Georgia runs it up on Florida State
Carson Beck passed for 203 yards and two touchdowns, backup quarterback 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 at Miami Gardens, Fla., 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 optouts 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.
Peach
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 at Atlanta.
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.
Music City
Billy Edwards Jr. ran for a touchdown and threw for a score as Maryland routed Auburn 31-13 at Nashville 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.
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.
Arizona
John Hoyland kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired and Wyoming (9-4) sent coach Craig Bohl into retirement a winner with a 16-15 victory over Toledo (11-3) at Tucson.