2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl was a postseason
college football
match between the Georgia Bulldogs
and the Virginia Tech Hokies
at the Georgia Dome
in Atlanta, Georgia
. The University of Georgia represented the Southeastern Conference
(SEC) and Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) in the competition. The game was the final competition of the 2006 football season for each team and resulted in a 31–24 Georgia victory, even though spread bettors
favored Virginia Tech to win by three points. In exchange for the right to pick the first ACC team after the Bowl Championship Series
selections, bowl representatives paid $
3.25 million to the ACC, while the SEC, whose fifth team was selected, received $2.4 million. The combined $5.65 million payout was the seventh-largest among all college football bowl games, and the fourth-largest non-BCS bowl game payout.
In a game that was expected to be a defensive
struggle, Virginia Tech took a 21–3 lead in the first half. After halftime, Georgia answered Tech's first-half success, thanks in part to four second-half turnovers
by Tech quarterback
Sean Glennon
. Virginia Tech's No. 1 ranked defense struggled in the second half, allowing 153 yards (of 200 total) in the final 30 minutes. As time ran out, Georgia held a one-touchdown
lead, 31–24, having beaten back a last-second Tech rally. 75,406 people attended the game, making it the 10th consecutive Peach Bowl sellout, the largest crowd to ever attend an event at the Georgia Dome, and the third-largest bowl game in terms of attendance for the 2006–2007 season. Each school sold out its allotment of 18,500 tickets quickly. 31,922 people attended the Chick-fil-A
"fan fest" before the game, setting a new attendance record. Virginia Tech's loss brought it to a final 2006 record of 10–3, while Georgia's final-game win earned it a record of 9–4.
made their selection. According to the official selection rules still used today, the team chosen to represent the ACC must be within one conference victory of the remaining, highest-ranked conference team or be ranked more than five spaces ahead of the ACC team with the best Conference record available in the final BCS Standings.
In choosing the SEC opponent, the Chick-fil-A Bowl selection committee had the right to select the first SEC school after the Bowl Championship Series, Cotton Bowl Classic, Capital One Bowl
, and Outback Bowl
made their selections. Just as in the ACC, the selection committee could not select an SEC team with two more losses than the highest available team. The bowl earned the right to select these teams via its multi-million-dollar payout system, which guarantees a certain amount of money to the participating conferences. Prior to 2006, the Chick-fil-A Bowl (then known as the Peach Bowl) matched the No. 5 team in the SEC versus the No. 3 team in the ACC. After the bowl increased its payout to $2.8 million per squad, it then was given the second pick from the ACC, with the Gator Bowl dropping to third.
Leeman Bennett
, the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, served as chairman of the selection committee, which had the task of picking the best teams from those made available by the selection criteria set by the two conferences. The committee would have approximately one month to select the two teams that would attract the most people to the game and generate the largest possible television audience. This fact helped eliminate ACC runner-up Georgia Tech
from the selection process, as the Yellow Jackets had already played Georgia earlier in the season, thus making a potential Georgia-Georgia Tech showdown less attractive. In addition, that matchup, while attractive to football fans in the Atlanta area (the site of the Chick-fil-A Bowl and home to Georgia Tech), would have less appeal to television viewers outside the Georgia area. Supervising the selection committee was the Chick-fil-A Bowl Executive Committee, which consisted of representatives from various Atlanta businesses and the Chick-fil-A
corporation.
. A few hours later, Georgia was selected as the second half of the matchup. Two days after the selections were announced, the game was declared sold out, the 10th consecutive sellout in the combined history of the Peach and Chick-fil-A Bowls. Georgia and Virginia Tech each were assigned initial allocations of 18,500 tickets for distribution, and following the quick sales of those ticket bloc
s, each asked for and received additional tickets to distribute.
The game was the third time Virginia Tech and the University of Georgia faced each other on the football field. The two previous games—one in 1931 and the other in 1932—resulted in one loss and one win for each team. Various casinos and betting organizations favored Virginia Tech by 2.5–3 points when setting their point spread.
revealed that Ike Whitaker, Virginia Tech's backup quarterback
, would not be attending the game for undisclosed reasons. It was later revealed that Whitaker had been admitted to an alcohol treatment center in Salem
, Virginia
.
For Georgia, discussion centered around the play-calling duties of assistant coach Mike Bobo. Bobo had been named the temporary offensive coordinator
for the Bulldogs after then-assistant coordinator Neil Calloway had been named the new head coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Calloway would remain with the Bulldogs as the offensive line coach during the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but Bobo would take over his role as offensive coordinator for the game. It was only the second time that Bobo performed as a play-caller for the Bulldogs, the previous game having come in Georgia's regular-season closer, a 15–12 win against Georgia Tech
.
sophomore Sean Glennon. Named the starting quarterback at the beginning of the 2006 season, Glennon replaced Marcus Vick
, who had been expelled from Virginia Tech at the end of the previous year. While not as statistically successful as Marcus Vick, Glennon still managed to lead the Hokies to their third consecutive 10-win season, and had the edge over Stafford in terms of experience.
