2005 Sugar Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Sugar Bowl was a postseason American
college football
bowl game
between the Virginia Tech Hokies
and the Auburn Tigers
at the Louisiana Superdome
in New Orleans
, Louisiana
, on January 3, 2005. It was the 71st edition of the annual Sugar Bowl
football contest. Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) in the contest, while Auburn represented the Southeastern Conference
(SEC). In a defensive struggle, Auburn earned a 16–13 victory despite a late-game rally by Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech was selected as a participant in the game after winning the ACC football championship during the team's first year in the conference. Tech, which finished 10–2 in the regular season prior to the Sugar Bowl, defeated 16th-ranked Virginia and ninth-ranked Miami en route to the game. Auburn finished the regular season undefeated and 12–0. The Tigers defeated fourth-ranked LSU
and fifth-ranked Georgia
during the course of the season, and were one of five teams to finish the regular season undefeated. The other undefeated teams were Southern California
, Oklahoma, Utah
, and Boise State
, with USC and Oklahoma being selected to play in the Bowl Championship Series national championship game
. Auburn, by virtue of its lower ranking in the BCS poll, was left out of the national championship and was selected to play in the Sugar Bowl.
Pre-game media coverage of the game focused on Auburn being left out of the national championship game, a point of controversy for Auburn fans and other observers in the weeks leading up to the game. Much was made of that fact and the success of Auburn running back
s Carnell Williams
and Ronnie Brown
, each of whom were considered among the best at their position. On the Virginia Tech side, senior quarterback
Bryan Randall
had a record-breaking season and was predicted to continue his success in the Sugar Bowl. Both teams also had high-ranked defenses, and Tech's appearance in the 2000 Sugar Bowl
also was mentioned in the runup to the game.
The 2005 Sugar Bowl kicked off
on January 3, 2005 at 8:00 p.m. EST
. Early in the first quarter, the Tigers took a 3–0 lead. Following an interception by the Auburn defense, the Tigers were able to extend their lead to 6–0. In the second quarter, another field goal
resulted in three points for the Tigers. At halftime, Auburn led, 9–0. Auburn opened the second half with its first and only touchdown
drive of the game, giving Auburn a 16–0 lead, which it held into the fourth quarter. In that quarter, Tech scored its first touchdown of the game but did not convert the two-point try
, making the score 16–6. Late in the quarter, Tech quarterback Bryan Randall cut Auburn's lead to 16–13 on an 80-yard pass
that resulted in another touchdown. With almost no time remaining in the game, Virginia Tech was forced to attempt an onside kick
to have another chance on offense. When Auburn recovered the kick, the Tigers were able to run out the clock
and secure the win. In recognition of his game-winning performance, Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell was named the game's most valuable player
.
Despite Auburn's victory and the Tigers' undefeated season, they were not named national champions. That honor went to the University of Southern California, which defeated Oklahoma in the 2005 national championship game
, 55-19. Three voters in the final Associated Press
poll of the season voted Auburn the number one team in the country, but their votes were not enough to deny USC a national championship, as voted by members of the Associated Press and Coaches' polls. Several players from each team were selected in the 2005 NFL Draft
and went on to careers in the National Football League
.
The Virginia Tech Hokies entered the 2004 college football season
having gone 8–5 in 2003, culminating with a 52–49 loss to California
in the 2003 Insight Bowl
. The 2003 season had also been Virginia Tech's final year in the Big East Conference
, and Tech began the new season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Tech started the season unranked for the first time since 1998, and was picked to finish sixth (out of 11 ACC teams) in the annual ACC preseason poll, held in July.
The Hokies' first game in their new conference was a non-conference contest at FedEx Field in Landover, MD. against the top-ranked USC Trojans. Tech lost, 24–13, but recovered to win its next game—against lightly regarded Western Michigan
—in blowout fashion, 63–0. In its first conference game in the ACC, the Hokies beat Duke
, 47–17, to improve to a 2–1 record. Their first win in the ACC was followed by their first loss, however, as the Hokies lost the next week to North Carolina State
, 17–16, when Tech kicker Brandon Pace missed a last-second field goal
.
Following the loss, Virginia Tech was 2–2 on the season, and faced the potential of being ineligible for a postseason bowl game
if it did not improve its winning percentage. Those fears were for naught as the Hokies won their next eight games, finishing the season with a 10–2 record. With late-season wins over perennial rival, 16th-ranked Virginia, and fellow ACC newcomer, ninth-ranked Miami, Virginia Tech clinched the ACC football championship (the last year in which it would be decided without a conference championship game
) and a bid to a Bowl Championship Series
game. Because the ACC's normal bowl destination, the Orange Bowl, was hosting the national championship game, Virginia Tech was selected to attend the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, instead.
, and entered the 2004 season with high expectations. The Tigers were using a new offensive scheme—the West Coast offense
—and boasted two highly rated running backs on offense. In its first game of the 2004 season, the 18th-ranked Auburn football team overwhelmed the University of Louisiana-Monroe, 31–0. It was Auburn's first shutout since 2002. One week later, the Tigers backed up their good start with an emphatic 43–14 victory over Southeastern Conference
foe Mississippi State University
. In the third week of the season, Auburn faced its first challenge of the young season, against the fourth-ranked Louisiana State Tigers
. In a hard-fought defensive struggle, Auburn won, 10–9, when a missed extra point was replayed after a penalty.
After an easy 33–3 victory over The Citadel
, Auburn faced eighth-ranked Tennessee
. The Tigers' defense forced six turnover
s en route to a 34–10 victory. With the victory over Tennessee, Auburn reeled off another four victories and became a prominent candidate for inclusion in the national championship game. In the 11th week of the season, Auburn faced the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs
. After a defensive effort that held Georgia scoreless until late in the fourth quarter, the third-ranked Tigers won a 24–6 victory. After defeating Alabama
in their final regular-season game, Auburn entered the SEC championship game undefeated and in third place nationally. Although the Tigers defeated the Volunteers, 38–28, in the conference championship game, Auburn remained in third place because both USC and Oklahoma also remained undefeated. With USC and Oklahoma selected to play in the national championship game, Auburn was forced into the Sugar Bowl. With the winner of the BCS Championship Game guaranteed first place in the Coaches Poll
, Auburn fans held hopes that the combination of an overwhelming Tigers victory in the Sugar Bowl with Oklahoma defeating USC with a weak performance would cause enough voters in the AP Poll
to put Auburn ahead of Oklahoma in their final poll. The result would have been a split national championship similar to what occurred the previous season
.
Bowl Championship Series standings were released on December 4, Auburn was among several teams disgruntled with the system. One of these was California
, which only lost to top-ranked USC, but was denied a bid to the prestigious Rose Bowl after Texas vaulted it in the rankings despite having the same record. The Golden Bears were forced to attend the less-attractive Holiday Bowl
instead. The Auburn Tigers, meanwhile, had completed their first 12-win regular season and won their first conference championship in 15 years, but in the final BCS rankings, Auburn was third, behind USC and Oklahoma. It was the first time since the creation of the BCS in 1998 that three major-conference college football teams were undefeated at the conclusion of the regular season. Some pundits and fans considered Auburn's failure to reach the championship game to be based on the fact that the Tigers had started with a lower ranking at the beginning of the season. The Tigers had been ranked 17th at the beginning of the season, while USC had been ranked first and Oklahoma second, the same spots they occupied at the end of the regular season.
Sportswriters also pointed to the Tigers' tougher conference schedule when compared to those of USC and Oklahoma. SEC commissioner Mike Slive remarked, "If Auburn goes through this league undefeated, they deserve to play for the national championship." Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, in the runup to the game, seemingly agreed with the assessment, saying, "We started out playing Southern Cal and I believe this Auburn team is better." Some writers also indicated USC's five-point win—in which the Trojans struggled—over rival UCLA
as an indicator that the Tigers could be the better team. In the end, such arguments were unable to sway voters, who ranked USC first, Oklahoma second, and Auburn third in all of the major polls decided by human voters. The Utes
, who were also undefeated at the conclusion of the regular season, received limited attention due to the fact that they were a member of a non-BCS conference.
