The Michigan St. Spartans rallied from a 16-0 deficit to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs, 33-30, in triple overtime in the Outback Bowl. The Spartans blocked Blair Walsh's 47-yard field goal attempt at the end of the third overtime to complete the stunning comeback:
Had Walsh's kick connected, Georgia would have sent the game to a fourth overtime.
Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins threw his third interception of the game on the first drive, meaning the Bulldogs needed only to kick a field goal to win the game. Georgia gained two yards on its first play from scrimmage, a two-yard run by Carlton Thomas. On the next play, quarterback Aaron Murray ran the ball directly into the line, trying to move the ball away from the hash marks in orer to set up a straighter kick for Walsh. On third down, Georgia lined up for the game-winning field goal, but Walsh's 42-yard attempt sailed wide right.
The senior kicker redeemed himself in double-overtime, nailing a 47-yard attempt on the first drive to give Georgia a 30-27 lead and force Michigan State to face defeat unless it scored. But the Spartans responded with a 33-yard kick by Dan Conroy, set up by a seven-yard pass from Cousins to Keshawn Martin.
Running back Le'Veon Bell played a huge role in setting Conroy up for what proved to be the winning field goal. The sophomore running back gained 11 yards on three carries and tallied an eight-yard reception for the Spartans, accounting for all of their yards on the drive. Bell finished with 22 touches for 87 yards and two touchdowns on the day.
The Outback Bowl victory ends a long drought for Michigan State, which had lost its last five bowl games; its most recent bowl win came in the 2001 Silicon Valley Bowl. Georgia, meanwhile, ran its bowl losing streak to two games as it fell, 10-6, in the 2010 Liberty Bowl.
We'll have plenty on this Bowl Game throughout the Bowl season, so keep it locked to this StoryStream. For more on the Spartans, check out The Only Colors, SB Nation's Michigan State blog. Also, check out Dawg Sports, SB Nation's Georgia Blog, for news and notes on the Bulldogs.You can also check out the SB Nation College Football Hub for more on this and every Bowl game.