West Virginia clings to 31-28 lead over Georgia

<p>D.J. Shockley threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Bryant and No. 8 Georgia cut its deficit to three points against No. 11 West Virginia, trailing 31-28 after three quarters at the Sugar Bowl on Monday night.</p><p>Georgia, which trailed 28-0, was trying to complete its biggest comeback in bowl history.</p><p>In the Outback Bowl following the 1999 season, Georgia rallied from a 25-point deficit to beat Purdue 28-25. Marshall topped that performance by rallying from a 38-8 deficit to beat Louisville 64-61 in two overtimes in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.</p><p>After Georgia and West Virginia combined for the highest scoring half in Sugar Bowl history, the pace slowed in the third quarter.</p><p>Georgia's defense held firm after Thomas Brown's lost fumble at the West Virginia 47 with 6:17 left in the period. It was Georgia's third lost fumble of the game.</p><p>The lack of third-quarter scoring was an abrupt change from the record-setting pace of the first half, when freshman Steve Slaton's two touchdowns helped the Mountaineers build a 28-0 lead.</p><p>The previous highest-scoring half in the game's history was 44 points between Notre Dame (32) and Florida (12) in the 1992 Sugar Bowl. The Irish went on to win 39-28.</p><p>The Big East champion Mountaineers had been criticized by some as being unworthy of a BCS bid, and they played the opening period as if they had a point to prove.</p><p>Slaton raced 52 yards for a touchdown on his second carry, and the Mountaineers led 28-0 early in the second quarter after his second scoring run, an 18-yarder. He had 12 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and 132 yards on 17 carries after three quarters.</p><p>After running right for 11 yards on his first carry, Slaton broke free from the West Virginia 48, and was untouched through the left side of the line. Georgia safety Tra Battle was the only defender with a chance at tackling Slaton, but missed on a diving attempt.</p><p>On the Mountaineers' second drive, White completed a 30-yard pass to Brandon Myles and a 17-yarder to Darius Reynaud, setting up a 3-yard scoring toss to Reynaud.</p><p>Georgia tailback Danny Ware fumbled on his first carry when hit by Jahmile Addae. Dee McCann recovered for Virginia Tech at the Georgia 26. On second-and-12 from the 13, White ran left before pitching to Reynaud on a reverse. Reynaud found open field and pushed the lead to 21-0.</p><p>Late in the period, Georgia's second turnover _ a fumble by Shockley _ gave West Virginia possession at the 50. Early in the second quarter, Slaton's second scoring run gave West Virginia a 28-point lead.</p><p>Georgia turned to its passing attack to get back into the game.</p><p>D.J. Shockley completed three passes on the Bulldogs' first scoring drive, which was capped by capped by Kregg Lumpkin's 34-yard scoring run.</p><p>After West Virginia's first punt, the Bulldogs moved 90 yards on six plays. Again, three passes from Shockley set up Thomas Brown's 52-yard touchdown run, cutting the Mountaineers' lead to 28-14.</p><p>West Virginia answered with a 27-yard field goal by Pat McAfee.</p><p>Shockley threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Leonard Pope with just over a minute left to close within 31-21.</p><p>Shockley set up his third-quarter scoring pass to Bryant with a 21-yard run on a keeper.</p><p>Through three quarters, Shockley was 16-of-25 for 210 yards and two touchdowns.</p><p>The Sugar Bowl was forced out of New Orleans for the first time in its 72-year history by the devastating floods of Hurricane Katrina.</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2006/1/132224