Georgia's Hines Ward circles Wisconsin defenders after catching a Mike Bobo pass early in the Outback Bowl.JONATHAN ERNST/STAFF

Wisconsin never able to shut down Georgia's Mike Bobo, Hines Ward, Robert Edwards in Outback Bowl

Web posted January 2, 1998

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By Andy Johnston
Staff Writer

TAMPA, Fla. -- Brad Stafford knew it right away. After the first few plays of Thursday's Outback Bowl, Georgia's center was positive Wisconsin didn't have a chance.

``We didn't score on that first drive, but right then we saw that we were on a hunt. We were the hunters and we saw some prey,'' Stafford said following the Bulldogs' 33-6 pummeling of the Badgers. ``After the second drive and we got that touchdown, we knew we could do exactly what we needed to do to win the game.''

If Stafford made Georgia's 10th victory seem simple, it basically was. Maybe Georgia's new black pants dazzled the Badgers (8-4).

Georgia QB Mike Bobo gets hit as he releases by Wisconsin 'sEric Mahlik, leading to an interception.. JONAHTAN ERNST/STAFF

Whatever the case, the 11th-ranked Bulldogs (10-2) dominated every facet of the game in front of 56,186 fans at Houlihan's Stadium in posting the program's largest margin of victory in a bowl game.

``It was like they knew what was coming,'' Wisconsin receiver Donald Hayes said. ``If we ran something, they were there. When they ran something, we weren't there.''

Offensively, the senior triumvirate of quarterback Mike Bobo, tailback Robert Edwards and receiver Hines Ward reigned over Wisconsin's defense.

Bobo, was named the MVP of a game he almost missed after being arrested two weeks ago on a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a police officer. Instead, the charges were dropped and Bobo was hotter than a cup of coffee on a cold day.

``He was in a zone,'' Ward said.

Bobo completed an amazing 26-of-28 passes (93 percent) for 235 yards and one touchdown, connecting with Ward a bowl-record 12 times for 154 yards. Bobo missed on his second and ninth passes and finished with 19 straight completions.

``Mike was on fire there,'' said Jim Donnan, who became the fourth Georgia coach to win a bowl game. ``I've been trying to figure out the two that he missed. Nineteen straight. That's hard to do against the air with nobody in the stadium.

``I was happy for Mike, especially after what happened. I think justice prevailed here. He deserved this.''

Said Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, ``We tried to get him to be impatient, but he never had to be impatient.''

If the performances of Bobo and Ward weren't enough, the Bulldogs also got 110 yards and three touchdowns from Edwards, who had 74 more yards than Wisconsin tailback Ron Dayne. In fact, Georgia's Olandis Gary had 61 yards rushing, also out-performing Dayne, who finished with 38 yards on 14 carries. The 262-pound tailback entered the game averaging 153.4 yards a game in his career.

``Ron can't run if there's no place to run,'' Alvarez said. ``We didn't create many holes for him.''

``I'm saying they were slow or anything, but I don't think they were

The UGA marching band plays a tune in the stands.. JONAHTAN ERNST/STAFF

prepared for our defensive quickness,'' Georgia linebacker Greg Bright said. ``Except for the Florida game this year, I haven't seen them play like they did today.''

And so the Bulldogs, with every facet of their team, except the kicking game, running smoothly, won their first bowl game since the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 1993. That, coincidentally, ended their only other 10-win season since 1983, and helped end the memories of last year, when they finished 5-6 in Donnan's first year.

``There was a little transition,'' Donnan said. ``It took a little while to get together. Change is tough. You've got to go through some pain and growing. But you also get strength. We've become a lot stronger team mentally.''