Tampa Bay Football History Network

1998 Outback Bowl

Outback Bowl organizers extended the contacts with the Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences, along with ESPN, for the next five years through the January 1, 2002 game. This was final year of the original three year deal with the conferences, and other bowls were interested in the teams, so the Outback had to up the ante.

The Georgia Bulldogs and Wisconsin Badgers accepted invitations for a return visit to Tampa. Georgia appeared in the very first Tampa based Hall of Fame Bowl in December 1986 and Wisconsin appeared in 1995, which was the year before the game became known as the Outback Bowl. Georgia, behind second year head coach Jim Donnan, posted a 9-2 record and was ranked number twelve in the polls. Wisconsin, coached by Barry Alvarez, were unranked with an 8-4 record. 56,186 were on hand for the first meeting between the two schools. It would be the last Outback Bowl held at Houlihan's Stadium.

Three Georgia seniors lead the way for the Bulldogs. Running back Robert Edwards ran for a touchdown midway through the first quarter to give Georgia a 6-0 lead. Edwards would carry the ball 22 times for 110 yards and rushed for a Georgia bowl record three TDs. Receiver Hines Ward caught twelve passes for 122 yards, which set Outback Bowl records. Bulldogs QB Mike Bobo (26 of 28 for 235 yards with one touchdown) set records with nineteen straight completions and a 92.8 completion percentage. Georgia amassed 474 total yards, while holding Wisconsin to Outback record low 234 yards. A late Badger TD avoided a shutout in a 33-6 Bulldogs victory. It was Jim Donnan's first bowl victory as the Georgia head coach. Mike Bobo was named the game's MVP and said, "Everything just went our way from the start and we started clinking on all cylinders."

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