On the ground, it appeared that Virginia Tech had the edge in experience, forcing Georgia's defense to concentrate on stopping Tech's run game. Virginia Tech running back
Branden Ore suffered an ankle injury in the Hokies' regular-season game against Wake Forest, but still took the field in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The same could not be said for Georgia, whose original starting running back, Thomas Brown, suffered a season-ending knee injury in October. Filling his role were two inexperienced players: Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware. Making up for this inexperience, the two players were coached by Tony Ball, a former Virginia Tech wide receivers coach with insights into the Tech defense.
With Ore still not fully recovered from his injury and two inexperienced players on the Georgia side, it appeared that the teams' passing offenses
would have to take up the slack. Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal, with 452 receiving yards, led both teams in receiving yardage coming into the game. Georgia's receiving corps was led by wide receiver Mohammed Massaquoi and tight end Martrez Milner. Massaquoi caught 28 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns coming into the game, while Milner had 27 receptions for 376 yards and two touchdowns.
s, whom he would have to go through in order to complete passes to his receivers. "They play kind of a different scheme than a lot of teams so it would be tough if you only had one week to try to prepare for these guys", Stafford said in an interview prior to the game. "They trust their corners a lot, but they've got good ones and can. They lock up a lot of time single receiver side because they've got a good corner down there that plays on the boundary."
Georgia's defense, ranked fifth in the SEC, was no less a concern for Virginia Tech's offense. "Defense is one of the major aspects of the SEC", said Georgia center Nick Jones before the game. "You face great defenses week in and week out, and we face a great one week in and week out in practice against our defense. We've been up against great defenses and great personnel, so it's nothing new for us." Heading into the game, Georgia was ranked ninth in total defense, giving up only 264 yards per game, and 22nd in scoring defense, allowing an average of just 17.1 points a game.
The 2006 Chick-fil-A bowl kicked off on December 30, 2006 at 8:00 p.m. The game was nationally televised on ESPN
, with over 5 million households tuning into the game at home, enough to earn ESPN a television rating
of 4.8 for the broadcast. 75,406 people attended the game in person, making it the 10th consecutive Chick-fil-A Bowl sell-out, the first since the word "Peach" was dropped from the title, the largest crowd ever to attend an event at the Georgia Dome
, and the third-largest bowl game in terms of attendance for the 2006-2007 season. 31,922 people attended the Chick-fil-A "fan fest" prior to the game, setting a new attendance record. Due to the proximity of Atlanta to the University of Georgia's main campus in Athens, Georgia
, gave Georgia a home-field advantage. but the Virginia Tech fans, known for traveling well to their bowl appearances, quickly bought out their school's allotment of tickets and ensured a divided crowd.
penalty that forced the Hokies to punt. On its first possession, Georgia moved into scoring position courtesy of a 26-yard run by Kregg Lumpkin. Failing to advance the ball further, Georgia sent in kicker Brandon Coutu who kicked a 39-yard field goal to give Georgia the early lead, 3–0.
The two teams proceeded to trade possession, with no side able to gain an advantage over the other's defense. Tech received the kickoff from Georgia, but was again hampered by penalties after earning a first down. After the Virginia Tech punt, Georgia went three-and-out, punting to the Hokies, who also went three-and-out.
After taking possession on his own 16-yard line, Georgia quarterback and true freshman
Matthew Stafford
caused the first turning point of the game as he threw an interception to Brenden Hill of Virginia Tech. Starting deep in Georgia territory, Virginia Tech was further aided by a personal foul on Georgia, which set up a first-and-goal situation for Virginia Tech on the Georgia 6-yard line. A two-yard run by Virginia Tech tailback
Branden Ore brought the ball closer to the goal line and ended the first quarter of play.
At the end of the first quarter, Georgia led Virginia Tech 3–0.
and extra point
gave Virginia Tech a 7–3 lead with 13:23 left in the half.
Georgia began its first possession with a 25-yard kickoff return, but failed to earn a first down in the face of a tough Hokie defensive effort. Georgia punter Gordon Ely-Kelso kicked a 56-yard punt following the Virginia Tech defensive stop. A breakdown in special teams coverage by Georgia allowed Virginia Tech kick returner Eddie Royal to break free, returning the kick 56 yards back to the original line of scrimmage. As a result of the excellent field position provided by the return, Virginia Tech was able to drive the remaining 30 yards to the end zone. Branden Ore earned his second touchdown of the game, making the score 14–3 with 6:13 remaining on the clock.
After a short return, Georgia QB Stafford went to work on the Georgia 24-yard line. Two incomplete passes and one sack
later, Georgia was again punting. Virginia Tech again was in excellent field position, starting on their own 47-yard line. Instead of rushing the ball, as had been the trend for the Tech offense up to that point, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer called for a trick play
. At the snap
, quarterback Sean Glennon lateraled
the football to wide receiver Eddie Royal. Rather than running the ball, Royal threw the ball downfield, catching the Georgia defense off guard. Tight end
Sam Wheeler, the target of the throw, had been left uncovered by a defense expecting a run. The pass was completed, and Wheeler ran unimpeded 53 yards for a touchdown. The play took 19 seconds to execute, and gave Virginia Tech a 21–3 lead with 4:00 remaining in the half.
