Central Florida wins 1st bowl on 4th try, downing Georgia in Liberty Bowl

Friday, December 31, 2010

MEMPHIS - Latavius Murray scored on a 10-yard touchdown run with 9:01 left, and Central Florida held on to beat Georgia 10-6 Friday in the Liberty Bowl and cap the best season in school history with the program's first postseason victory.

The Knights (11-3) had never won more than 10 games in a season and had lost their first three bowl games, including their last visit here in 2007. The Conference USA champs made this win even sweeter by knocking off a Southeastern Conference team in the process.

Georgia (6-7) snapped a four-game bowl winning streak with its first loss since the 2006 Sugar Bowl. Worse for the Bulldogs is notching their first losing season since going 5-6 in 1996.

The Bulldogs had the ball last and converted two fourth downs before Kemal Ishmael knocked down Aaron Murray's final long throw into the end zone as time expired.

And in an ending reminiscent of Thursday night's Music City Bowl finish to regulation, the game seemed to be over before it actually was. Murray's first deep throw into the end zone landed incomplete and the clock appeared to run out. But replay officials reviewed the play and ruled the clock should have stopped with 2 seconds left.

Players from both teams went back to their sideline.

The Bulldogs had one more shot to pull out the win. Murray rolled to his left and heaved the ball into the end zone, but Ishmael knocked it to the ground with one hand to start the Knights' celebration.