2010 AutoZone Liberty Bowl Postgame Notes
December 31, 2010 | Football
Dec. 31, 2010
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AWARD WINNERS
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Latavius Murray, RB, UCF (18 att., 104 yards, 1 TD)
UCF Outstanding Offensive Player: Latavius Murray, RB (18 att., 104 yards, 1 TD)
UCF Outstanding Defensive Player: Josh Linam, LB (6 tackles, 1 interception)
Georgia Outstanding Offensive Player: A.J. Green WR (8 rec. 77 yards, 0 TD)
Georgia Outstanding Defensive Player: Brandon Boykin, DB (3 tackles, 1 interception)
GENERAL NOTES
Today's announced crowd of 51,231 marks the 14th consecutive year the Liberty Bowl has produced a crowd of better than 50,000.
The game time kickoff temperature of 67 degrees made this the second-warmest Liberty Bowl played. The warmest was 72 degrees for Louisville-Boise State game in 2004.
Today marked the sixth time in seven years that the Liberty Bowl has been decided by a touchdown or less. The last seven Liberty Bowls have been decided by a total of 39 points, or 5.6 per game.
UCF RB Latavius Murray was named the Most Valuable Player of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl after rushing 18 times for 104 yards and the game's only touchdown. He was also named MVP of the Conference USA Football Championship Game after rushing for 94 yards and scoring two touchdowns in the Knights 17-7 win over SMU.
Today marked the fourth consecutive year that neither team scored a touchdown in the opening quarter of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
The 3-3 halftime score was the same score as the 2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl between UCF and Mississippi State, the Knights first AZLB appearance.
Georgia led 6-3 at the end of the third quarter, making it the lowest-scoring third quarter since 2003 when Utah led Southern Miss, 7-0.
Of the first nine possessions of the game, four ended with interceptions as UCF's Jeff Godfrey and Georgia's Aaron Murray each threw two.
Georgia QB Aaron Murray opened the game completing his first seven passes for 69 yards. His first incompletion came on the final play of the first quarter. He was 14-of-31 after that to finish 21-of-38 for 198 yards.
After Georgia drove 95 yards in 15 plays on their opening possession for a field goal, the Bulldogs generated 185 yards of offense the remainder of the game on 55 plays (3.4 per play).
UCF CB Justin Boddie had three pass breakups tonight. Only two players in AZLB history have had more PBU's in a game: Jason Goss of TCU in 2002 and Josh Savage of Utah in 2003, both with four PBU's. Boddie also matched his career high with 10 tackles.
Tonight's win was UCF's first-ever bowl victory in four appearances. The Knights are now 1-1 in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and 1-3 overall, all since 2005. Tonight's victory was the 11th of the season for the 24th-ranked Knights, a new school record.
Tonight's loss dropped Georgia to 1-2 all-time in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and 26-17-3 in bowl games in its history. The loss also gave the Bulldogs a final record of 6-7, the school's first losing season since the 1996 team finished 5-6. With UCF's victory, Conference USA teams are now 11-9 all-time in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Georgia Postgame Bowl Notes
Bowl Streak Snapped: Tonight's 10-6 loss to #24 UCF snapped Georgia's bowl winning streak at four. The Bulldogs fell to 26-17-3 all-time in bowls. The Bulldogs made their 14th consecutive bowl appearances here at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Georgia dropped to 1-2 all-time in the Liberty Bowl, falling in 1967 to N.C. State and winning in 1987 The Bulldogs did not score a TD earlier this season in a 17-6 loss at South Carolina. Georgia's six points tonight was its lowest output in a bowl game since the 1977 Sugar Bowl loss to Pittsburgh (27-3). Georgia ends the 2010 campaign with a 6-7 mark, its first losing season since 1996 in Jim Donnan's first year at the helm when the Bulldogs went 5-6.
Liberty Bowl Award Winners For Georgia: Junior A.J. Green was voted the Outstanding Offensive Player for Georgia while senior Brandon Boykin earned the Outstanding Defensive Player Award for Georgia as voted on by the media. Green finished with eight catches for 77 yards and one punt return for 18 yards. Boykin had three tackles, one interception and three kickoff returns for 38 yards.
Walsh Provides Only Scoring: Junior PK Blair Walsh drilled a 20-yard field goal in the opening quarter to give Georgia a 3-0 edge. Then, he added a 41 yarder at the 9:23 mark in the third quarter to put the Bulldogs up 6-3. Walsh is now 20-of-23 on FGs this season, including 14-of-17 from 40 to 49 yards in his career. With his latest field goal, Walsh has now scored 303 points in his Bulldog career, which is fourth in school history.
