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ATHENS, Georgia (Ticker) -- Quincy Carter threw two touchdown passes and Jasper Sanks ran for 147 yards and a score, but it was a missed extra point by Central Florida which provided the difference as ninth-ranked Georgia escaped with a 24-23 victory. Page Sessoms' second touchdown run of the game, from five yards, cut Central Florida's deficit to 24-23 with 5:21 left. But Javier Beorlegui's potential tying extra point went off the left upright. Vic Penn rallied the four-touchdown underdogs into position for a potential winning field goal in the final minute, but a pair of penalties drove back the Golden Knights and Penn's last-gasp pass was intercepted. "We were fortunate to win this game," Georgia coach Jim Donnan said. "UCF shot themselves in the foot a couple of times there at the end. Give them a lot of credit, though, they played really hard against us." Carter completed 20-of-36 passes for 219 yards and Sanks had 19 carries as Georgia improved to 3-0 for the third straight year. The Bulldogs will try for their third consecutive 4-0 start next week when they host Louisiana State before an October 9 trip to defending national champion Tennessee. Penn was 27-of-46 for 287 yards and one interception for Central Florida, which has lost its first four games -- all to ranked opponents. It is the first time the Golden Knights have started 0-4 since going 0-10 in 1982. "This team has had four weeks of frustration, and I hope they put it to good use in our next five home games," Central Florida coach Mike Kruczek said. "In our situation, you look for effort and improvement each week. Our team felt like we should have won the football game, and we should have." After Beorlegui's missed extra point, Central Florida forced Georgia to punt on the next possession and the Golden Knights got back the ball on their own 19 with 1:41 remaining. Penn completed a 17-yard pass to Kenny Clark on 4th-and-4 to the 42 and connected with Tyson Hinshaw for 16 yards to the Georgia 42. After a 22-yard scramble by Penn on the next play, he spiked the ball to stop the clock with 22 seconds remaining. Penn threw an incomplete pass into the end zone before an offensive pass interference penalty was called on Clark. A potential 9-yard pass to Tavirus Davis was nullified by a holding penalty, pushing Central Florida back to the 40. Defensive tackle Marcus Stroud had a sack on the next play and Penn was intercepted by cornerback Jamie Henderson to end the game. "We didn't get the breaks that they did today," Penn said. "Maybe that's why they're No. 9 in the country. This is the best our offense has played this year, but we had too many missed opportunities." Carter threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Edwards four minutes into the game to give Georgia a 7-0 lead. After a 28-yard field goal by Beorlegui just over four minutes later, Sanks scored his third touchdown of the season on an 8-yard run with 4:14 left in the first quarter. The Golden Knights scored two touchdowns in the second period to take a 17-14 lead. Sessoms ran it in from five yards less than five minutes into the quarter. Only 38 seconds later, free safety Ricot Joseph blocked Jonathan Kilgo's first career punt and wide receiver Thad Ward returned it six yards for a score. It was the first time since the 1984 Citrus Bowl against Florida State that Georgia had a blocked punt returned for a score. Georgia tied it on the final play of the first half as Hap Hines tied a career best with a 54-yard field goal. Carter threw his second touchdown of the game in the third quarter, finding Michael Greer for a 5-yard score. Samps had the most yards by a Georgia running back since Robert Edwards collected 180 yards against Mississippi in 1997. It was Samps' second straight 100-yard game and included a career-long run of 54 yards to the Central Florida 1 in the third quarter to set up a touchdown. It was a tough day for Beorlegui, who missed a 50-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter and had a 27-yard attempt blocked by linebacker Kendrell Bell in the second quarter.
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