Orlando, FL (Betting Express) - Kregg Lumpkin's one-yard touchdown run in overtime gave 11th-ranked Georgia a 34-27 Capital One Bowl victory over No. 12 Purdue at the Florida Citrus Bowl.
David Greene, who earned MVP honors, was 27-of-37 for 327 yards and three touchdowns for the Bulldogs (11-3), who led 24-0 with five minutes to go in the first half, and 27-17 with two minutes left. Reggie Brown had five receptions for 99 yards and a score, while Fred Gibson caught the other two touchdown passes.
"We've never been in overtime, so we tried to force it into overtime," said Georgia coach Mark Richt, able to joke about the hectic finish. "And our scoring average was down, so we were able to get a few more points."
Lumpkin was in great position to become the first Georgia back to hit the century mark this season, but a costly fumble in the closing stages wiped out his 100-yard performance. He finished the day with 90 yards on 27 carries.
Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton accounted for three touchdowns, rushing for two while completing 20 of his 34 passes after dislocating his left thumb on a sack in the first quarter. Orton, who passed for 230 yards, promptly sprinted to the locker room to get the thumb put back in place and returned after missing just one series.
"That's probably the worst pain I've felt," Orton said. "Coming back out and showing the guys that I wanted to play with them, no matter that I was hurt, I think it kind of energized us a little bit."
John Standeford hauled in seven balls for 102 yards for the Boilermakers (9-4), while Taylor Stubblefield had eight receptions for 99 yards.
Purdue almost mounted one of the greatest comebacks in bowl history after the Bulldogs pulled off the largest come-from-behind win ever in the postseason the last time the two teams met. In the 2000 Outback Bowl, Georgia trailed 25-0 but rallied to beat Purdue 28-25 in overtime.
In overtime, Georgia took the ball first but was stuffed on two tries from the one-yard-line. But the Bulldogs went for it on 4th-and-1, and Lumpkin went over the top for the score.
"I was just happy they were going to give me another chance," Lumpkin said. "I was thinking, 'Don't fumble, just score.'"
Purdue faced a 4th-and-goal from the eight-yard-line, when Orton's pass to Stubblefield in the end zone was tipped away. But Georgia was called for offsides, and the Boilermakers got another crack at it. This time Orton was hit as he threw and the ball fell into the hands of Georgia's Tony Taylor, giving Georgia the win.
"We don't have moral victories at Purdue," coach Joe Tiller said. "It was a loss for us, a tough loss."
After a field goal by Billy Bennett gave Georgia a 27-17 edge with 4:27 remaining, Purdue scored 10 points in the last 1:34 to even the score.
With the Boilermakers taking over at the 2:00 mark, they found the end zone in 26 seconds as a 60-yard reception by Standeford set up a three-yard TD pass to Anthony Chambers.
Purdue failed to recover the onside kick, but with just over a minute left, Shaun Phillips stripped the ball out of Lumpkin's hands as he backtracked trying to get extra yards. Craig Terrill recovered for Purdue at the Bulldogs's 34. The Boilermakers, however, were forced to settle for a 44-yard field goal by Ben Jones that sent it into overtime.
Greene and Gibson got the Bulldogs out to a quick start as they victimized Purdue cornerback Sean Petty for scores on Georgia's first two series to take a 14-0 first-quarter lead. Petty started in place of Jacques Reeves, who was ruled academically ineligible.
A 43-yard screen pass from Greene to Damien Gary put the Bulldogs at the Purdue 8 to set up the first touchdown. Greene then floated one out right over Petty to find Gibson in the end zone.
On Georgia's next possessions, Greene used 12 plays to march his team 77 yards in 3:25, capped by a five-yard TD pass to Gibson, who beat Petty on a nice double move.
After a Bennett 28-yard field goal made it 17-0, Greene hooked up with Brown over the middle for an 11-yard TD to make it 24-0 less than five minutes before the half. The two connected six plays earlier for a 24-yard gain that got the Bulldogs into Purdue territory.
Purdue finally struck back with a quick scoring drive, finished off by a 17- yard scramble into the end zone by Orton with three minutes left.
On the ensuing possession, Georgia running back Michael Cooper fumbled the ball away on the first play, giving it to the Boilermakers in the red zone. On 4th-and-1 at the 10, Purdue head coach Joe Tiller sent in Jones for a 27- yard field goal to make it a 24-10 ball game heading into halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Boilermakers got within a touchdown after Orton took it in from two yards out with 5:49 into the final stanza. Orton hit Stubblefield on the four previous plays of the drive, with the last one going 39 yards to the Georgia two-yard-line to set up the score.
