Wake-up call ends BCS dream

January 2, 2008

Howard’s three sacks lead the Bulldogs to an overwhelming Sugar Bowl victory

NEW ORLEANS » It’s one thing to reach the next level. It’s another to compete there.

Hawaii, previously the only undefeated team in major college football, fell and fell hard in the Sugar Bowl, 41-10, to an inspired Georgia team last night at the Louisiana Superdome. A sellout crowd of 74,383 and millions of viewers nationally saw 10th-ranked Hawaii (12-1) get overwhelmed by a team that didn’t make its conference championship game.

“We played hard. It was just unfortunate that we were a little rattled from the get-go,” said UH coach June Jones, who was in tears after the game. “We didn’t play our kind of game that we could play. But they’re a good football team and they kinda make you do some things that you don’t normally do.”