Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey dives for a touchdown past Florida State defensive back Quindarrius Jones in the first half of the Orange Bowl on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
AP photo
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Florida State quarterback Brock Glenn (11) is pressured by Georgia defensive back Daniel Harris (15) and linebacker Jalon Walker (11) during the first half of Orange Bowl on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
AP photo
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Carson Beck passed for 203 yards and two touchdowns, backup QB Gunnar Stockton passed for two more scores and No. 6 Georgia routed previously undefeated and fourth-ranked Florida State 63-3 in the Orange Bowl on Saturday night in a matchup of teams missing out on the College Football Playoff.
Georgia scored on nine of 12 drives and gained 673 total yards against the short-handed Seminoles, who were without more than two dozen players because of opt-outs and transfers, including five starters in their defensive front seven, their top two running backs and top three receivers.
The Bulldogs (13-1) were used to competing for championships this time of year, having won the last two national titles. But Georgia lost to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game — the Bulldogs’ first loss since the 2021 season — and missed out on one of the four spots in the CFP rankings. Instead, they settled for the seventh New Year’s Six bowl appearance in program history.
Florida (13-1) failed to make the CFP cut despite winning the Atlantic Coast Conference title, and because of transfers, opt-outs and injuries, the Seminoles were without players who were responsible for 97% of their passing yards, 88% of their rushing yards and 84% of their receptions this season
The Orange Bowl provided Georgia a chance to make a statement. The Bulldogs charged out to a 39-point halftime lead, the largest in the bowl’s 90-year history, beating West Virginia’s 29-point halftime lead over Clemson in 2012. It was also the largest margin of defeat in Florida State’s history.
Beck, who had touchdown passes of 12 and 2 yards, did not play in the second half. Stockton, a freshman, started in the third quarter and immediately ushered another touchdown drive. He finished with 96 yards passing and 46 yards rushing, and the Bulldogs became the first program to score at least 55 points in back-to-back bowl games (they beat TCU 65-7 in the Peach Bowl last season).
The Bulldogs’ Kendall Milton rushed for 104 yards on nine carries and had two touchdowns. Daijun Edwards added two more rushing scores and 62 yards. Both were part of a senior class that picked up its school-record 50th win.
In what could be his last game for the Bulldogs, receiver Ladd McConkey had 49 all-purpose yards. He scored on a 27-yard rush in which he caught a pass from Beck behind the line of scrimmage, looked to complete another pass but took off running instead, weaving through stumbling Florida State defenders and into the end zone to put Georgia up 38-3 in the second quarter.
Bulldogs players knew the story of the team on the other side of the field: The Seminoles entered the game having beaten all 13 teams on their schedule, including then-No. 15 Louisville in the ACC title game, but were left out of the College Football Playoff partly due to a season-ending leg injury to starting quarterback Jordan Travis. Florida State became the first Power Five conference champion to finish with an undefeated record and still be left out of the playoff.
In the week leading up to the bowl game, Georgia players expressed their understanding of the Seminoles’ frustrations, while acknowledging that they, too, felt slighted.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart had lobbied for the selection committee to consider the Bulldogs’ full resume in making their final decision: Georgia won 29 straight games before the SEC title matchup and finished the season with the eighth-best offense in the country and the No. 9 defense.
It wasn’t enough. And the Bulldogs vented frustrations in the Orange Bowl — possession by possession.
MUSIC CITY BOWL
Maryland 31, Auburn 13
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Billy Edwards Jr. ran for a touchdown and threw for a score as Maryland routed Auburn in the Music City Bowl and won a program-record third straight bowl.
Maryland (8-5) hadn’t even played three consecutive bowls since 2006-08, and the Terrapins added this victory to their win over Virginia Tech at the Pinstripe Bowl and last year’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over North Carolina State.
This game essentially was over before the end of the first quarter, even without Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, the Big Ten’s passing leader this season opting out for the NFL draft.
Auburn (6-7) ended coach Hugh Freeze’s first season back in the SEC losing three straight. The Tigers also lost a fourth straight bowl. Payton Thorne (13 for 27, 84 yards) and Hank Brown (7 for 9, 132) handled the bulk of the quarterbacking duties for Auburn.
Maryland dominated from the opening snap, taking a 21-0 lead as the Terrapins outgained Auburn 226-13 within the first 12 minutes. Edwards was 6 for 20 passing for 126 yards, and rushed for a team-best 50 yards on 13 carries.
ARIZONA BOWL
Wyoming 16, Toledo 15
TUCSON, Ariz. — John Hoyland kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired and Wyoming sent coach Craig Bohl into retirement a winner with a win over Toledo in the Arizona Bowl.
Bohl is retiring after 42 years of coaching — the last 10 in Laramie — and defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel will take over next season.
Toledo (11-3) shut down Wyoming’s offense most of the afternoon before the Cowboys started to find an offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter.
Playing in a third straight bowl game for the first time, the Cowboys (9-4) trailed 15-6 after giving up a safety and a field goal in the third quarter.
Evan Svoboda scored on a 1-yard touchdown sneak after Andrew Peasley was injured in the fourth quarter to pull Wyoming within two.
Peasley returned to throw a 26-yard pass after the Cowboys forced a punt, but went down again without being hit. Svoboda then moved the Cowboys quickly down the field — with the help of an unnecessary roughness penalty on Ronald Delancy III — and Hoyland split the uprights to finish off Wyoming’s best season since going 10-2 in 1996.
Both teams were able to move the ball in the first half. Neither was able to reach the end zone until Jacquez Stuart raced through a big hole and dodged a tackle along the sideline for an 80-yard touchdown that put the Rockets up 10-6.
Before that, Hoyland kicked two field goals, including a 52-yarder that hit the crossbar and trundled over. Toledo’s Luke Pawlak also hit one from 33 yards out.