Georgia holds off Penn State comeback to win TaxSlayer Bowl

No head coach or coordinators? No problem for Georgia.

Playing in the TaxSlayer Bowl following the removal of head coach Mark Richt and the departure of both coordinators, the Bulldogs withstood a second-half comeback from Penn State to win 24-17 and notch their 10th win of the season.

After Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg left the game with a shoulder injury, Georgia tacked on 10 points late in the second quarter to build a 17-3 halftime lead.

Both of the Bulldogs’ first-half touchdowns involved Terry Godwin. The five-star freshman first took a toss and threw deep to Malcolm Mitchell (five catches, 114 yards) for a 44-yard score. And with 24 seconds left in the half, he caught a 17-yard touchdown from Greyson Lambert (10/20 for 115 yards).

Penn State could only muster 50 yards in the first five drives after Hackenberg’s departure, and Georgia extended its lead to 24-3 late in the third on a 21-yard touchdown run from Sony Michel (85 yards rushing).

The Nittany Lions, with redshirt freshman Trace McSorley in at quarterback, all of a sudden established a rhythm offensively after the Michel touchdown. McSorley moved PSU into the red zone and found Geno Lewis for a 17-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-12 play.

With a bit of momentum on its side after the Lewis TD catch, Penn State’s defense forced consecutive three-and-outs. McSorley then went back to work, first hitting Lewis for 16 yards on another fourth down, and then fitting a dart between three Georgia defenders on a 20-yard touchdown to DaeSean Hamilton, cutting the lead to 24-17 with 6:14 to play.

	Dr. Saturday @YahooDrSaturday
What a throw from backup QB Trace McSorley and a better catch by DaeSean Hamilton. PSU down just 24-17 now. pic.twitter.com/XNw5dtZ1zS 12:04 PM - 2 Jan 2016 Twitter by:Dr. Saturday@YahooDrSaturday

The momentum was completely on Penn State’s side, but Georgia’s struggling offense managed to string some yards together. The oft-injured Keith Marshall broke off a 16-yard run, and Penn State didn’t help its cause when Austin Johnson was flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Bulldogs picked up another first down via a Michel run and moved inside the Penn State 30, eating chunks of time off the clock in the process.

The Nittany Lions finally got a stop on third down, and the Bulldogs, playing without kicker Marshall Morgan (ankle), opted to go for it on fourth down, but were stuffed.

McSorley and the Nittany Lions regained possession with 1:52 to go and no timeouts, but the inexperienced quarterback couldn’t muster another touchdown drive. Georgia softened its coverage, and McSorley went underneath on check downs to the middle of the field, eating up precious time.

Penn State eventually moved to the UGA 40, but McSorley’s last-second Hail Mary was knocked down by a Georgia defender to seal the win.

For Georgia, the win gives the team its second straight 10-3 finish. There is plenty of talent on both sides of the ball for new coach Kirby Smart to work with, along with the arrival five-star freshman quarterback Jacob Eason.

Penn State now has finished 7-6 in its first two seasons under Franklin. The game could have taken an ugly turn, but Franklin is undoubtedly proud of the effort in the second half. Still, if Hackenberg decides to go pro, quarterback will be a huge question mark for the team headed into 2016. McSorley is young and showed flashes, but is he the kind of guy who can lead Penn State against Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan in the Big Ten East?