Due to the controversy surrounding Auburn's failure to be given a chance to play for the national championship and controversies involving teams lobbying for improved ratings in the poll, the Associated Press sent a cease-and-desist order to BCS officials, forbidding them the use of the AP Poll in calculating BCS ratings.
Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville
was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year on December 24, due in large part to his success in using Auburn's new West Coast offense to drive the Tigers to an undefeated 12–0 regular season. In response to his success, Auburn administrators agreed to a seven-year, $16 million contract extension with Tuberville prior to the Sugar Bowl. Tuberville planned an offense that finished the regular season averaging 33.4 points and 430.8 yards of total offense
per game.
Heading Auburn's offense on the field was quarterback Jason Campbell. Campbell finished the regular season with 2,511 yards and 19 touchdowns, one short of tying the Auburn record for most touchdowns in a single season. Campbell was second in the Southeastern Conference in passing yards
per game (209.2), and was a first-team All-SEC selection.
Auburn's rushing offense
was led by two highly regarded running backs: Carnell Williams
and Ronnie Brown
. The two men, combined with quarterback Campbell, ran for 15,739 yards and 129 career touchdowns prior to the Sugar Bowl. Williams led the SEC in all-purpose yardage (137.2 yards per game) and average yards per punt return (11.7). He finished the regular season with 1,104 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. The touchdown mark was the most recorded by a running back in the SEC that year. For his accomplishments, Williams was named a first-team All-SEC pick. Despite missing most of his first two seasons due to injuries, he ranked second on Auburn's all-time rushing list with 3,770 yards—behind only NFL
and MLB
star Bo Jackson
. Williams also had the most rushing touchdowns in Auburn history (45) and was Auburn's leading scorer in school history (276 points). Brown accumulated 845 rushing yards and caught 34 passes for 314 yards during the season prior to the Sugar Bowl. He finished with eight touchdowns and was named a second-team All-SEC pick. His 34 receptions were 10 more than he earned in his first three seasons combined.
Despite the attention focused on Auburn's two star running backs, the team also boasted a capable corps of wide receiver
s as well. Prior to the game, Auburn receiver Ben Obomanu said, "When you have your running game making big plays and the defense has to load the box (defensive line) to make plays and try to stop the running game, that opens up things in the passing game." Auburn averaged more yards passing (241.4 per game) than running (189.4 per game).
, who completed 149 of 268 passes (55.6 percent) for 1,965 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 466 yards and held Tech career records for total offense and passing yards. His 37 consecutive starts
also are a school mark for a quarterback. In the preseason, Randall competed for the first-string quarterback spot with Marcus Vick until the latter was suspended from Tech for a semester after a criminal conviction. In the weeks leading up to the Sugar Bowl, Randall was named the Virginia Division I Offensive Player of the Year by the Roanoke Times and was named the ACC Player of the Year.
Tech's rushing offense featured two running backs who shared time on the field: Mike Imoh
and Cedric Humes
. During the regular season, Imoh rushed the ball 152 times for 704 yards, an average of 4.6 yards per carry. He scored four touchdowns and set a school record for rushing yards in a game when he ran for 243 yards in Virginia Tech's game against North Carolina. Humes was on the field slightly less than Imoh, but earned 595 yards and five touchdowns on 124 carries. Tech offensive tackle Jimmy Martin
was expected to play in the game after recovering from a high ankle sprain.
On special teams, Tech's Jim Davis blocked three field goals during the regular season, and teammate Darryl Tapp
blocked a punt. Tech's success on special teams was at least partially due to head coach Frank Beamer's emphasis on that aspect of the game, a strategy known as "Beamerball." Due to Tech's acumen on special teams, Auburn was forced to spend extra time in preparing its special teams to face Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.
The Sugar Bowl was a homecoming for Tech punter Vinnie Burns, who played high school football 15 miles (24 km) from the Louisiana Superdome, site of the Sugar Bowl. In addition, Burns' father, Ronnie Burns, was a longtime Sugar Bowl committee member, and Vinnie committed to attend Virginia Tech while the Hokies were in New Orleans to play in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, that year's national championship game.
Carlos Rogers was one of the key players on the defensive squad. Rogers, who won the Jim Thorpe Award
—given annually to the best defensive back in the country—earned consensus All-America
honors and was a finalist for the Bronco Nagurski Award and a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award
, each given to the best defensive college football player in the United States.
Linebacker
Travis Williams had the most tackle
s on the team during the regular season, finishing with 76. He also tied for third on the team in tackles for loss (nine), had two interceptions, two sacks
, and was named a second-team All-SEC selection.
Senior safety Junior Rosegreen, freshman end
Stanley McClover and junior nose guard Tommy Jackson were first-team all-SEC picks, signifying they were the best players at their position in the conference. Rosegreen had five interceptions during the regular season, including four in Auburn's game against Tennessee. That single-game performance tied the SEC record and set the Auburn record for the most interceptions in one game. Jackson finished the regular season with 49 tackles, six tackles for loss, and one sack.
Linebacker Antarrious Williams was scheduled to miss the game after undergoing surgery to repair a dislocated bone suffered in the Tigers' game against Georgia. Williams had 44 tackles during the regular season, and had been replaced by Derrick Graves in the SEC championship game. Graves was expected to do so again in the Sugar Bowl.
At the conclusion of the regular season, Virginia Tech's defense was ranked third nationally in scoring defense (12.6 points allowed per game), fourth in total defense (269.5 total yards allowed per game) and fifth in pass defense (149.8 passing yards allowed per game). The Tech defense featured two highly regarded cornerbacks, Jimmy Williams and Eric Green, who finished the regular season with 50 tackles and 31 tackles, respectively. Williams also had four interceptions (the most on the team), including one returned for a touchdown, and was named first-team All-ACC. Green, meanwhile, had one interception. Auburn wide receiver
Courtney Taylor praised the two players highly in an interview before the game, saying, "Those cornerbacks are amazing to me every time I look at them. I think, 'God, those guys are very athletic.' We're going to have our hands full."
Linebacker Mikal Baaqee was first on the team in tackles, recording 63 during the regular season. Fellow linebacker Vince Hall
ranked second, with 62.
On the defensive line, defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis was considered a key player. Though limited by a cast protecting a broken pinky finger suffered during Virginia Tech's game against Virginia, Lewis was expected to continue to perform well. Heading into the Sugar Bowl, Lewis had 38 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. Also on the defensive line was Darryl Tapp
, who led the team in sacks, tackles for loss, and quarterback hurries. Tapp earned first-team All-ACC honors and had 55 tackles and one interception during the regular season.
The 2005 Sugar Bowl kicked off at 8:00 p.m. EST
on January 3, 2005, in New Orleans
, Louisiana
. Official attendance was listed as 77,349. Mike Tirico
, Tim Brant
, Terry Bowden
, and Suzy Shuster
were the announcers for the television broadcast, which was aired on ABC
. About 10 million households watched the game on television in the United States, giving the game a Nielsen rating
of 9.5 and making it the 24th most popular Bowl Championship Series game in terms of television ratings. The game was also broadcast on ESPN Radio
, and was commentated by Mark Jones
, Bob Davie, and Holly Rowe. Spread bettors
favored Auburn to win the game by seven points.
Pregame entertainment was provided by Bowl Games of America, a group composed of more than 2,000 performing-arts bands, dance teams, and cheer groups from across the United States. Together, they performed the song "God Bless America
." The traditional pregame singing of the national anthem
was sung by Brad Arnold from the band 3 Doors Down
. Dick Honig was the referee
, the umpire was Jim Krogstad, and the linesman was Brent Durbin.
