24 20 2 2 0 3 | 10 8 Pittsburgh 0 3 7 | |
The 1982 Sugar Bowl featured the second ranked Georgia Bulldogs and the eighth ranked Pittsburgh Panthers. The Panthers won the game, and left ranked fourth in the country, while the losing Bulldogs left the game ranked sixth in the country. It has often been called one of the greatest bowl games, and bowl upsets, of all time.
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Game
Dan Marino, eventually a first round draft pick, started the game at quarterback. Buck Belue started for Georgia, but the Bulldogs were relying on their running game, powered by Herschel Walker, who rushed for two touchdowns. Georgia led early with an 8-yard run from Walker. However, Pitt kicked a field goal and scored a touchdown to go ahead 10–7. Georgia got the lead back and the game was 13–10 (as a result of a missed PAT), but Dan Marino threw a short touchdown to John Brown to take the lead 17-13. Georgia scored again with a 6-yard pass and the game was 20–17. Pitt took the lead again with just 35 seconds to go with a 33-yard pass to Brown, taking it for good, and won 24–20.
Legacy
Twenty-two players from the winning team were drafted over the next four years by the National Football League. Six of them were selected in the first round, including Dan Marino, Jim Covert, Tim Lewis, Bill Maas, Chris Doleman, and Bill Fralic. Marino and Doleman were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Covert is the only player on the winning team to win a Super Bowl, four years later with the Chicago Bears. Coincidentally, the Louisiana Superdome was also the site of Super Bowl XX, where Covert and the Bears won.