Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. (4) is gang tackled by the Georgia defense during the Gator Bowl NCAA football game, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, in Jacksonville, Fla. Nebraska beat Georgia 24-19.JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On a wet and miserable day at the Gator Bowl, the throws were there by Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason in the late going.
The receptions were not.
Tight end Arthur Lynch and receiver Rantavious Wooten, a pair of fifth-year seniors, failed to corral Mason passes down the stretch Wednesday afternoon as the No. 23 Bulldogs ended their season with a 24-19 loss to a Nebraska team that’s mediocre by program standards. Georgia, which was ranked No. 5 in August and was No. 6 following wins over South Carolina and LSU, finished Mark Richt’s 13th season with an 8-5 record and could be unranked in the final polls for the third time in five years.
“There were two plays down the stretch that I could have made to help this team and obviously the senior class go out with a winning note,” a dejected Lynch said. “My apologies to my teammates. I feel badly that it came down to me and that I couldn’t deliver.”
Gator Bowl officials announced that 60,712 tickets were “distributed” to the game, though the crowd was considerably less than that.