The game marked UCF's second appearance in the Liberty Bowl. In their first appearance in 2007, the Knights lost to Mississippi St. With a 1–1 record in previous appearances, this was Georgia's third trip to the Liberty Bowl.
Georgia running back Caleb King, backup cornerback Derek Owens and reserve offensive tackle A.J. Harmon were suspended for the Liberty Bowl for academic issues.
UCF and Georgia faced each other in the second meeting between the two schools. The Bulldogs won the previous meeting, 24-23, in 1999, in a game sometimes known as the "Burglary Between the Hedges."[3]
The Knights started fast out of the gate, with Quincy McDuffie returning the opening kickoff 95-yards for a touchdown, but the play was called back due to a holding penalty. Georgia took a 3-0 lead behind a 95-yard drive later in the first quarter. Late in the second quarter, an interception by UCF's Josh Linam set up a 22-yard field goal, and a 3-3 tie at halftime.
With Georgia leading 6-3 in the fourth quarter, UCF quarterback Jeffrey Godfrey drove the Knights 65 yards for the game's first touchdown, and a 10-6 lead. In the final seconds, Georgia had an attempt at a potential game-winning "hail mary" pass, but it was knocked down by Kemal Ishmael as time expired.
Latavius Murray rushed for 104 yards on 18 carries, with one touchdown, earning him Liberty Bowl MVP honors.
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