. The Hokies initially had success moving the ball, as quarterback Bryan Randall rushed for seven yards on the game's first play, then completed a four-yard pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal two plays later for a first down. The Auburn defense recovered, however, and the Hokies did not gain another first down and were forced to punt
. Auburn recovered the ball and began its first drive of the game from its 26-yard line. On the Tigers' first play, quarterback Jason Campbell threw a long pass to Cooper Wallace for 35 yards. This was followed by another long play as running back Ronnie Brown ran for 31 yards. After the initial shock of the Auburn offense, the Virginia Tech defense firmed up, and Auburn's next three plays were stopped for losses or minimal gains. Facing a fourth down at the Virginia Tech six-yard line, Auburn sent in kicker John Vaughn, who kicked a 23-yard field goal
for the game's first points. With 8:35 remaining in the first quarter, Auburn took an early 3–0 lead.
Following the post-field goal kickoff, the Virginia Tech offense attempted to answer Auburn's quick score. Unfortunately for the Hokies, their second drive fared even worse than the first. Tech committed a 10-yard penalty, suffered an eight-yard loss on a play, then had a Bryan Randall pass intercepted by Auburn safety Junior Rosegreen. Rosegreen returned the ball 31 yards, and put Auburn's offense into good field position for its second drive of the game. Auburn also suffered an early penalty in its drive, but moved the ball with another long play—a 23-yard pass to Courtney Taylor—to recover. Again, however, the Virginia Tech defense recovered to force Auburn into a fourth down and a field goal attempt. Vaughn returned to the field and kicked a 19-yard field goal, giving Auburn a 6–0 lead with 1:06 remaining in the quarter.
With time in the quarter running out, Virginia Tech fielded the post-score kickoff and executed a quick series of plays, gaining a first down before time ran out. At the end of the first quarter, Auburn held an early 6–0 lead.
and punting the ball back to Virginia Tech. In its first full drive of the second quarter, the Hokies had their best drive of the first half. After a holding penalty nullified a long kickoff return, Tech began at its 24-yard line. Randall completed a nine-yard pass to tight end Jeff King, then ran for another nine yards on a quarterback scramble. He followed the first-down run by completing three consecutive long passes of 16 yards, 13 yards, and 31 yards, respectively. The last pass, to wide receiver Josh Hyman, drove Virginia Tech inside the Auburn two-yard line. There, however, the Tech offense faltered. On three plays, Tech failed to cross the goal line, gaining only one yard in the process. Facing fourth down and needing just one yard for a touchdown, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer
elected to attempt to gain the touchdown, rather than send in his kicker for a field goal attempt. The attempted touchdown pass by Randall fell incomplete
, and Virginia Tech turned the ball over on downs without scoring any points.
Auburn's offense took over at its one-yard line after Tech's failure to score. Jason Campbell orchestrated a successful drive that took Auburn from the shadow of its own end zone
, completing passes of 16 yards, 15 yards, and 37 yards in the process. Inside the Virginia Tech red zone
, however, the Auburn offense again stumbled. As it had in its two previous scoring drives, Auburn was forced to send in kicker John Vaughn despite being inside the Virginia Tech 10-yard line. Vaughn's 24-yard kick was successful, and with 1:50 remaining in the second quarter, Auburn extended its lead to 9–0.
With little time remaining before halftime, Virginia Tech used a hurry-up offense
. Randall completed a 23-yard pass to Eddie Royal and ran for 22 yards on his own, but threw three consecutive incomplete passes to end the drive. Tech was forced to punt the ball away, and the first half came to an end. At halftime, Auburn led, 9–0.
s, marching band
s, and cheerleading squads from across the United States. Together, the organizations presented a pirate-themed show based on the character of Jean Lafitte
, a noted brigand who lived in New Orleans—site of the game—during the War of 1812
.
. Three plays later, Campbell connected with Devin Aromashodu
on a five-yard pass for the game's first touchdown. With 10:39 remaining in the third quarter, Auburn had taken a 16–0 lead.
After Auburn's kickoff, Virginia Tech started its first drive of the second half at its 20-yard line. Down by 16 points, Tech needed to score. The Hokies gained a quick first down, but a five-yard penalty and a sack of Bryan Randall prevented Tech from gaining another. The Hokies were forced to punt, and Auburn took over at its 44-yard line. Despite having good field position, the Tigers went three and out. Following the punt, Virginia Tech reciprocated by also going three and out. With 3:47 remaining in the quarter, Auburn began an offensive drive from its 35-yard line. From the beginning of the drive, however, the Tigers had problems. The first play of Auburn's drive was a 10-yard penalty against the Tigers. The second resulted in a one-yard loss by Ronnie Brown, who attempted to rush through the middle of the defensive line. On the third play, Virginia Tech cornerback Jimmy Williams intercepted an errant pass by Jason Campbell. Though Williams was unable to advance the ball, the Hokies still took over on offense, and with 2:38 remaining in the quarter, had their best field position since the first half.
The first play of the Tech drive resulted in a 12-yard gain as Josh Hyman rushed for 12 yards and a first down on an end-around
. Running back Cedric Humes was stopped for a loss on the first play after Hyman's rush, but earned 10 yards on two subsequent rushes, setting up a fourth down. Needing one yard for a first down, behind by 16 points, and with time running down in the quarter, Tech head coach Frank Beamer elected to attempt the first down play rather than kick a field goal. Humes again rushed the ball, and as time ran out in the third quarter, picked up enough ground for the first down. With one quarter of play remaining, Auburn led Virginia Tech 16–0, but the Hokies had picked up a first down inside the Auburn 10-yard line to begin the fourth quarter.
Following the missed field goal, Auburn took over on offense at its six-yard line—the point from which Tech had missed the kick. Ronnie Brown picked up 13 yards and a first down on three rushes. Carnell Williams then picked up three yards, and Jason Campbell threw a seven-yard pass that gave Auburn another first down. A five-yard penalty against Virginia Tech pushed Auburn's offense near midfield, and Ronnie Brown returned to the field, rushing the ball four consecutive times for 16 yards and driving the Tigers into Virginia Tech territory. Facing a fourth down and one yard, Auburn elected to give the ball to Brown again. On the one-yard run, however, Brown fumble
d the ball, which was recovered by Virginia Tech's Mikal Baagee with 8:38 remaining.
Virginia Tech's offense came on to the field desperately needing to score quickly. Though the deficit was only 16 points, and could be made up with two touchdowns and two two-point conversions, the limited time remaining meant the task would be difficult, even if Virginia Tech scored quickly. The Hokies began the drive with a 17-yard pass by quarterback Bryan Randall. Justin Hamilton rushed for five yards, and Randall completed a six-yard pass for another first down. The Tigers helped matters by committing a 15-yard penalty, which put the Hokies inside Auburn territory. Three plays later, Randall capitalized on the opportunity by completing a 29-yard pass to Josh Morgan for a touchdown and the Hokies' first points of the game. Tech attempted a two-point conversion, but the pass attempt fell incomplete. With 6:57 remaining, Virginia Tech now trailed 16–6.
After receiving the post-touchdown kickoff, Auburn began to run out the clock
. The Tigers failed to pick up a first down, and after going three and out, punted the ball back to Virginia Tech. The Hokies started their drive at their two-yard line, and Randall began it successfully by completing a 20-yard pass, rushing for 10 yards, then completing a five-yard pass to bring the Hokies near midfield. On the fourth play of the drive, however, Randall was intercepted by Auburn's Derrick Graves. The Tigers, their offense again on the field, began running out the clock again. Tech attempted to interrupt Auburn's clock management by calling timeouts after each play, stopping the clock with each timeout. Virginia Tech forced Auburn into a three and out, and the Tigers again punted the ball away with 2:13 remaining.
After the ball rolled into the end zone for a touchback
, Virginia Tech began its final drive at its 20-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Bryan Randall completed an 80-yard touchdown pass to Josh Morgan. The score plus the extra point
cut Auburn's lead to 16–13. With time in the game almost exhausted, Virginia Tech was forced to attempt an onside kick
in order to have a chance to get another offensive drive. Because the Hokies had used their final timeouts to stop the clock on Auburn's previous drive, Auburn would be free to run out the game's final minutes. Despite the hopes of Virginia Tech for a last-second miracle, the Auburn Tigers recovered the kick, allowing them to run out the clock and clinch a 16–13 victory.
attempts and also succeeded on his sole extra point
kick in the game, resulting in 10 Auburn points. On the opposite side of the ball, Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall completed 21 of his 38 passes for 299 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Virginia Tech kicker Branden Pace missed his sole field goal attempt of the game, a 23-yard kick.
