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Dec. 24, 2000
By JAYMES SONG
Associated Press Writer
HONOLULU – Georgia gave ousted coach Jim Donnan a little redemptionwith a 37-14 victory over Virginia in the Oahu Bowl on Sunday.
Terrence Edwards ran five times for 97 yards and caught eight passes for 79yards, and the Bulldogs’ defense scored two touchdowns to give No. 24 Georgia(8-4) a school-record fourth consecutive bowl victory.
Donnan was fired after the Bulldogs finished the regular season poorlyagainst their biggest rivals. He leaves with a 40-19 record in five seasons atGeorgia.
The game also marked the final game for Virginia coach George Welsh, whoretired as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s winningest coach. Welsh, 67,compiled 134-86-3 record during his 19 years at Virginia.
The Cavaliers (6-6) took a blow early when quarterback Dan Ellis wassidelined on their opening drive after a jarring hit from cornerback JamieHenderson. Freshman Bryson Spinner took over and completed 13 of 21 passes for 145yards and two interceptions.
Georgia’s Cory Phillips completed 22 of 35 passes for 213 yards with onetouchdown and one interception.
Georgia scored two touchdowns off fumble recoveries for the first time since1992.
The game was the third bowl matchup between the teams in six seasons. TheCavaliers won 34-27 in the 1995 Peach Bowl, but the Bulldogs prevailed 35-33 inthe same bowl in 1998.
Before a crowd of 24,187, the Bulldogs took a 17-0 lead in the first quarterand were never challenged after that.
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 Foremanfumbled on the Cavaliers’ 8-yard line and Bulldogs safety Kentrell Curryrecovered the ball in the end zone.
The Cavaliers went 97 yards in the second quarter and scored on a 14-yardrun by Demetrius Dotson to make it 17-7. The TD was set up by a 78-yard passfrom Spinner to Tavon Mason.
Virginia’s only score in the second half came when linebacker Byron Thweattrecovered a fumble and returned it 58 yards, making it 24-14.
But Georgia then scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including CapBurn’s 4-yard fumble return that made it 37-17.