1989 Gator Bowl (January)
The 1989 Gator Bowl (January) was a college football postseason bowl game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Georgia Bulldogs Background. Michigan State finished 2nd in the Big Ten Conference after a 0-3-1 start ended with six straight victories before being invited to their second straight bowl game and first ever Gator Bowl. Georgia finished 3rd in the Southeastern Conference and first bowl game since 1987. The game happened immediately after the December 1989 United States cold wave. Workers at Gator Bowl Stadium flushed 503 toilets continuously in the hopes of avoiding water  pipe problems but the stadium still suffered $5000 in damages. Game summary. First Quarter. UGA – Rodney Hampton 6 pass from Wayne Johnson (John Kasay kick), 0:01 left. Fourth Quarter. Andre Rison caught 9 pass for 252 yards. Wayne Johnson went 15-of-27 for 227 yards. Aftermath. This was Vince Dooley's final game with the Bulldogs. The following year, Ray Goff became head coach. The Bulldogs did not return to the Gator Bowl until 2014. As for the Spartans, they reached another bowl game the same year. They have not played in the Gator Bowl since this game. 1989