On the ground, Auburn running back Ronnie Brown led all rushers with 68 yards on 14 carries. Second was Auburn's Carnell Williams, who gained 61 yards on 19 carries. Bryan Randall was the Hokies' leading rusher, accumulating 45 yards on nine carries. Tech's two running backs, Mike Imoh and Cedric Humes, were stymied by the Auburn defense and managed just 26 yards on 12 combined carries. Virginia Tech wide receiver Josh Morgan finished the game with three receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns, making him the game's most prolific receiver. Auburn's Courtney Taylor was second, with five catches for 87 yards, and Tech's Josh Hyman was third with five catches for 71 yards.
For the defense, Virginia Tech cornerback Jimmy Williams was the top performer. Williams had 10 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, and one interception. Tech's Mikal Baaqee had eight tackles and one fumble recovery, making him the game's second-leading tackler. Auburn defender Derrick Graves was the most prolific tackler for the Tigers, making seven tackles and catching one interception of an errant Bryan Randall pass. Three players had one sack—two for Virginia Tech and one for Auburn.
The victory gave Auburn fans hope that if Oklahoma won the 2005 BCS National Championship Game
, a split national championship would result. By contract, the winner of the BCS National Championship Game is voted number one in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. In contrast, the Associated Press poll has no such restriction. Auburn's thin margin of victory over Tech put the prospect of split national title in doubt, though not out of reach. USC
's blowout 55–19 victory over Oklahoma, however, made it likely that USC would be the overwhelming choice for first place. When the final college football polls of the season were released, USC was voted number one by a large margin, though three voters in the Associated Press poll voted Auburn first. More than three years after the game, ESPN sportswriter Ted Miller rated the game second on his list of victims of the BCS system, just behind USC being left out of the championship game in 2003
.
The Tigers lost 18 players due to graduation, and several juniors elected to enter the 2005 NFL Draft
as well. During the first round of the draft, Auburn had four players selected: Ronnie Brown, with the second overall pick, Carnell Williams (fifth), Carlos Rogers (ninth), and Jason Campbell (25th). Virginia Tech had three players selected in the 2005 draft: Eric Green (75th), Vincent Fuller (108th), and Jon Dunn (217th). Virginia Tech's appearance in the Sugar Bowl helped its recruiting efforts in the state of Virginia, with eight of the state's top recruits (ranked by the Roanoke Times newspaper), pledging to attend Tech.
The visiting fans of Auburn and Virginia Tech injected tens of millions of dollars into the New Orleans economy, despite high food, travel, and lodging costs that forced some fans to cut discretionary spending during their trips.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
between the Virginia Tech Hokies
2004 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2004 Virginia Tech Hokies football team won the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in its inaugural year in the conference, running off a streak of eight straight wins to end the regular season after a 2-2 start. Tech finished 10th in the final Associated Press poll with a 10-3 record...
and the Auburn Tigers
2004 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2004 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. Auburn compiled a record of 13–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship and finishing the season ranked #2 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll...
at the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
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, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, on January 3, 2005. It was the 71st edition of the annual Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
football contest. Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) in the contest, while Auburn represented the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC). In a defensive struggle, Auburn earned a 16–13 victory despite a late-game rally by Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech was selected as a participant in the game after winning the ACC football championship during the team's first year in the conference. Tech, which finished 10–2 in the regular season prior to the Sugar Bowl, defeated 16th-ranked Virginia and ninth-ranked Miami en route to the game. Auburn finished the regular season undefeated and 12–0. The Tigers defeated fourth-ranked LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
and fifth-ranked Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
during the course of the season, and were one of five teams to finish the regular season undefeated. The other undefeated teams were Southern California
2004 USC Trojans football team
The 2004 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2004-2005 NCAA Division I-A college football season. Although now vacated for breaking NCAA rules, the team won the 2004 BCS National Championship by winning the 2005 Orange Bowl, that year's BCS National...
, Oklahoma, Utah
2004 Utah Utes football team
The 2004 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2004–2005. This team was the original 'BCS Buster', meaning, this was the first time that a team from a non-BCS conference was invited to play in one of the BCS bowl games. The team, coached by 2nd...
, and Boise State
2004 Boise State Broncos football team
The 2004 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2004 college football season. Boise State competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference , and played their home games at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho...
, with USC and Oklahoma being selected to play in the Bowl Championship Series national championship game
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
. Auburn, by virtue of its lower ranking in the BCS poll, was left out of the national championship and was selected to play in the Sugar Bowl.
Pre-game media coverage of the game focused on Auburn being left out of the national championship game, a point of controversy for Auburn fans and other observers in the weeks leading up to the game. Much was made of that fact and the success of Auburn running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s Carnell Williams
Carnell Williams
Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
and Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...
, each of whom were considered among the best at their position. On the Virginia Tech side, senior quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Bryan Randall
Bryan Randall
Bryan Randall is a professional gridiron football quarterback who currently plays for the Richmond Raiders of the Southern Indoor Football League. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
had a record-breaking season and was predicted to continue his success in the Sugar Bowl. Both teams also had high-ranked defenses, and Tech's appearance in the 2000 Sugar Bowl
2000 Sugar Bowl
The 2000 Sugar Bowl was the designated Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game for the United States 1999 college football season and was played on January 4, 2000, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana...
also was mentioned in the runup to the game.
The 2005 Sugar Bowl kicked off
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
on January 3, 2005 at 8:00 p.m. EST
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
. Early in the first quarter, the Tigers took a 3–0 lead. Following an interception by the Auburn defense, the Tigers were able to extend their lead to 6–0. In the second quarter, another field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
resulted in three points for the Tigers. At halftime, Auburn led, 9–0. Auburn opened the second half with its first and only touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
drive of the game, giving Auburn a 16–0 lead, which it held into the fourth quarter. In that quarter, Tech scored its first touchdown of the game but did not convert the two-point try
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
, making the score 16–6. Late in the quarter, Tech quarterback Bryan Randall cut Auburn's lead to 16–13 on an 80-yard pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
that resulted in another touchdown. With almost no time remaining in the game, Virginia Tech was forced to attempt an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
to have another chance on offense. When Auburn recovered the kick, the Tigers were able to run out the clock
Running out the clock
In sports, running out the clock refers to the practice of a winning team allowing the clock to expire through a series of pre-selected plays, either to preserve a lead or hasten the end of a one-sided contest.- American football :...
and secure the win. In recognition of his game-winning performance, Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell was named the game's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
Despite Auburn's victory and the Tigers' undefeated season, they were not named national champions. That honor went to the University of Southern California, which defeated Oklahoma in the 2005 national championship game
2005 Orange Bowl
The 2005 Orange Bowl represented the BCS National Championship Game of the 2004 season and was played on January 4, 2005 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida....
, 55-19. Three voters in the final Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
poll of the season voted Auburn the number one team in the country, but their votes were not enough to deny USC a national championship, as voted by members of the Associated Press and Coaches' polls. Several players from each team were selected in the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
and went on to careers in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Team selection
Virginia Tech and Auburn each earned automatic spots in a BCS bowl game due to their status as conference champions, and were selected by the 2005 Sugar Bowl. Virginia Tech finished the season 10–2 and was named ACC football champion its first year in the conference. Auburn, meanwhile, finished the season undefeated at 12–0, and was named champion of the SEC. Controversy erupted around Auburn's selection, as the Tigers had been denied a spot in the national championship game in favor of two other undefeated teams: the University of Southern California (USC) and Oklahoma.Virginia Tech
2004 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with several undefeated teams vying for a spot in the national title game, triggering controversy. In the 2003 season, no team finished the regular season unbeaten, and five teams finished the season with one loss...
having gone 8–5 in 2003, culminating with a 52–49 loss to California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
in the 2003 Insight Bowl
2003 Insight Bowl
The 2003 Insight Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the and the at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona on December 26, 2003. The game was the final contest of the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 52–49 victory for California...
