Georgia's Head Coach Richt on the UGA vs UCF showdown

Central Florida coach George O’Leary hopes his team is primed to finally earn its first bowl victory. Georgia coach Mark Richt is looking to redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray to help the Bulldogs avoid their first losing season in 14 years. The Knights make their second Liberty Bowl appearance in four seasons when they take on the Bulldogs in Memphis on Dec. 31. Godfrey completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 2,042 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions this year, going 9-2 as a starter to earn Conference USA freshman of the year honors. Godfrey, the eighth-highest rated quarterback in the FBS at 165.3, also ran for 546 yards and nine TDs, helping the Knights (10-3) score 33.8 points per game - 24th in the FBS. He didn’t even begin the season as the starter, backing up junior Rob Calabrese before taking over by the third game. Murray has also made quite a mark in his first season under center with 24 touchdowns, six interceptions and 2,851 yards through the air. He is the second-highest rated freshman in the nation at 162.7 - trailing Godfrey - and tied with former Bulldogs QB D.J. Shockley with a school-record 28 total touchdowns in a season. With three TD passes in a 42-34 victory over Georgia Tech in the regular-season finale Nov. 27, Murray moved within one of Matthew Stafford’s single-season record of 25. That win allowed Georgia (6-6) to at least temporarily avoid its first sub.-500 season since going 5-6 in 1996. The Bulldogs averaged 10.3 wins in the previous eight seasons. Richt is hoping a matchup with the C-USA champs gives his team an opportunity to show it is still among the nation’s elite. "When you’re 6-6 and you’re in a bowl, you’re kind of hoping you’re going to play another 6-6 team," Richt said. "… But we got into the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and we get to play a conference champion. … And that’s exciting for our guys. We get a chance to prove to the country that we’re still a pretty darn good football team."