Nebraska 24, Georgia 19

The 24-19 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl victory over Georgia evened Nebraska’s all-time bowl record at 25-25. Bo Pelini improved to 4-3 in bowl games at Nebraska, as the Huskers snapped a three-game bowl losing streak. NU also improved to 13-7 against SEC teams in bowl games, including a 2-1 record vs. Georgia.
Nebraska improved to 9-4 with the victory in today’s game, marking the Huskers’ sixth straight nine-win season. Nebraska joins Alabama and Oregon as the only three schools in the country to win at least nine games each of the last six seasons. Nebraska has won nine or more games in 41 of the last 45 seasons and 48 times overall in school history.
In guiding Nebraska to nine wins in each of his first six seasons, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini has joined a group of eight coaches in power conferences in college football history to win at least nine games in each of their first six seasons at a school. Among the group, only Pelini, Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne and Oklahoma Coach Barry Switzer are first-time head coaches to win at least nine games in their first six seasons.
The five-point victory marked Nebraska’s ninth straight win in games decided by seven or fewer points, a nation-leading streak.
Senior receiver Quincy Enunwa had four receptions for 129 yards, including a 5-yard TD reception in the first quarter and a 99-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. With his two touchdown catches in today’s game, Enunwa increased his season TD receptions total to 12, breaking the Nebraska season record. Johnny Rodgers held the previous record with 11 touchdown receptions in 1971.
Enunwa’s 99-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter was the longest pass in Nebraska history, bettering a 95-yard TD pass from Fred Duda to Freeman White against Colorado on Oct. 23, 1965. It also marked Nebraska’s longest play from scrimmage, also topping a 95-yard Eric Crouch touchdown run. Enunwa’s 99-yard touchdown reception also marked the longest play in Gator Bowl history.
The 129 receiving yards by Enunwa were a career high and the second-most in Nebraska bowl history, trailing only the 138 receiving yards by Johnny Mitchell in the 1991 Florida Citrus Bowl.
With his four receptions, Enunwa increased his season receptions total to 51 to finish eighth on the NU season receptions list. He and teammate Kenny Bell (one catch) became the third receiving duo in NU history to each record 50 receptions in the same season.
Enunwa’s 129 receiving yards moved his season receiving yardage total to 753, moving him into ninth place on the NU single-season rushing list. Enunwa also increased his career receiving yardage total to 1,526, moving up two spots to No. 7 on the career list. In today’s game he passed Maurice Purify (1,444 yards) and Matt Davison (1,456 yards).
Junior I-back Ameer Abdullah rushed 27 times for 122 yards in today’s game, including a one-yard TD run in the third quarter. With his 122 rushing yards, Abdullah increased his season rushing total to 1,690, the fourth-most rushing yards in a season in school history.
Abdullah increased his career rushing total to 2,977 yards, moving him within 23 yards of becoming the eighth player in Nebraska history with 3,000 career rushing yards.
Abdullah’s 122 yards today gave him 11 100-yard rushing games this season, tying the school record also held by Mike Rozier (1983), Lawrence Phillips (1994) and Ahman Green (1997).
Abdullah accounted for 140 all-purpose yards, increasing his season all-purpose yardage total to 1,999, moving him up three spots to third on the NU single-season list. In today’s game he surpassed his own total of 1,884 all-purpose yards last season, as well as Lawrence Phillips (1,894, 1994) and Ahman Green (1,982 yards in 1997).
Nebraska sophomore defensive end Randy Gregory recorded a seven-yard sack in the first quarter. Gregory increased his season sack total to 10.5, moving him into the top 10 on the NU single-season sack list. Gregory also finished the game with two tackles for loss to increase his season total to 19. His 19 tackles for loss rank in a tie for ninth on the NU single-season list.
Nebraska senior defensive end Jason Ankrah had two sacks for 21 yards in the game, a career high in sacks for Ankrah.
Nebraska junior Kenny Bell had one reception for 11 yards, giving him 52 receptions this season. Bell is only the second player in school history with two 50-catch seasons. Bell also led Nebraska in receptions for the third straight season, the first player to do so since Matt Davison from 1998 to 2000.
Junior cornerback Josh Mitchell recovered a fumbled Georgia punt in the second quarter, his first career fumble recovery. The recovery resulted in a Nebraska touchdown and a 7-3 lead. Mitchell also recorded his second career interception and first of the 2013 season in the third quarter, setting up a Nebraska TD that gave the Huskers a 17-9 lead.
Nebraska recorded 4.0 sacks in today’s game to increase its season sack total to 39, its best sack total since recording 44 sacks in 2009 and the second best team sack total since 2005.
Nebraska held Georgia to just 12 points on the Bulldogs’ six trips inside the red zone. NU forced four field goals and twice stopped Georgia on fourth down in the red zone in the final five minutes of the game.