Georgia's bowl history under Mark Richt

Sports

Georgia's bowl history under Mark Richt

Georgia will be making its 50th bowl appearance (27-19-3) against Louisville in the Dec. 30 Belk Bowl. Georgia is 8-5 in bowls under Mark Richt as head coach. Here's a look back at the Bulldogs' post season history since 2001.

Georgia will be making its 50th bowl appearance (27-19-3) against Louisville in the Dec. 30 Belk Bowl. Georgia is 8-5 in bowls under Mark Richt as head coach. Here's a look back at the Bulldogs' post season history since 2001:

Boston College 20, Georgia 16, Music City Bowl, 2001: In his first season as Georgia's head coach, Mark Richt took an 8-3 team - led by freshmen quarterback David Greene and defensive end David Pollack - to Nashville to face Boston College (7-4) in the Music City Bowl. The Eagles rallied behind All-America tailback William Green, who rushed for 149 yards, and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 7-yard scamper with 4:43 left in the game. Georgia had four turnovers in the game and mismanaged the two final minutes to spoil Richt's postseason debut.

Georgia 26, Florida State 13, Sugar Bowl, 2003: Mark Richt capped a 13-1 sophomore season as Georgia's head coach with 26-13 beating of his former team, No. 16 Florida State, in the 2003 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Richt served 14 years on Bobby Bowden's (left) Seminoles staff before moving to Georgia. The No. 4 Bulldogs were led by MVP Musa Smith, who rushed for 145 yards; Bruce Thornton, who returned an interception for a touchdown; and backup quarterback D.J. Shockley, who tossed a scoring pass in his only throw of the night.

Georgia 34, Purdue 27, Capital One Bowl, 2004: Georgia entered the Capital One Bowl after a disappointing loss in the SEC Championship Game, but this game would far from disappoint. A rematch of the 2000 Outback Bowl, the Bulldogs took overtime - again - to defeat the Boilermakers. Tied at 27 after regulation, the Bulldogs scored first in the extra period on a 1-yard run on fourth down by running back Kregg Lumpkin. Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton had two shots to tie the game from inside the 8-yard line, but an interception in the end zone clinched the win for the Bulldogs. Quarterback David Greene (left), who threw for more than 320 yards was crowned game MVP.

Georgia 24, Wisconsin 21, Outback Bowl, 2005: Quarterback David Greene (left) and defensive end David Pollack ended careers at Georgia with a 24-21 win over Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bulldogs improved to 42-10 in four years under Mark Richt, the second-best run for a Georgia senior class behind the 43-4-1 record compiled while winning a national championship and three straight SEC titles in the early 1980s.

West Virginia 38, Georgia 35, Sugar Bowl, 2006: The 72nd Sugar Bowl was shifted to Atlanta after Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, but the hometown advantage was of no help to the Bulldogs. West Virginia (11-1) stunned a sea of red-clad fans at the Georgia Dome by jumping to a 28-0 lead by the opening minute of the second quarter. The Bulldogs (10-3) rallied, twice closing within a field goal in the second half, but they couldn't finish one of the greatest comebacks in bowl history.

Georgia 31, Virginia Tech 24, Chick-fil-A Bowl, 2006: Georgia finished an up-and-down 2006 season with three straight victories over ranked teams - including a victory over the 14th-ranked Hokies in the New Year's Eve bowl in Atlanta. Under the play calling of new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, freshman quarterback Matthew Stafford led the Bulldogs from an 18-point halftime deficit, scoring 28 points in the second half for the win.

Georgia 41, Hawaii 10, Sugar Bowl, 2008: Overpowering the country's last unbeaten team, black-clad Georgia took out its frustration at getting passed over for a shot at the BCS championship with a 41-10 rout of Hawaii at the Superdome in New Orleans. The Warriors' offense led nation with 46.2 points per game but could muster only 10 points against a Bulldogs' defense, which held Heisman finalist Colt Brennan to just 169 yards, less than half of his 348-yard average this season.

Georgia 24, Michigan State 12, Capital One Bowl, 2009: Georgia's Matthew Stafford threw three touchdown passes in the final 18 minutes against No. 18 Michigan State - including one to tight end Aron White (81) - to lead the 15th-ranked Bulldogs to a 24-12 victory in Orlando. Ranked No. 1 by The Associated Press to start the season, the Bulldogs (10-3) gave coach Mark Richt his sixth bowl win in eight tries.

Georgia 44, Texas A&M 20, Independence Bowl, 2009: With Mark Richt and Rodney Gardner acting as defensive coordinators, the Bulldogs rallied behind two huge special teams plays - an 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the second quarter and a blocked a punt that set up another touchdown - to set a school record for points in a bowl game and extended its bowl win streak to four games.

Central Florida 10, Georgia 6, Liberty Bowl, 2010: Georgia had the ball longer and last but could not reach the end zone against the Knights in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn. The Bulldogs were held under 30 points for the first time in eight games as the Knights' defense (ranked 18th in the country) held Georgia to 280 yards total offense, well below the Bulldogs' average of 393.8. Georgia finished the 2010 season 6-7, its first losing year under coach Mark Richt.

Michigan State 33, Georgia 30 (3 OT), Outback Bowl, 2012: The Spartans overcame a 16-0 halftime deficit and scored the tying touchdown with 14 seconds left in regulation to upset the Bulldogs in Tampa, Fla. Georgia's Blair Walsh became the Southeastern Conference's career scoring leader with a field goal in the second extra period. But he missed a 42-yarder in the first overtime after conservative play-calling and had a 47-yard attempt blocked on the final play of the game. Georgia (10-4) finished on a two-game losing streak, including a lopsided loss to top-ranked LSU in the SEC championship game

Georgia 45, Nebraska 31, Capital One Bowl, 2013: Aaron Murray threw five touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter, to set a Georgia bowl record as the No. 7 Bulldogs beat No. 16 Nebraska 45-31 in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. The Cornhuskers led 24-23 at the half, but committed two of their three turnovers in the final 30 minutes, helping Georgia reach its third 12-win season.

Nebraska 24, Georgia 19, Gator Bowl, 2014: Georgia (8-5) failed repeatedly to take advantage of opportunities, settling for four short field goals and dropping two fourth-down passes in the red zone in the closing minutes of a 24-19 loss to Nebraska in Jacksonville. Hutson Mason, making his second straight start in place of injured starter Aaron Murray, completed 21 of 39 passes for 320 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

In the 2007 season, Georgia got blown out by Tennessee. They still rallied to win the Sugar Bowl.

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Georgia will be making its 50th bowl appearance (27-19-3) against Louisville in the Dec. 30 Belk Bowl. Georgia is 8-5 in bowls under Mark Richt as head coach. Here's a look back at the Bulldogs' post season history since 2001:

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