will not play much worse on D next year. If Murray comes back this offense will be scary good. Lot ’s of class to GT fan.
NC Dawg
January 1st, 2013
5:52 pm
you Murray haters suck. He had some bad moments, but had a great game overall. Receivers bailed him out? Don’t think T. King would agree since he dropped what should have been TD number 6. I really hope Murray comes back despite all you haters that probably were the ones that egged his house. Next year could be epic on offense if he comes back.
Rick James
January 1st, 2013
5:53 pm
How long before GT Bob tell us this was not a good win because Nebraska gave up 70 points in its last game? Tech fans your team went 7-7 playing in the ACC,Georgia went 12-2 playing in the SEC and could finish in the top five. You shouldnt have much to say but I’m sure some of you will still hide behind Alabama and South Carolina.
NC Dawg
January 1st, 2013
5:54 pm
Good win Dawgs 12-2 not so shabby!!
Realist
January 1st, 2013
5:55 pm
UGA’s defense was fine once the DC made the adjustment of going to a completely vanilla defensive scheme in the fourth quarter. Just wish he had done it sooner. Lucky to get thru the game with so few defensive linemen available. Very impressed with Murray and the offense for putting up the numbers they did against the #1 pass defense in the nation without the benefit of the top three wideouts. Offense will be loaded next year regardless of who plays quarterback.