Coming in, Georgia had scored more than 30 points in the final five SEC games of the season and seven straight, going 5-2 in that stretch. Tonight marked the first time this year that Georgia lost after scoring first, falling to 6-1. Murray Ends Season With 154.48 Efficiency Rating: Redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray finished the game 21-for-38 for 198 yards and two interceptions. Seven different Bulldogs caught a pass in the first two quarters. Murray started the game in position to take over the No. 1 mark in school history in passing efficiency rating (162.72) in a season. However, Bulldog offensive coordinator Mike Bobo still holds the school record (155.80, 1997). Murray finished the season with a 154.48.passing efficiency rating. He ended the year 209-for-342 for 3,049 yards and 24 TDs with eight interceptions.
Turnovers: Sophomore CB Branden Smith grabbed his second interception of the season in the final minute of the opening quarter that led to a punt. Late in the second quarter, junior CB Brandon Boykin recorded his sixth INT of his career (third in 2010) in the UCF end zone. The Bulldogs failed to score after either turnover. Georgia has 16 INTs on the year. This season, Georgia has forced 26 turnovers and converted them into 101 points while the Bulldogs' opponents have forced 16 turnovers and turned them into 24 points.
Red Zone Stop In First Half: Boykin's INT stopped the Knights in the Red Zone after UCF had driven to the 18-yard line. UCF finished the half 1-for-2 in the Red Zone in the first half after connecting on a 22-yard field goal in the final minute of the second quarter.
Green Leads Receiving Corps: Junior FLK A.J. Green had eight catches for 77 yards to lead UGA's receiving attack. He now has the third-most pass receptions of any Bulldog in history with 166 and the second-most receptions of any Bulldog junior in history with 57. He also had an 18-yard punt return in the second quarter against the Knights after having just one return in his career coming into the game.
For Starters: Senior OL Clint Boling finished his career with 49 starts, including the last 38 in a row, and finished second in school history for non-kickers. Former QB David Greene (2001-04) has the mark with 52 starts. Senior FB Fred Munzenmaeir made his fourth career start (third this season) for injured starter senior FB Shaun Chapas, who had ankle surgery following the Georgia Tech game on Nov. 27.
Russ Fills In For Uga VIII: Due to a gastrointestinal condition, Bulldog mascot Uga VIII did not attend the game. "Russ," who was a substitute masot for the final two games last year and the first six this year, filled in tonight. He is now 4-5 in his career.
Central Florida Notes
TEAM NOTES- No. 24 (Coaches) 25 (BCS) UCF completes the winningest season in school history at 11-3.
- It is UCF's first bowl win and second ever over an SEC team, also beating Alabama in 2000.
- Ten points are the fewest that UCF has scored in a win since a 10-7 win over Valdosta State on Sept. 20, 1986.
- Regardless of bowl results, UCF will have the most wins of any team in Florida this year with its 11. FSU enters tonight's Chick-fil-A Bowl with nine.
- It is the 33rd win for UCF's seniors, the most of any four-year class in school history.
- UCF ends its season winning nine of its last 10 games after starting 2-2.
- UCF has had a 100-yard rusher in three of its four bowl games, last year's St. Petersburg Bowl being the exception.
- Georgia joins NC State as the only teams to top UCF in time of possession in a game this year.
- Josh Linam is the 10th different Knight to make an interception this year but just the second linebacker along with Derrick Hallman.
- Three first half points is a season-low for UCF which had scored at least one touchdown in the first half of every game this year until today.
- UCF and Mississippi State were tied 3-3 at the half of the 2007 Liberty Bowl as well.
- Today's game is only the second time in 14 games this year that UCF has not scored first. The other was on Sept. 11 against NC State. It is also the first time that UCF has trailed after the first quarter since the NC State game.
- Bruce Miller recorded his NCAA leading 36th career sack today. The sum is the second-most in Florida's proud FBS history behind only Miami's Daniel Stubbs.
- Latavius Murray had his 11th rushing touchdown of the year today. He has a rushing touchdown in six of the last seven games. He had his second 100-yard rushing game in his fourth career starts today.
- Reggie Weams made his fifth interception of the year today. He entered the season with just one in his career. He also won the Liberty Bowl singing contest on Monday night during the game's welcome party at AutoZone Park.
- Josh Linam made his first career interception today.
- Derrick Hallman's sack was the eighth of his UCF career and 31.5th career TFL.
- Jeff Godfrey was intercepted for the first time since the Southern Miss game on Nov. 13.
