TaxSlayer Bowl 2016: Georgia’s Terry Godwin all the difference in win over Penn State
The 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl was was only the second meeting between Georgia and Penn State, but there was no confusing this game with the 1983 Sugar Bowl.
Georgia and Penn State last met to decide the national 1982 national championship in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1983. The two teams met again in this year’s TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, Fl., with the Bulldogs holding on for 24-17 win.
But this was no Dooley vs. Paterno by any stretch of the imagination.
The Bulldogs came into the game with an interim head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator with the exits of Mark Richt, Brian Schottenheimer and Jeremy Pruitt, respectively. Bryan McClendon took over the head coaching duties, making him not only the first African-American head coach in Georgia’s long history, but also the first interim head coach.
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The book was that this was two very good defenses, and two abysmal offenses, and that one or two plays could decide the game.
The book wasn’t wrong.
Penn State let Georgia get after quarterback Christian Hackenberg and knock him out of the game before the first half ended, and UGA quarterback Greyson Lambert looked like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers version of Trent Dilfer on melatonin pills.
The lone bright spot in this sloppily played, practically unwatchable game was Georgia freshman wideout Terry Godwin, who threw a 44-yard touchdown pass out of the wildcat formation, and caught one to put the Bulldogs up by two scores. As it turned out, Georgia would need both of those to hang on.
The Bulldogs put up 327 total yards of offense and four three touchdowns, with Godwin accounting for 75 yards and two of the TDs. Pretty sure that makes him the MVP, x-factor and game ball winner for the Dawgs.
For Penn State – who couldn’t even muster one more field goal to beat the 6.5 point spread – it was an unceremonious end to a dismal season which saw the Nittany Lions lose four straight games to close out. For those not keeping score, that means James Franklin is officially on the hot seat and coaching for his job next season.
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For this game to have come after the playoff games was ridiculous. It was barely an appetizer and certainly not a palate-cleanser at all.