. The 2003 season had also been Virginia Tech's final year in the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
, and Tech began the new season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Tech started the season unranked for the first time since 1998, and was picked to finish sixth (out of 11 ACC teams) in the annual ACC preseason poll, held in July.
The Hokies' first game in their new conference was a non-conference contest at FedEx Field in Landover, MD. against the top-ranked USC Trojans. Tech lost, 24–13, but recovered to win its next game—against lightly regarded Western Michigan
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
—in blowout fashion, 63–0. In its first conference game in the ACC, the Hokies beat Duke
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
, 47–17, to improve to a 2–1 record. Their first win in the ACC was followed by their first loss, however, as the Hokies lost the next week to North Carolina State
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
, 17–16, when Tech kicker Brandon Pace missed a last-second field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
.
Following the loss, Virginia Tech was 2–2 on the season, and faced the potential of being ineligible for a postseason bowl game
Bowl eligible
Bowl eligibility in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision College Football is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games. When a team achieves this state, it is described as "bowl-eligible"...
if it did not improve its winning percentage. Those fears were for naught as the Hokies won their next eight games, finishing the season with a 10–2 record. With late-season wins over perennial rival, 16th-ranked Virginia, and fellow ACC newcomer, ninth-ranked Miami, Virginia Tech clinched the ACC football championship (the last year in which it would be decided without a conference championship game
ACC Championship Game
The Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game is an American college football game held on the first Saturday in December by the Atlantic Coast Conference each year to determine its football champion. The game pits the champion of the Coastal Division against the champion of the Atlantic Division in a game...
) and a bid to a Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
game. Because the ACC's normal bowl destination, the Orange Bowl, was hosting the national championship game, Virginia Tech was selected to attend the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, instead.
Auburn
Auburn, like Virginia Tech, had gone 8–5 during the 2003 college football season2003 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....
, and entered the 2004 season with high expectations. The Tigers were using a new offensive scheme—the West Coast offense
West Coast offense
In American football, "West Coast Offense" refers to two similar but distinct offensive-strategic-systems of play: the "Air Coryell" system; or more commonly the pass play system popularized by Bill Walsh...
—and boasted two highly rated running backs on offense. In its first game of the 2004 season, the 18th-ranked Auburn football team overwhelmed the University of Louisiana-Monroe, 31–0. It was Auburn's first shutout since 2002. One week later, the Tigers backed up their good start with an emphatic 43–14 victory over Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
foe Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
. In the third week of the season, Auburn faced its first challenge of the young season, against the fourth-ranked Louisiana State Tigers
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
. In a hard-fought defensive struggle, Auburn won, 10–9, when a missed extra point was replayed after a penalty.
After an easy 33–3 victory over The Citadel
The Citadel (military college)
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, also known simply as The Citadel, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It is one of the six senior military colleges in the United States...
, Auburn faced eighth-ranked Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
. The Tigers' defense forced six turnover
Turnover (football)
In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball loses possession of the ball, which is then gained by the other team. The two events that are officially classified as "turnovers" are fumbles or interceptions In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball...
s en route to a 34–10 victory. With the victory over Tennessee, Auburn reeled off another four victories and became a prominent candidate for inclusion in the national championship game. In the 11th week of the season, Auburn faced the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
. After a defensive effort that held Georgia scoreless until late in the fourth quarter, the third-ranked Tigers won a 24–6 victory. After defeating Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
in their final regular-season game, Auburn entered the SEC championship game undefeated and in third place nationally. Although the Tigers defeated the Volunteers, 38–28, in the conference championship game, Auburn remained in third place because both USC and Oklahoma also remained undefeated. With USC and Oklahoma selected to play in the national championship game, Auburn was forced into the Sugar Bowl. With the winner of the BCS Championship Game guaranteed first place in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
, Auburn fans held hopes that the combination of an overwhelming Tigers victory in the Sugar Bowl with Oklahoma defeating USC with a weak performance would cause enough voters in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
to put Auburn ahead of Oklahoma in their final poll. The result would have been a split national championship similar to what occurred the previous season
2003 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....
.
Pregame buildup
In the weeks leading up to the game, media coverage of the game focused on Auburn's exclusion from the national championship game, a controversial point for Auburn fans and other observers in the weeks leading up to the game. In addition, both teams boasted high-ranked defenses that had performed well during the year. Much was made of that fact and the success of Auburn running backs Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown, each of whom were considered among the best players at their position. On the Virginia Tech side, senior quarterback Bryan Randall performed well for the Hokies during the regular season and was predicted to continue his success in the Sugar Bowl.Rankings controversy
Shortly after the final pre-bowl gameBowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
Bowl Championship Series standings were released on December 4, Auburn was among several teams disgruntled with the system. One of these was California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
, which only lost to top-ranked USC, but was denied a bid to the prestigious Rose Bowl after Texas vaulted it in the rankings despite having the same record. The Golden Bears were forced to attend the less-attractive Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
instead. The Auburn Tigers, meanwhile, had completed their first 12-win regular season and won their first conference championship in 15 years, but in the final BCS rankings, Auburn was third, behind USC and Oklahoma. It was the first time since the creation of the BCS in 1998 that three major-conference college football teams were undefeated at the conclusion of the regular season. Some pundits and fans considered Auburn's failure to reach the championship game to be based on the fact that the Tigers had started with a lower ranking at the beginning of the season. The Tigers had been ranked 17th at the beginning of the season, while USC had been ranked first and Oklahoma second, the same spots they occupied at the end of the regular season.
Sportswriters also pointed to the Tigers' tougher conference schedule when compared to those of USC and Oklahoma. SEC commissioner Mike Slive remarked, "If Auburn goes through this league undefeated, they deserve to play for the national championship." Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, in the runup to the game, seemingly agreed with the assessment, saying, "We started out playing Southern Cal and I believe this Auburn team is better." Some writers also indicated USC's five-point win—in which the Trojans struggled—over rival UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
as an indicator that the Tigers could be the better team. In the end, such arguments were unable to sway voters, who ranked USC first, Oklahoma second, and Auburn third in all of the major polls decided by human voters. The Utes
2004 Utah Utes football team
The 2004 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2004–2005. This team was the original 'BCS Buster', meaning, this was the first time that a team from a non-BCS conference was invited to play in one of the BCS bowl games. The team, coached by 2nd...
, who were also undefeated at the conclusion of the regular season, received limited attention due to the fact that they were a member of a non-BCS conference.
Due to the controversy surrounding Auburn's failure to be given a chance to play for the national championship and controversies involving teams lobbying for improved ratings in the poll, the Associated Press sent a cease-and-desist order to BCS officials, forbidding them the use of the AP Poll in calculating BCS ratings.
Auburn offense
Tommy Tuberville
Thomas Hawley Tuberville is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas Tech University, a position he has held since the 2010 season...
was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year on December 24, due in large part to his success in using Auburn's new West Coast offense to drive the Tigers to an undefeated 12–0 regular season. In response to his success, Auburn administrators agreed to a seven-year, $16 million contract extension with Tuberville prior to the Sugar Bowl. Tuberville planned an offense that finished the regular season averaging 33.4 points and 430.8 yards of total offense
Total offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
per game.
Heading Auburn's offense on the field was quarterback Jason Campbell. Campbell finished the regular season with 2,511 yards and 19 touchdowns, one short of tying the Auburn record for most touchdowns in a single season. Campbell was second in the Southeastern Conference in passing yards
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
per game (209.2), and was a first-team All-SEC selection.
Auburn's rushing offense
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
was led by two highly regarded running backs: Carnell Williams
Carnell Williams
Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
and Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...
