No. 6 Georgia clobbers No. 4 Florida State in Orange Bowl
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 shorthanded 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
Peach Bowl
NO. 11 MISSISSIPPI 38, NO.. 10 PENN STATE, 25 >> Jaxson Dart passed for 379 yards and three touchdowns, including two to tight end Caden Prieskorn, and ran for a score as No. 11 Mississippi bullied No. 10 Penn State’s proud defense 38-25 in the Peach Bowl on Saturday.
Ole Miss (11-2) gained 540 yards against Penn State (10-3), which led the nation with its average of 223 yards allowed. It was the most yards and points allowed by the Nittany Lions this season.
The win gave coach Lane Kiffin’s Rebels their first 11win season.
Prieskorn had 10 receptions for 136 yards. He added a 2-point conversion catch to his touchdown receptions of 6 and 37 yards.
For Penn State, Drew Allar shared time at quarterback with Beau Pribula, who threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Singleton late in the first half.
Allar threw an interception in the second quarter and lost a fumble when sacked in the fourth. He completed 19 of 39 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns.
Music City Bowl
MARYLAND 31, AUBURN 13>> Billy Edwards Jr. ran for a touchdown and threw for a score as Maryland routed Auburn in the Music City Bowl and won a programrecord 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 22613 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 >> John Hoyland kicked a 24yard field goal as time expired and Wyoming sent coach Craig Bohl into retirement a winner with a 16-15 win over Toledo in the Arizona Bowl on Saturday.
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.