In the second half, Stafford showed why he is one of the nation’s best talents, shaking off the first half doldrums and throwing three touchdown passes as the ball dropped on MSU’s New Year’s Day upset bid.

Stafford’s late-game play and a stingy Georgia defense rescued the No. 16 Bulldogs (10-3 overall) from a mistake-riddled start as Georgia knocked off No. 19 MSU (9-4), 24-12, at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.

The junior quarterback, projected as a potential top pick in April’s NFL Draft, went 14-of-17 for 179 yards in the final 30 minutes as Georgia overcame a 6-3 halftime deficit. His touchdown passes of 35, 21 and 21 in a 15-minute span sealed the Georgia win.

“We blitzed well and we got after the quarterback, but in the end, you’ve got to challenge your defense and 24 points isn’t good enough,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said.

The Spartans defense didn’t receive much help, though, from an offense that struggled to find a rhythm most of the game. Georgia shut down senior MSU running back Javon Ringer, limiting him to 47 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries, and contained senior quarterback Brian Hoyer, not allowing a pass of longer than 21 yards. MSU finished with 236 yards of total offense, its lowest output of the season.

An opportunistic defense that forced two turnovers helped MSU get into Georgia territory six times in the first half, but the Spartans could only manage six points in the first two quarters. The Bulldogs threw an interception on a tipped pass, forced a fumble on a vicious hit by senior safety Otis Wiley and were the beneficiaries of a botched Georgia punt, yet the scoreboard didn’t reflect MSU’s strong defense.

“When you play somebody like Georgia, like an Ohio State or a Penn State, you’ve got to capitalize on that,” Hoyer said of chances to score in Georgia territory. “You’ve got to score touchdowns and not field goals.”

While Hoyer lamented MSU’s inability to move in Georgia territory, Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt praised his defense, which surrendered 400 rushing yards in its season finale against Georgia Tech, for stepping up.

“To be sitting there, only down 6-3 at halftime was just a great tribute to our defense,” Richt said. “They kept us in it until the offense started to find their way.”

A strong MSU defense surprised the Bulldogs in the first half, shutting down Stafford, quieting sophomore running back Knowshon Moreno and holding Georgia to three points.

“All the (Southeastern Conference) people think we’re slow and we’re really big, but we came out and made plays,” said junior linebacker Eric Gordon, who recorded five tackles and a sack.

But when the second half rolled around, the Georgia offense displayed its high-powered attack and worked over the Spartans.

A fake screen pass opened up the middle of the field for Stafford when he hit junior wide receiver Michael Moore for a 35-yard touchdown strike with three minutes left in the third quarter. Three minutes later, Stafford capitalized on a long punt return with a 21-yard pass to redshirt freshman tight end Aron White on the drive’s first play. And with less than four minutes to play, Stafford delivered the knockout blow on a 21-yard pass to Moreno near the sidelines, capping a debilitating 67-yard drive that chewed up five minutes.

“For the most part, (Georgia) did everything we expected them to do,” said junior defensive end Trevor Anderson, who had seven tackles. “It came down to who would execute more and Georgia did.”

MSU countered Georgia’s string of touchdowns with a fourth quarter score of its own on a 1-yard run by Ringer, but its final drives stalled as the Bulldogs defense dug in its paws.

The Capital One Bowl loss caps a season in which MSU won nine games and played in a New Year’s Day game for the first time since 1999.

“The Capital One Bowl has been a tremendous experience,” Dantonio said. “I’m not satisfied and I don’t feel good about not winning the football game, but I’m very proud of our football team, their accomplishments and the way they’ve represented here, both on and off the field.”