TAMPA, Fla. — Brandon Boykin turned in one of the great all-around performances in Georgia football history during Monday’s Outback Bowl against Michigan State.
If only he could kick field goals.
The senior cornerback recorded a safety and added touchdowns on a 92-yard punt return and a 13-yard reception, but his heroics weren’t enough as the Bulldogs fell 33-30 in triple-overtime. Georgia’s Blair Walsh missed a 42-yard field goal in the first overtime that could have won the game and had a 46-yarder blocked to cap the frantic finish before a crowd of 49,429 at Raymond James Stadium.
Dan Conroy made a 28-yard attempt for the Spartans before Walsh’s kick was batted away by Rashad White.
“They said all week these were two evenly matched teams, and they weren’t lying,” Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray said.
Georgia finished its 11th season under Mark Richt with a 10-4 record. The Bulldogs were 6-7 last season and began this year with two straight losses before reeling off 10 consecutive wins against teams currently unranked, and they wound up losing two straight to end the season.
The Bulldogs have dropped consecutive bowls for the first time since losing the Sugar Bowl to Pittsburgh and Penn State following the 1981 and ’82 seasons.
“Right this minute, I’m not too thrilled, but in time this one will heal, and we’ll get back on the road recruiting,” Richt said. “I still think our guys had a good year, but not a great year.”
Michigan State finished 11-3, and Spartans coach Mark Dantonio was delighted to hoist his first bowl trophy after losing bowls during his first four seasons. State was the only Big Ten team to win on a Monday in which the league went 1-4.
The SEC got wins from South Carolina over Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl and from Florida over Ohio State in the Gator Bowl and are 4-2 in bowls. The SEC can do no worse than 5-4.
Georgia certainly looked in position to win when Bacarri Rambo intercepted Kirk Cousins to halt Michigan State’s possession in the first overtime. The Bulldogs gained 2 yards on their first play, a run by Carlton Thomas, and then had Murray carry the ball to the middle of the field and endure a 2-yard loss.
Richt then called for Walsh to attempt the 42-yarder on third down, which he pushed right.
“I felt like our man would make the kick,” Richt said. “We centered the ball and put it right where we wanted to, and it was well within his range. I felt like he could easily make that kick, and that would have ended the game right there. That was my thinking, anyway.”
Said Walsh: “It just went a little to the right. I don’t know what pulled it that way.”
Boykin’s MVP day began on Michigan State’s first play from scrimmage, which followed a 51-yard punt by Drew Butler that was downed at the 2-yard line. Cousins dropped back and threw a screen to Keyshawn Martin, who quickly was brought down by Boykin before he could make it out of the end zone.
It was the first career safety for Boykin, who lost his breath on the play.
He displayed full lung capacity with 1:39 left in the half, when he fielded a punt at Georgia’s 8-yard line and somehow managed to weave untouched through the Spartans for a 92-yard score. Georgia’s previous bowl mark for a punt return was 68 yards by Charley Trippi in the 1945 Oil Bowl.
“We were in punt-safe, actually, so our defense was on the field,” Boykin said. “We didn’t have a return set up, but I told them if they could hold their blocks for a second and let me start and get going that I could probably make something happen. I turned around and saw my guys trying to make a wall on the right side. I knew I couldn’t get there, so I just cut it up.”
Boykin tallied seven tackles, including two for loss, and his 13-yard scoring reception with 6:44 remaining put the Bulldogs up 27-20. Michigan State kept coming back behind Cousins, who threw for 300 yards, with tight end Brian Linthicum accounting for 115.
Georgia will open its 2012 season at home against Buffalo.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.