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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
HONOLULU (AP) -- University of Georgia's players backed up their lobbying to
have fired coach Jim Donnan lead them into their bowl game.
|  | | Georgia quarterback Cory Phillips helped the balanced Georgia offense with 213 passing yards, connecting on 22 of 35 throws. |
Terrence Edwards ran five times for 97 yards and caught eight
passes for 79 yards, and the Bulldogs' defense scored two
touchdowns to give No. 24 Georgia (8-4) a school-record fourth
consecutive bowl victory in Donnan's final game, 37-14 Sunday.
"We went out and played well for Coach D, for ourselves, to
prove all the doubters wrong," said Edwards, who also scored a
touchdown and was the most valuable player of the game. "This game meant a lot to a lot of people. Winning four straight bowl games, four straight
eight-win seasons (is) at least a building stone for next year."
Donnan, who went 40-19 in five seasons at Georgia, was fired
after the Bulldogs finished the regular season with three defeats in
their last four games. But his players asked the school to let
Donnan coach the bowl game.
"This team has always done a good job of answering the call,"
he said. "They didn't do this for me tonight. They did it for
pride and for the University of Georgia. I am very proud of my
team."
The game also marked the final game for Virginia coach George
Welsh, who retired as the Atlantic Coast Conference's winningest
coach. Welsh, 67, compiled 134-86-3 record during 19 years at
Virginia.
"You'd like to go out with a win," Welsh said. "It just
didn't work out. We shot ourselves in the foot too many times."
The Cavaliers (6-6) took a blow early when quarterback Dan Ellis
was sidelined on their opening drive after a jarring hit from
cornerback Jamie Henderson. Ellis sat out the rest of the game with
an ankle sprain, making the Cavaliers a one-dimensional team with
the run.
Freshman Bryson Spinner took over and completed 13 of 21 passes
for 145 yards and two interceptions.
Georgia's Cory Phillips completed 22 of 35 passes for 213 yards
with one touchdown and one interception.
"We played great," Phillips said. "It's a great coaching
staff. It's been a tough situation for everybody, but this win puts
some positive light to it.
"We had a good week of preparation, we were focused and we had
fun."
Georgia scored two touchdowns off fumble recoveries for the
first time since 1992.
The game was the third bowl matchup between the teams in six
seasons. The Cavaliers won 34-27 in the 1995 Peach Bowl, but the
Bulldogs prevailed 35-33 in the same bowl in 1998.
Before a crowd of 24,187, the Bulldogs took a 17-0 lead in the
first quarter and were never challenged after that.
"We wanted to end with a win," Bulldogs defensive tackle
Richard Seymour said. "With everything going on, it was real
emotional and this win takes a lot of this pain away."
Georgia successfully gambled on a fake punt that set up its
first touchdown, a 40-yard run off a reverse by Edwards.
Twenty-one seconds later, Tyree Foreman fumbled on the
Cavaliers' 8-yard line and Bulldogs safety Kentrell Curry recovered
the ball in the end zone.
The Cavaliers went 97 yards in the second quarter and scored on
a 14-yard run by Demetrius Dotson to make it 17-7. The touchdown was set
up by a 78-yard pass from Spinner to Tavon Mason.
Virginia's only score in the second half came when linebacker
Byron Thweatt recovered a fumble and returned it 58 yards, making
it 24-14.
But Georgia then scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter,
including Cap Burnett's 4-yard fumble return that made it 37-17.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Georgia Clubhouse
Virginia Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Georgia's Terrence Edwards takes the ball on a reverse and goes 40 yards for a touchdown.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Tyree Foreman leaves a present for Kentrell Curry and his Georgia teammates to unwrap in the end zone.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Bryson Spinner finds Tavon Mason 78 yards downfield to set up a Virginia TD.
avi: 1341 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Byron Thweatt picks up the Georgia fumble and rumbles 67 yards for a Virginia TD.
avi: 1535 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Cory Phillips finds Damien Gary 21 yards downfield for a Georgia score.
avi: 713 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Cap Burnett recovers a Virginia fumble and takes it in for a 3-yard touchdown.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Jim Donnan comments on his final game as Georgia's head coach, a 37-14 win over Virgina.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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