. The two men, combined with quarterback Campbell, ran for 15,739 yards and 129 career touchdowns prior to the Sugar Bowl. Williams led the SEC in all-purpose yardage (137.2 yards per game) and average yards per punt return (11.7). He finished the regular season with 1,104 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. The touchdown mark was the most recorded by a running back in the SEC that year. For his accomplishments, Williams was named a first-team All-SEC pick. Despite missing most of his first two seasons due to injuries, he ranked second on Auburn's all-time rushing list with 3,770 yards—behind only NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
star Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985....
. Williams also had the most rushing touchdowns in Auburn history (45) and was Auburn's leading scorer in school history (276 points). Brown accumulated 845 rushing yards and caught 34 passes for 314 yards during the season prior to the Sugar Bowl. He finished with eight touchdowns and was named a second-team All-SEC pick. His 34 receptions were 10 more than he earned in his first three seasons combined.
Despite the attention focused on Auburn's two star running backs, the team also boasted a capable corps of wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
s as well. Prior to the game, Auburn receiver Ben Obomanu said, "When you have your running game making big plays and the defense has to load the box (defensive line) to make plays and try to stop the running game, that opens up things in the passing game." Auburn averaged more yards passing (241.4 per game) than running (189.4 per game).
Virginia Tech offense
Heading into the Sugar Bowl, the Virginia Tech offense was led by quarterback Bryan RandallBryan Randall
Bryan Randall is a professional gridiron football quarterback who currently plays for the Richmond Raiders of the Southern Indoor Football League. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
, who completed 149 of 268 passes (55.6 percent) for 1,965 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 466 yards and held Tech career records for total offense and passing yards. His 37 consecutive starts
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
also are a school mark for a quarterback. In the preseason, Randall competed for the first-string quarterback spot with Marcus Vick until the latter was suspended from Tech for a semester after a criminal conviction. In the weeks leading up to the Sugar Bowl, Randall was named the Virginia Division I Offensive Player of the Year by the Roanoke Times and was named the ACC Player of the Year.
Tech's rushing offense featured two running backs who shared time on the field: Mike Imoh
Mike Imoh
Mike Imoh is a running back free agent. In college, Imoh played wide receiver and tailback for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team. Prior to coming to Tech, he played for Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia.-College career:Imoh, a former high school tailback, moved to receiver in his...
and Cedric Humes
Cedric Humes
Cedric Akeem Humes is an American football running back who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the last round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Steelers placed Humes on the practice squad/injured reserve list, ending his season. He attended Virginia Tech and was instrumental in their 2005 ACC...
. During the regular season, Imoh rushed the ball 152 times for 704 yards, an average of 4.6 yards per carry. He scored four touchdowns and set a school record for rushing yards in a game when he ran for 243 yards in Virginia Tech's game against North Carolina. Humes was on the field slightly less than Imoh, but earned 595 yards and five touchdowns on 124 carries. Tech offensive tackle Jimmy Martin
Jimmy Martin (American football)
James Mercer Martin, III is an American football guard and tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
was expected to play in the game after recovering from a high ankle sprain.
On special teams, Tech's Jim Davis blocked three field goals during the regular season, and teammate Darryl Tapp
Darryl Tapp
-Seattle Seahawks:Tapp was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Tapp was a special teamer and part of the Seahawks' DE rotation. He recorded 33 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one interception, and one defensive touchdown...
blocked a punt. Tech's success on special teams was at least partially due to head coach Frank Beamer's emphasis on that aspect of the game, a strategy known as "Beamerball." Due to Tech's acumen on special teams, Auburn was forced to spend extra time in preparing its special teams to face Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.
The Sugar Bowl was a homecoming for Tech punter Vinnie Burns, who played high school football 15 miles (24 km) from the Louisiana Superdome, site of the Sugar Bowl. In addition, Burns' father, Ronnie Burns, was a longtime Sugar Bowl committee member, and Vinnie committed to attend Virginia Tech while the Hokies were in New Orleans to play in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, that year's national championship game.
Auburn defense
Before the Sugar Bowl, Auburn had the top-ranked scoring defense in the country (allowing 11.2 points per game), the fifth-ranked total defense (allowing 269.5 total yards per game), eighth in passing defense (allowing 163 yards passing per game), and 16th in rushing defense (allowing 106.5 yards rushing per game). CornerbackCornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Carlos Rogers was one of the key players on the defensive squad. Rogers, who won the Jim Thorpe Award
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
—given annually to the best defensive back in the country—earned consensus All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors and was a finalist for the Bronco Nagurski Award and a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
, each given to the best defensive college football player in the United States.
Linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Travis Williams had the most tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s on the team during the regular season, finishing with 76. He also tied for third on the team in tackles for loss (nine), had two interceptions, two sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, and was named a second-team All-SEC selection.
Senior safety Junior Rosegreen, freshman end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Stanley McClover and junior nose guard Tommy Jackson were first-team all-SEC picks, signifying they were the best players at their position in the conference. Rosegreen had five interceptions during the regular season, including four in Auburn's game against Tennessee. That single-game performance tied the SEC record and set the Auburn record for the most interceptions in one game. Jackson finished the regular season with 49 tackles, six tackles for loss, and one sack.
Linebacker Antarrious Williams was scheduled to miss the game after undergoing surgery to repair a dislocated bone suffered in the Tigers' game against Georgia. Williams had 44 tackles during the regular season, and had been replaced by Derrick Graves in the SEC championship game. Graves was expected to do so again in the Sugar Bowl.
Virginia Tech defense
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Courtney Taylor praised the two players highly in an interview before the game, saying, "Those cornerbacks are amazing to me every time I look at them. I think, 'God, those guys are very athletic.' We're going to have our hands full."
Linebacker Mikal Baaqee was first on the team in tackles, recording 63 during the regular season. Fellow linebacker Vince Hall
Vince Hall
Vincent Larry Hall is an American football linebacker who is currently playing for the Richmond Revolution of the Indoor Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
ranked second, with 62.
On the defensive line, defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis was considered a key player. Though limited by a cast protecting a broken pinky finger suffered during Virginia Tech's game against Virginia, Lewis was expected to continue to perform well. Heading into the Sugar Bowl, Lewis had 38 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. Also on the defensive line was Darryl Tapp
Darryl Tapp
-Seattle Seahawks:Tapp was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Tapp was a special teamer and part of the Seahawks' DE rotation. He recorded 33 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one interception, and one defensive touchdown...
, who led the team in sacks, tackles for loss, and quarterback hurries. Tapp earned first-team All-ACC honors and had 55 tackles and one interception during the regular season.
Game summary
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
on January 3, 2005, in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Official attendance was listed as 77,349. Mike Tirico
Mike Tirico
Michael Todd Tirico is an announcer for ESPN's presentation of Monday Night Football, and second lead broadcaster for ESPN's presentation of the NBA. In addition, Tirico hosts a multitude of programming on ESPN/ABC. He was the host of ABC's golf coverage from 1996 to 2007, and continues in that...
, Tim Brant
Tim Brant
Tim Brant is an American sportscaster and Vice President and Director of Sports for ABC 7 / WJLA-TV in Washington DC. He has spent nearly thirty years covering sports nationally for CBS and ABC....
, Terry Bowden
Terry Bowden
Terry Bowden is an American football coach at the University of North Alabama. Bowden was previously the head coach at Salem University , Samford University , and Auburn University . Bowden is the son of former Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden...
, and Suzy Shuster
Suzy Shuster
Suzy Shuster is an American broadcaster. She got her start in sports broadcasting as an intern at the 1994 Final Four, broadcast on CBS. She was educated at Columbia University and graduated with a degree in History and Art History in 1994...
were the announcers for the television broadcast, which was aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. About 10 million households watched the game on television in the United States, giving the game a Nielsen rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 9.5 and making it the 24th most popular Bowl Championship Series game in terms of television ratings. The game was also broadcast on ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
, and was commentated by Mark Jones
Mark Jones (broadcaster)
Mark Jones is a sportscaster for ESPN and ABC. Jones has been with ESPN/ABC since 1990. Prior to that, Jones worked for TSN in his native Canada. He primarily covers college football and NBA games for ESPN and ESPN on ABC....
, Bob Davie, and Holly Rowe. Spread bettors
Spread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
favored Auburn to win the game by seven points.
