| Game Name: | Peach Bowl |
| Date Game Played: | December 30 |
| Year Game Played: | 1989 |
| Football Season: | 1989 |
| Stadium: | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |
| City: | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Visitor Name Short: | Syracuse |
| Visitor Nickname: | Orangemen |
| Visitor Record: | 7–4 |
| Visitor Conference: | Independent |
| Visitor Coach: | Dick MacPherson |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 3 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 9 |
| Home Name Short: | Georgia |
| Home Nickname: | Bulldogs |
| Home Record: | 6–5 |
| Home Conference: | SEC |
| Home Coach: | Ray Goff |
| Home 1Q: | 7 |
| Home 2Q: | 3 |
| Home 3Q: | 8 |
| Home 4Q: | 0 |
| Mvp: | RB Michael Owens (Syracuse) LB Terry Wooden (Syracuse) RB Rodney Hampton (Georgia) LB Mo Lewis (Georgia) |
| Referee: | Donald Safrit (ACC) |
| Attendance: | 44,911 |
| Us Network: | ABC |
| Us Announcers: | Gary Bender & Dick Vermeil |
| Different Previous: | 1988 (Dec) |
The 1989 Peach Bowl took place on December 30, 1989. The competing teams were Syracuse and Georgia.[1] [2]
Syracuse was in a bowl game for the 3rd straight year, which was also their first Peach Bowl ever. Georgia had a streak of winning and losing through the season, winning the first two games, losing the next three, winning four straight, and then losing two straight games to the end the season tied with Florida and Ole Miss while Alabama, Tennessee & Auburn (the latter two having beat Georgia) all shared the Southeastern Conference title, in Goff's first year at the program. This was Georgia's 10th straight bowl appearance, along with their first Peach Bowl since 1973.
Owens rushed for 112 yards on 14 carries for Syracuse. For Georgia, Hampton rushed for 32 yards on 14 carries. Mo Lewis returned an interception 77 yards, a Peach Bowl record.[3]
| Statistics | Syracuse | Georgia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First downs | 27 | 12 | |
| Rushing yards | 245 | 113 | |
| Passing yards | 224 | 88 | |
| Passes (comp–att–int) | 22–24–3 | 10–19–1 | |
| Return yardage | 31 | 140 | |
| Fumbles–lost | 3–1 | 1–0 | |
| Punts–average | 3 (41.0) | 7 (41.0) | |
| Penalties–yards | 2–10 | 3–30 |
Syracuse would go to three straight bowl games, and go to five more in the next decade. Georgia went through a patch in which they went to three bowl games in Goff's six remaining years. Georgia returned to the Peach Bowl in 1995, in the final game for Goff before he was fired. Syracuse hasn't returned to the Peach Bowl since this game.