NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Georgia welcomed Hawaii to the BCS with a heaping helping of SEC speed and power.
Knowshon Moreno ran for touchdowns on Georgia’s first two possessions and the Bulldogs took a 24-3 lead on Hawaii after the fist half of the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday night.
Georgia (10-2) came into Sugar Bowl on a six-game winning streak, playing about as well as any team in the country. The Bulldogs were also a little miffed about being jumped by LSU in the final Bowl Championship Series standings and losing out on a spot in the national championship game against Ohio State right here in the Superdome next week.
Georgia played like a team with something to prove in the first 30 minutes, pushing around Hawaii’s defense and swarming Warriors quarterback Colt Brennan.
Georgia outgained Hawaii 214-125 in the half, holding the Warriors’ run-and-shoot offense to a season low for yards and points in the first half.
Hawaii also had something to prove in its first BCS appearance. The only undefeated team in major college football wanted to show the doubters its 12-0 record wasn’t just a byproduct of playing a soft schedule.
Things didn’t start well for the Warriors, and got worse from there.
Hawaii’s Malcolm Lane gave Brennan, a Heisman Trophy finalist, and the Warriors great field position for their first drive with a 36-yard kickoff return to the Hawaii 45.
Hawaii then went backward, its offensive line drawing consecutive false start penalties with the Georgia fans making the dome sound like Sanford Stadium, only louder. Brennan misfired on his first two pass attempts and didn’t gain nearly enough on a screen to David Farmer to make up for the two 5-yard penalties.
Tim Grasso’s punt went only 29 yards and Hawaii’s Keenan Jones drew a 15-yard penalty for plowing into Georgia returner Mikey Henderson. The result: First-and-10 Bulldogs from their 39.
Nine plays later, Moreno was slicing through a big hole on the left side and dashing into the end zone from 17 yards out. The first Georgia freshman since Herschel Walker to run for 1,000 yards, Moreno blew a kiss to the Bulldogs’ fans and it was 7-0 less than six minutes into the game.
Brennan got the Warriors moving on their second possession, completing all seven of his throws. But a holding penalty and a 15-yard personal foul on receiver Jason Rivers for a late hit forced Hawaii to settle for Dan Kelly’s 41-yard field goal with 4:20 left in the first.
Georgia got rolling again behind Moreno’s senior running mate Thomas Brown, who popped through tacklers at the line for 20 yards.
Moreno finished off another long drive bursting through the middle for an 11-yard touchdown.
The quarter ended with Brennan on his back after a sack by Marcus Howard.
It got worse for major college football’s career leader in touchdown passes in the second quarter.
With pressure coming, Brennan side-armed a deep out to the sideline that was picked off by a diving Prince Miller at the Hawaii 39 with 9:36 left in the half. The Bulldogs turned that into a touchdown, with Matthew Stafford flipping a fade over a defensive back and into the hands of Sean Bailey in the corner of the end zone to make it 24-3.
Brandon Coutu also kicked a 52-yard field goal in the quarter for Georgia.
Brennan finished the half 14-of-18 for 117 yards. He was sacked a season-high five times and his longest completion was 21 yards.
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