Georgia Bulldogs

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The running games were supposed to dominate in Tuesday’s Capital One Bowl, but it was Georgia’s passing game that eventually lifted the Bulldogs to a 45-31 win over Nebraska.


Both teams moved the ball effectively on the ground, yes, but it was Georgia’s aerial attack that helped the Bulldogs come from behind to win a game in which the two offenses combined for 1,032 total yards and 86 points.

Let’s take a closer look at Tuesday’s game:

It was over when: Damian Swann sealed Georgia’s victory when he intercepted a Taylor Martinez deep ball at the Bulldogs’ 7-yard line and returned it 27 yards to the 34 midway through the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs drove to Nebraska’s 30-yard line before turning the ball over on downs with just 2:33 to play.

Game ball goes to: Aaron Murray and Chris Conley. Early in the third quarter, it looked like Nebraska might run away with the game, but Georgia's quarterback and his sophomore receiver connected on two touchdown passes -- a 49-yard bomb midway through the third quarter that helped tie the score and an 87-yard tunnel screen that put Georgia up 45-31 early in the fourth -- to turn things Georgia's way. Murray finished with 427 passing yards and five touchdowns, and Conley had a career-high 136 receiving yards.

Stat of the game: 589. Georgia finished with 589 yards of total offense, eclipsing the previous Capital One Bowl record of 556.

Unsung hero: Rex Burkhead. He might not get a ton of attention because of the general defensive ineptitude on Tuesday, but Nebraska’s senior running back closed an injury-filled season with a dynamic final game. He ran 24 times for 140 yards and a touchdown and also caught a 16-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. It was his first multi-touchdown game since Sept. 22 against Idaho State.

What it means: Georgia will finish a season ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 2007 and achieved 12 wins in a season for only the third time in school history. Nebraska fell short of its first 11-win season since 2001.

Here are three keys for Georgia in the Capital One Bowl:

1. Slow down Huskers' run: In the month since Georgia last played a game, one of the most heavily discussed weaknesses from the Bulldogs’ 32-28 loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game was the 350 yards they allowed on the ground. That marked three straight games that Georgia’s opponent rushed for 300-plus yards, and that doesn’t bode well with Nebraska and its powerful running game ahead.

The Cornhuskers are eighth nationally in rushing at 254.5 yards per game, so the Bulldogs have their work cut out in trying to get a different result against Taylor Martinez (175 attempts, 973 yards, 10 TDs), Ameer Abdullah (219-1,089, 8 TDs) and Rex Burkhead (74-535, 4 TDs) than they did against Alabama’s Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon.

2. Generate big plays: Georgia has been one of the nation’s best big-play offenses this season -- the Bulldogs have 64 plays that covered at least 25 yards -- and that capability could come in handy against Nebraska. In the Cornhuskers’ three losses, they surrendered eight touchdowns that covered 30 yards or more: four against Ohio State, three against Wisconsin and one against UCLA.

Keep an eye on freshman tailbacks Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, who have combined for 12 runs of 25-plus yards, including eight that went for touchdowns. Also, senior receiver Tavarres King -- who set a school record with 205 receiving yards in last season’s Outback Bowl loss to Michigan State -- is the FBS’ active career leader with 18.8 yards per catch.

3. Force mistakes from Martinez: Nebraska’s quarterback has highlight-reel skills as a runner and passer, but he is prone to committing crucial errors as well. In Nebraska’s three losses, Martinez fumbled five times -- losing two -- and tossed six of his 10 total interceptions. In Nebraska’s 10 wins, he fumbled a total of 10 times.

The Cornhuskers are tied for the most fumbles in the FBS with 21 and have committed the sixth-most turnovers with 32. That seems to favor Georgia, whose defense generated 27 takeaways -- 21^st nationally -- and ranked second nationally with 16 fumble recoveries. Martinez will have to keep a close watch on Georgia’s All-America outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, who leads the nation with seven forced fumbles in 11 games.

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When and where: Nov. 19-20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Semifinal schedule for the Legends Classic
Nov. 19: Indiana vs. Georgia (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU); UCLA vs. Georgetown (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Nov. 20: Third-place game (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU); championship game (10 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Initial thoughts: It may be a simple four-game showcase, but this is a high-profile and exciting way to bring college hoops to the shiny, bottle-service-in-your-luxury-box Barclays Center. I'm all-in. ... These four teams have combined for 119 NCAA tournament appearances, primarily thanks to Indiana, UCLA and Georgetown, three of the sport's most storied programs. ... This is UCLA's coming-out party, and it's going to be fascinating to see that talented squad begin to sort itself out in some of its first high-profile, klieg-light competition.

Matchup I can't wait to see: UCLA versus Georgetown. It's really our first glimpse at UCLA uber-recruits Shabazz Muhammad and Kyle Anderson. It will also be our first look at how those players fit alongside purportedly slimming center Joshua Smith, forwards Travis and David Wear and former UNC point guard Larry Drew II, who could be the straw that stirs the drink or ... well, whatever the opposite of that metaphor would be. When Drew II rightfully lost his point guard spot to Kendall Marshall at UNC, he quit and transferred to UCLA a few weeks later. He should have redemption on his mind from day one in 2012-13. By the way, this isn't all about UCLA. Georgetown is going to be talented in its own right. Don't be shocked if swingman Otto Porter, and not Muhammad or Anderson, is the best player on the floor.

Potential matchup I'd like to see: Indiana vs. UCLA. I'd be fine with Indiana-Georgia too, but a chance to see what is likely to be two top-five teams -- not to mention two all-time bluebloods -- square off as early as Nov. 20 is absolute manna from the hoops heavens.

Five players to watch

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia: The 6-foot-5 shooting guard arrived at Georgia as the putative in-state savior, and while he wasn't quite that good as a freshman, he displayed plenty of long-term potential. The Legends Classic will be our first look at him since.

Larry Drew II, UCLA: There are a lot of players who deserve consideration (IU's Yogi Ferrell, UCLA's Anderson, Georgetown's Stephen Domingo), but Drew II might be the most fascinating, given his epic flameout at UNC and his reputation for being less than team-oriented. This is a huge season for UCLA. The Bruins' talent is immense. Has Drew II matured? Can he lead a team? Does he even need to? We'll see.

Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA: A 6-foot-6 guard with a versatile array of skills, he arrives in Westwood with as much hype as any UCLA freshman in some time. But is Muhammad all he is cracked up to be? Will he work in coach Ben Howland's system? You know what they say about first impressions.

Otto Porter, Georgetown: The stretchy swingman emerged from small-town Missouri in relative anonymity last season just in time to make a major impression on an upperclassmen-led Georgetown team. This year, Porter takes the reins, and Hoyas fans are right to expect big things.

Cody Zeller, Indiana: Zeller was already a beast as a freshman, but he spent the summer expanding his game and improving his core strength. This will be the first chance to see -- against quality competition at least -- the results of that offseason regimen. It's an early glimpse at the early favorite for national player of the year.

Title-game prediction

Indiana over UCLA: I get the feeling the Bruins will be a work in progress throughout November and December, which is OK; there's a lot of talent to mesh in one offseason. Indiana has its own pieces to incorporate but will arrive in 2012-13 much more fully formed, and it'll be the better team at the Legends Classic.

Whom others are picking:

Andy Katz: Indiana over UCLA
Jason King: Indiana over UCLA
Myron Medcalf: Indiana over UCLA
Dana O'Neil: Indiana over UCLA

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg explains the Buckeyes' decision to cancel a home-and-home series with the Bulldogs.