Pregame entertainment was provided by Bowl Games of America, a group composed of more than 2,000 performing-arts bands, dance teams, and cheer groups from across the United States. Together, they performed the song "God Bless America
God Bless America
"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. The later version has notably been recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song ....
." The traditional pregame singing of the national anthem
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
was sung by Brad Arnold from the band 3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down is an American rock band from Escatawpa formed in 1996. The band consists of Brad Arnold , Matt Roberts , Todd Harrell , Chris Henderson , and Greg Upchurch ....
. Dick Honig was the referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
, the umpire was Jim Krogstad, and the linesman was Brent Durbin.
First quarter
Following the ceremonial pre-game coin toss, Auburn elected to kick off to Virginia Tech to begin the game, ensuring the Tigers would have possession to begin the second half. Tech began the first drive of the game from its 20-yard line following a touchbackTouchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
. The Hokies initially had success moving the ball, as quarterback Bryan Randall rushed for seven yards on the game's first play, then completed a four-yard pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal two plays later for a first down. The Auburn defense recovered, however, and the Hokies did not gain another first down and were forced to punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
. Auburn recovered the ball and began its first drive of the game from its 26-yard line. On the Tigers' first play, quarterback Jason Campbell threw a long pass to Cooper Wallace for 35 yards. This was followed by another long play as running back Ronnie Brown ran for 31 yards. After the initial shock of the Auburn offense, the Virginia Tech defense firmed up, and Auburn's next three plays were stopped for losses or minimal gains. Facing a fourth down at the Virginia Tech six-yard line, Auburn sent in kicker John Vaughn, who kicked a 23-yard field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
for the game's first points. With 8:35 remaining in the first quarter, Auburn took an early 3–0 lead.
Following the post-field goal kickoff, the Virginia Tech offense attempted to answer Auburn's quick score. Unfortunately for the Hokies, their second drive fared even worse than the first. Tech committed a 10-yard penalty, suffered an eight-yard loss on a play, then had a Bryan Randall pass intercepted by Auburn safety Junior Rosegreen. Rosegreen returned the ball 31 yards, and put Auburn's offense into good field position for its second drive of the game. Auburn also suffered an early penalty in its drive, but moved the ball with another long play—a 23-yard pass to Courtney Taylor—to recover. Again, however, the Virginia Tech defense recovered to force Auburn into a fourth down and a field goal attempt. Vaughn returned to the field and kicked a 19-yard field goal, giving Auburn a 6–0 lead with 1:06 remaining in the quarter.
With time in the quarter running out, Virginia Tech fielded the post-score kickoff and executed a quick series of plays, gaining a first down before time ran out. At the end of the first quarter, Auburn held an early 6–0 lead.
Second quarter
Virginia Tech began the second quarter in possession of the ball and driving down the field. Bryan Randall completed a 10-yard pass for another first down, but after Tech failed to gain another, the Hokies were forced to punt. Auburn reciprocated by going three and outThree and Out
Three And Out is a 2008 British comedy film directed by Jonathan Gershfield. It premiered in London on the 21 April 2008 and was released in the UK and Ireland on 25 April 2008.-Plot:...
and punting the ball back to Virginia Tech. In its first full drive of the second quarter, the Hokies had their best drive of the first half. After a holding penalty nullified a long kickoff return, Tech began at its 24-yard line. Randall completed a nine-yard pass to tight end Jeff King, then ran for another nine yards on a quarterback scramble. He followed the first-down run by completing three consecutive long passes of 16 yards, 13 yards, and 31 yards, respectively. The last pass, to wide receiver Josh Hyman, drove Virginia Tech inside the Auburn two-yard line. There, however, the Tech offense faltered. On three plays, Tech failed to cross the goal line, gaining only one yard in the process. Facing fourth down and needing just one yard for a touchdown, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer
Frank Beamer
Frank Beamer is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , a position he has held since 1987. From 1981 to 1986, Beamer served as the head coach at Murray State University...
elected to attempt to gain the touchdown, rather than send in his kicker for a field goal attempt. The attempted touchdown pass by Randall fell incomplete
Incomplete pass
An incomplete pass is a term in American football which means that a legal forward pass hits the ground before a player on either team gains possession. For example, if the quarterback throws the ball to one of his wide receivers, and the receiver either does not touch it or tries to catch it...
, and Virginia Tech turned the ball over on downs without scoring any points.
Auburn's offense took over at its one-yard line after Tech's failure to score. Jason Campbell orchestrated a successful drive that took Auburn from the shadow of its own end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
, completing passes of 16 yards, 15 yards, and 37 yards in the process. Inside the Virginia Tech red zone
Red Zone
Red Zone may refer to:*Red Zone , a region of France decimated during World War I*Red Zone , a term designating unsafe areas in Iraq after the 2003 invasion by the United States, Britain, and other allies...
, however, the Auburn offense again stumbled. As it had in its two previous scoring drives, Auburn was forced to send in kicker John Vaughn despite being inside the Virginia Tech 10-yard line. Vaughn's 24-yard kick was successful, and with 1:50 remaining in the second quarter, Auburn extended its lead to 9–0.
With little time remaining before halftime, Virginia Tech used a hurry-up offense
Hurry-up offense
The hurry-up offense is an American football offensive style which has two different but related forms in which the offensive team avoids delays between plays. The no-huddle offense refers to avoiding or shortening the huddle to limit or disrupt defensive strategies and flexibility...
. Randall completed a 23-yard pass to Eddie Royal and ran for 22 yards on his own, but threw three consecutive incomplete passes to end the drive. Tech was forced to punt the ball away, and the first half came to an end. At halftime, Auburn led, 9–0.
Halftime
The halftime show was presented by Bowl Games of America, a collection of dance troupeContemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of concert dance that employs compositional philosophy, rather than choreography, to guide unchoreographed movement...
s, marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
s, and cheerleading squads from across the United States. Together, the organizations presented a pirate-themed show based on the character of Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte was a pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his elder brother, Pierre, spelled their last name Laffite, but English-language documents of the time used "Lafitte", and this is the commonly seen spelling in the United States, including for places...
, a noted brigand who lived in New Orleans—site of the game—during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Third quarter
Because Virginia Tech received the ball to begin the game, Auburn received the ball to begin the second half. The Tigers started the first drive of the second half at their 22-yard line. Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown alternated carries as Auburn gained 17 yards in their first three plays. Jason Campbell completed a pass for a five-yard loss, then, on the fifth play of the drive, completed a 53-yard pass to Anthony Mix. The pass was the longest play of the game, and drove the Tigers inside the Virginia Tech red zoneRed Zone
Red Zone may refer to:*Red Zone , a region of France decimated during World War I*Red Zone , a term designating unsafe areas in Iraq after the 2003 invasion by the United States, Britain, and other allies...
. Three plays later, Campbell connected with Devin Aromashodu
Devin Aromashodu
Gbolahan Devin Aromashodu is an American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn...
on a five-yard pass for the game's first touchdown. With 10:39 remaining in the third quarter, Auburn had taken a 16–0 lead.
After Auburn's kickoff, Virginia Tech started its first drive of the second half at its 20-yard line. Down by 16 points, Tech needed to score. The Hokies gained a quick first down, but a five-yard penalty and a sack of Bryan Randall prevented Tech from gaining another. The Hokies were forced to punt, and Auburn took over at its 44-yard line. Despite having good field position, the Tigers went three and out. Following the punt, Virginia Tech reciprocated by also going three and out. With 3:47 remaining in the quarter, Auburn began an offensive drive from its 35-yard line. From the beginning of the drive, however, the Tigers had problems. The first play of Auburn's drive was a 10-yard penalty against the Tigers. The second resulted in a one-yard loss by Ronnie Brown, who attempted to rush through the middle of the defensive line. On the third play, Virginia Tech cornerback Jimmy Williams intercepted an errant pass by Jason Campbell. Though Williams was unable to advance the ball, the Hokies still took over on offense, and with 2:38 remaining in the quarter, had their best field position since the first half.
