Georgia vs. TCU: Score and Reaction for 2016 Liberty Bowl

The Georgia Bulldogs prevailed 31-23 over the TCU Horned Frogs in the Liberty Bowl Friday afternoon in Memphis, Tennessee.

Jacob Eason finished 12-of-21 passing for 164 yards and two touchdowns, but the running game was the biggest reason for the Bulldogs' victory.

Nick Chubb led the way with 142 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. ESPN Stats & Info noted he entered elite company as a result of his performance:

Sony Michel carried the ball 15 times for 87 yards and a touchdown.

The Horned Frogs ran for 175 yards as a team, and Kenny Hill was a solid 18-of-27 for 146 yards and two touchdowns. The TCU offense couldn't take full advantage of its scoring chances, though.

Georgia led 16-14 after a tight first half.

The Bulldogs were the first to get on the board following a four-yard touchdown run from Michel with 9:32 left in the first quarter.

The Horned Frogs scored twice in the final 44 seconds to take a 9-7 lead. Brandon Hatfield connected on a 40-yard field goal but missed his point-after attempt following a 10-yard touchdown run by Hill.

Radi Nabulsi of UGASports.com thought Hill was benefiting from great pass protection in a stark contrast to his Georgia counterpart:

As the Georgia offense sputtered, Mike Mills, a member of R.E.M., had seen enough of offensive coordinator Jim Chaney:

TCU added to its lead with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Hill to John Diarse with 9:15 left in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs gained a bit of momentum with a 33-yard touchdown reception from Michel at the 1:13 mark of the quarter to climb to within two points, 16-14. The score was almost solely thanks to Michel, who caught a quick out and proceeded to elude numerous Horned Frogs before reaching the end zone.

Since he's in the same backfield as Chubb, Michel can be overlooked sometimes. Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee thought the touchdown catch demonstrated Michel's value to the offense:

Georgia took a 21-16 lead following a four-yard touchdown pass from Eason, capitalizing on a fumble by Kyle Hicks on TCU's first possession of the third quarter.

Prior to the score, the Bulldogs gambled and ran a fake field goal on fourth down from the TCU 21-yard line. Brice Ramsey, the holder, gained 11 yards for the first down. The Telegraph's Jason Butt thought Ramsey's presence should have been a warning sign for the TCU defense:

Diarse delivered the play of the game to put TCU ahead again, 23-21, in the third quarter. The junior wideout jumped up and reached over Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker to haul in Hill's pass. And as he was falling to the turf, Diarse held onto the ball with his left hand.

TCU Football shared a photo of Diarse after he made the catch:

The lead changed hands again after Rodrigo Blankenship's 30-yard field goal with 13:27 left in the game. 

Having already missed a field goal and a PAT, Hatfield continued his bad day when his 47-yard field-goal attempt went wide of the mark.

ESPN.com's Max Olson thought kicking problems have been a theme throughout TCU's season:

Chubb padded Georgia's advantage with a 13-yard touchdown run with 2:48 remaining. TCU had one last chance to tie the game but failed to convert on a 4th-and-4 from the Georgia 44-yard line.

Georgia was trending up for 2017 already, and Friday's win will only raise the hopes of Bulldogs fans for next year.

Michel and Chubb announced earlier in the month they're returning for their senior years, and Eason should take a big step forward in his development with the experience he gained as a true freshman.

Of course, higher expectations will mean more pressure on head coach Kirby Smart. Many Bulldogs fans will likely demand an SEC East title. Especially after a somewhat underwhelming debut campaign, Smart may be on the hot seat if Georgia is once again shut out of a New Year's Six bowl game.

TCU's fortunes will depend on its quarterback play.

Hill had big shoes to fill after replacing Trevone Boykin. He had thrown for 3,062 yards, 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions entering Friday. Those numbers will have to improve if the Horned Frogs are going to get back to 10-plus wins.

The quarterback battle between Hill and Foster Sawyer will be interesting to watch ahead of next season.

Postgame Reaction

Junior wideout Isaiah McKenzie, who had four receptions for 103 yards in the Liberty Bowl, announced Friday he enter the 2017 NFL draft.

"I thought about it and talked to coach Smart and the coaching staff," McKenzie said of his decision, per Butt. "I just came up with my decision and talked to people I know, people back home, and just decided to."

Looking at the 2016 season as a whole, Smart said he wants to take the Bulldogs further than they went this year.

"Eight and five is better than 7-6," he said, per Dawg Nation's Seth Emerson. "But it's still not where we want to be. Look, Georgia's been successful. We just want to take it another step."

TCU head coach Gary Patterson thought the margins were small for his team in Friday's defeat, per Steve Megargee of the Associated Press (via the Washington Post): "It's one of those things where you have to make five to seven plays we didn't make that would have given us an opportunity to win the game."