Matthew Stafford gave the type of performance that would make a great end to his great Georgia career. However, he hasn't decided whether to stay or leave early yet. Stafford threw three touchdown passes in the final 18 minutes, hitting Knowshon Moreno for the clinching score.
"It's going to be an extremely hard decision," Stafford said of his decision on whether to enter the NFL draft. "My time at Georgia has been great, and the allure of coming back is something I'm considering. I'm 50-50 right now and I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm going to take these next few days and figure it out."
Ranked #1 by the Associated Press to start the season, the Bulldogs gave coach Mark Richt his sixth bowl win in eight tries. They also put a happy ending on a season that didn't live up to expectations.
The first half was ugly for Stafford and the entire team. The junior quarterback completed only six out of 14 passes and threw an interception with no touchdowns in the first half, letting the Spartans lead the game 6-3 at halftime. In the second half, he looked more like his old self, completing 14 of 17 throws with three touchdowns. Indeed, figuring out Stafford was a tough task for the Michigan State defense.
The comeback started with Stafford directing a 10 play, 96 yard drive midway through the third quarter. He went 6-for-6 for 92 yards and ended it was a touchdown pass to Michael Moore. Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio admitted Georgia made a very effective adjustment at halftime.
Stafford was chosen as the Capital One Bowl MVP, completing his performance with touchdown passes to Aron White and Knowshon Moreno. He also set a single-season Georgia record with 25 touchdown passes this year.
However, Georgia could never have come back if their defense hadn't kept them in the game in the first half. The Dawg defense got four sacks and held their opponent to the fewest points since the Arizona State game.
The expected showdown between running backs Knowshon Moreno and Javon Ringer never showed up. However, Moreno did outrush Ringer, gaining 62 yards compared to Ringer's 47. Georgia's defense held Ringer in check the whole game.
Moreno, a third-year sophomore, is also facing a decision about whether to stay at Georgia or turn pro. He had this to say: "I celebrate the victory now and make my decision later, after I've had time to talk to my family and my coaches."
Ringer also set a school record for touchdowns, getting his 22nd on a 1 yard run midway through the fourth quarter to make it 17-12, but the two-point conversion pass was long.
The Spartans spent most of the first half in Georgia territory but got nothing to show for it. They also got two turnovers in Dawg territory, but could only turn them into a field goal to tie the game at three. The Spartans took the lead late in the first half with a field goal by Brett Swenson. However, Stafford and the rest of the Georgia team used their huge second half to win.