The first play of the Tech drive resulted in a 12-yard gain as Josh Hyman rushed for 12 yards and a first down on an end-around
End-around
The end-around is a play in American football in which a wide receiver crosses the backfield towards the opposite end of the line and receives a handoff directly from the quarterback. The receiver then may proceed to do one of two things: he either runs the ball towards the line of scrimmage in...
. Running back Cedric Humes was stopped for a loss on the first play after Hyman's rush, but earned 10 yards on two subsequent rushes, setting up a fourth down. Needing one yard for a first down, behind by 16 points, and with time running down in the quarter, Tech head coach Frank Beamer elected to attempt the first down play rather than kick a field goal. Humes again rushed the ball, and as time ran out in the third quarter, picked up enough ground for the first down. With one quarter of play remaining, Auburn led Virginia Tech 16–0, but the Hokies had picked up a first down inside the Auburn 10-yard line to begin the fourth quarter.
Fourth quarter
Virginia Tech began the fourth quarter in possession of the ball, and facing a first down at the Auburn 10-yard line. In three consecutive plays, however, the Hokies only picked up a total of four yards. Needing six yards to get a touchdown, Virginia Tech sent in kicker Brandon Pace to attempt a 23-yard field goal. Despite the short distance, Pace missed the kick. With 13:56 remaining in the game, Auburn still held a 16–0 lead.Following the missed field goal, Auburn took over on offense at its six-yard line—the point from which Tech had missed the kick. Ronnie Brown picked up 13 yards and a first down on three rushes. Carnell Williams then picked up three yards, and Jason Campbell threw a seven-yard pass that gave Auburn another first down. A five-yard penalty against Virginia Tech pushed Auburn's offense near midfield, and Ronnie Brown returned to the field, rushing the ball four consecutive times for 16 yards and driving the Tigers into Virginia Tech territory. Facing a fourth down and one yard, Auburn elected to give the ball to Brown again. On the one-yard run, however, Brown fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
d the ball, which was recovered by Virginia Tech's Mikal Baagee with 8:38 remaining.
Virginia Tech's offense came on to the field desperately needing to score quickly. Though the deficit was only 16 points, and could be made up with two touchdowns and two two-point conversions, the limited time remaining meant the task would be difficult, even if Virginia Tech scored quickly. The Hokies began the drive with a 17-yard pass by quarterback Bryan Randall. Justin Hamilton rushed for five yards, and Randall completed a six-yard pass for another first down. The Tigers helped matters by committing a 15-yard penalty, which put the Hokies inside Auburn territory. Three plays later, Randall capitalized on the opportunity by completing a 29-yard pass to Josh Morgan for a touchdown and the Hokies' first points of the game. Tech attempted a two-point conversion, but the pass attempt fell incomplete. With 6:57 remaining, Virginia Tech now trailed 16–6.
After receiving the post-touchdown kickoff, Auburn began to run out the clock
Running out the clock
In sports, running out the clock refers to the practice of a winning team allowing the clock to expire through a series of pre-selected plays, either to preserve a lead or hasten the end of a one-sided contest.- American football :...
. The Tigers failed to pick up a first down, and after going three and out, punted the ball back to Virginia Tech. The Hokies started their drive at their two-yard line, and Randall began it successfully by completing a 20-yard pass, rushing for 10 yards, then completing a five-yard pass to bring the Hokies near midfield. On the fourth play of the drive, however, Randall was intercepted by Auburn's Derrick Graves. The Tigers, their offense again on the field, began running out the clock again. Tech attempted to interrupt Auburn's clock management by calling timeouts after each play, stopping the clock with each timeout. Virginia Tech forced Auburn into a three and out, and the Tigers again punted the ball away with 2:13 remaining.
After the ball rolled into the end zone for a touchback
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
, Virginia Tech began its final drive at its 20-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Bryan Randall completed an 80-yard touchdown pass to Josh Morgan. The score plus the extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
cut Auburn's lead to 16–13. With time in the game almost exhausted, Virginia Tech was forced to attempt an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
in order to have a chance to get another offensive drive. Because the Hokies had used their final timeouts to stop the clock on Auburn's previous drive, Auburn would be free to run out the game's final minutes. Despite the hopes of Virginia Tech for a last-second miracle, the Auburn Tigers recovered the kick, allowing them to run out the clock and clinch a 16–13 victory.
Final statistics
Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell completed 11 of 16 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and was named the game's most valuable player. Despite his performance, he was neither the leading scorer on his team nor the overall best performer in the game. Auburn kicker John Vaughn was successful on all three of his field goalField goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
attempts and also succeeded on his sole extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
kick in the game, resulting in 10 Auburn points. On the opposite side of the ball, Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall completed 21 of his 38 passes for 299 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Virginia Tech kicker Branden Pace missed his sole field goal attempt of the game, a 23-yard kick.
On the ground, Auburn running back Ronnie Brown led all rushers with 68 yards on 14 carries. Second was Auburn's Carnell Williams, who gained 61 yards on 19 carries. Bryan Randall was the Hokies' leading rusher, accumulating 45 yards on nine carries. Tech's two running backs, Mike Imoh and Cedric Humes, were stymied by the Auburn defense and managed just 26 yards on 12 combined carries. Virginia Tech wide receiver Josh Morgan finished the game with three receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns, making him the game's most prolific receiver. Auburn's Courtney Taylor was second, with five catches for 87 yards, and Tech's Josh Hyman was third with five catches for 71 yards.
For the defense, Virginia Tech cornerback Jimmy Williams was the top performer. Williams had 10 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, and one interception. Tech's Mikal Baaqee had eight tackles and one fumble recovery, making him the game's second-leading tackler. Auburn defender Derrick Graves was the most prolific tackler for the Tigers, making seven tackles and catching one interception of an errant Bryan Randall pass. Three players had one sack—two for Virginia Tech and one for Auburn.
Postgame effects
With the win, Auburn finished the season undefeated, with 13 wins and zero losses. Virginia Tech's loss gave it a final record of 10–3.The victory gave Auburn fans hope that if Oklahoma won the 2005 BCS National Championship Game
2005 Orange Bowl
The 2005 Orange Bowl represented the BCS National Championship Game of the 2004 season and was played on January 4, 2005 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida....
, a split national championship would result. By contract, the winner of the BCS National Championship Game is voted number one in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. In contrast, the Associated Press poll has no such restriction. Auburn's thin margin of victory over Tech put the prospect of split national title in doubt, though not out of reach. USC
2004 USC Trojans football team
The 2004 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2004-2005 NCAA Division I-A college football season. Although now vacated for breaking NCAA rules, the team won the 2004 BCS National Championship by winning the 2005 Orange Bowl, that year's BCS National...
's blowout 55–19 victory over Oklahoma, however, made it likely that USC would be the overwhelming choice for first place. When the final college football polls of the season were released, USC was voted number one by a large margin, though three voters in the Associated Press poll voted Auburn first. More than three years after the game, ESPN sportswriter Ted Miller rated the game second on his list of victims of the BCS system, just behind USC being left out of the championship game in 2003
2003 Fiesta Bowl
The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl took place on January 3,2003 in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes by a score of 31–24 in double overtime. It also served as the BCS National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season...
.
The Tigers lost 18 players due to graduation, and several juniors elected to enter the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
as well. During the first round of the draft, Auburn had four players selected: Ronnie Brown, with the second overall pick, Carnell Williams (fifth), Carlos Rogers (ninth), and Jason Campbell (25th). Virginia Tech had three players selected in the 2005 draft: Eric Green (75th), Vincent Fuller (108th), and Jon Dunn (217th). Virginia Tech's appearance in the Sugar Bowl helped its recruiting efforts in the state of Virginia, with eight of the state's top recruits (ranked by the Roanoke Times newspaper), pledging to attend Tech.
The visiting fans of Auburn and Virginia Tech injected tens of millions of dollars into the New Orleans economy, despite high food, travel, and lodging costs that forced some fans to cut discretionary spending during their trips.