Penn State’s Austin Johnson joins Hackenberg in declaring for National Football League draft

Under the tutelage of Bill O’Brien, Hackenberg went 231-for-392, good for a 58.9% completion percentage, with 2,955 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Despite a makeshift coaching staff – Georgia used different offensive and defensive coordinators – the Bulldogs turned in one of their most complete performances since September.

Saturday’s TaxSlayer Bowl, in every literal and metaphorical sense, marked a guard change at quarterback for Penn State.

Redshirt freshman Trace McSorley replaced Hackenberg and completed 14 of 27 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

He headed to the locker room for tests and returned for the second half without a uniform.

Georgia ran 10 plays, gained a pair of first downs, were aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on defensive tackle Austin Johnson, forced Penn State to use three timeouts and drained 4:15 off the clock.

The defense stifled Georgia, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs before McSorley would strike again with another fourth down conversion – a 16-yard strike to Lewis on fourth-and-8 to the Bulldogs’ 20 – that set up a leaping catch in the end zone by sophomore DaeSean Hamilton for a 20-yard touchdown two plays later. Kansas State’s Kody Cook, starting at quarterback for the first time, went 12 of 24 for 163 yards with a touchdown.

“I would like to thank Coach [Bill] O’Brien for bringing me here [to Penn State], and his staff. It’s tough to say, but without him I probably wouldn’t have been here”, said Hackenberg.

“I mean, it was pretty exciting to come out there and throw my first college touchdown”, Godwin said, his trademark grin stretching wide. “It just felt good to know he had enough trust in me to call it”. The X-rays were negative, coach James Franklin said, and Hackenberg said he didn’t think the injury was too serious. Franklin hears the criticisms, but what he has seen from the 2015 team encourages him, he said.

“I thought that opening drive, we got some momentum going, then it stalled”.

The Bulldogs responded with a 50-yard drive that could have sealed the victory, but they failed to convert a fourth-and-2 play at the 23.

Georgia showed off a little of what’s waiting for new coach Kirby Smart in a 24-17 win over Penn State on Saturday in the TaxSlayer Bowl at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. Mitchell finished with 114 yards receiving and a touchdown in his last game as a Bulldog. Bobby Engram passed the 1,000 yard mark twice for Penn State.

This did not allow much of an opportunity for any quarterbacks to earn some experience behind Hackenberg. “We are going to try to do together and do it the way they want it to be done, and also is going to represent Penn State the right way”. He lined up in the wildcat, took the snap and then launched a high, deep pass to Malcolm Mitchell. Sony Michel and Keith Marshall had some nice runs in the second half, but there was a noticeable lack of explosive plays by UGA’s offense in the latter stages of this game as interim coach Bryan McClendon tried to protect the lead.

Had it not been for Godwin, that might have been Georgia’s top highlight.