Georgia was again unable to earn a first down in the ensuing possession, and attempted three straight rushing plays that earned a total of six yards. After a Georgia punt, Virginia Tech ran two rushing plays before attempting the same Royal pass that had gone for a touchdown earlier. Georgia, having anticipated the play, sacked Royal for a loss of two yards, ending the first half.
At halftime, Virginia Tech led Georgia 21–3.
Because Virginia Tech had received the opening kickoff, Georgia received the ball to open the second half. Stafford was able to connect with wide receiver Mario Raley for a 24-yard gain, taking Georgia to the 50-yard line, but Virginia Tech's defense stiffened and Georgia was forced to punt. Pinned at their ten-yard line by the Georgia punt, Virginia Tech went three-and-out and was itself forced to punt.
A 19-yard punt return by Mikey Henderson put Georgia into good field position. Stafford capitalized on the opportunity, completing a 26-yard pass to put Georgia into field-goal range. After three unsuccessful plays, kicker Brandon Coutu connected on a 51-yard field goal to cut the Virginia Tech lead to 21–6.
On the kickoff following the field goal, Georgia head coach Mark Richt ordered an unorthodox onside kick
. Surprised by the unexpected play, the Virginia Tech coverage team was unable to recover the ball, which was leapt upon by the kicker, Brian Mimbs. With a new chance at offense and a sense of optimism triggered by the successful onside kick, Georgia drove down the field. Aided by 20 yards in penalties against Virginia Tech, the drive resulted in a six-yard touchdown pass to Martrez Milner
. The touchdown and extra point boosted Georgia's morale and cut the score to 21–13, Virginia Tech leading by eight.
The third quarter came to a close as Virginia Tech struggled to answer the two Georgia scores. Tech quarterback Sean Glennon
connected on a 29-yard pass to Eddie Royal, driving the Hokies to the Bulldog 47-yard line as the clock hit zero.
At the end of the third quarter, Virginia Tech still led Georgia, 21–13.
The fourth quarter began with Virginia Tech searching for a way to answer Georgia's previous two scores and quash the momentum Georgia had picked up. On the third play of the quarter, however, Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon threw an interception to Georgia's Tony Taylor. Beginning on their own 35-yard line, Georgia capitalized on the mistake quickly, courtesy of a 15-yard personal foul penalty and a 41-yard completion from Stafford to Milner. Georgia, hoping to tie the time, attempted and completed a two-point conversion
. The resulting scores tied the game at 21–21 with 12:39 remaining in the game.
Virginia Tech's hopes to answer were smashed on the first play after Georgia's kickoff as Glennon fumbled the snap, losing the ball to Georgia's Quentin Moses. Georgia failed to pick up a first down following the turnover, but the fumble did turn into three points for the Bulldogs, as kicker Brandon Coutou connected on his third field goal of the day, giving Georgia its first lead since the first quarter, 24–21.
After the Georgia kickoff, Glennon was again intercepted by Tony Taylor, who earned his second interception on the day and created Glennon's third turnover. Taylor returned the ball 16 yards to the Tech one-yard line, setting up an easy touchdown for the Bulldogs. With 6:54 remaining, Georgia took a 31–21 lead over Virginia Tech.
On the ensuing Tech possession, Tech's quarterback continued to play poorly. On the third play following the kickoff, Glennon was intercepted for the fourth time in the game. The downfield interception set up Georgia at their own 11-yard line. Georgia rushed the ball three times, forcing Virginia Tech to use two timeouts in order to stop the clock. The punt by Georgia's Ely-Kelso was poorly done, and traveled only 15 yards before going out of bounds.
As a result of the excellent field position, Virginia Tech seemed in position for an easy score. However, after a quick Tech first down, the Georgia defense stiffened and Tech was forced to settle for a field goal. The 28-yard kick by Brandon Pace cut Georgia's lead to 31–24, but only 3:42 remained on the clock. Due to the short time remaining, Virginia Tech was forced to attempt an onside kick in order to have another chance at offense. The kick was recovered by Georgia, however, and the Bulldogs proceeded to rush the ball in three consecutive plays, forcing the Hokies to use their last timeout in order to conserve time for one final drive.
Georgia's punt rolled into the end zone for a touchback, and with 1:28 remaining in the game, Virginia Tech began the final drive on its own 20-yard line. Any tension was soon defused by the Georgia defense, which forced three incompletions and a sack. Glennon's attempt at a Hail Mary pass
fell short, giving Georgia the win with a final score of 31–24.
Kregg Lumpkin. After the run, Lumpkin would amass only 13 additional yards in the remaining three quarters of play. Over half of Georgia's total offensive yards (200 total yards) came through the air from Stafford, who finished with 129 passing yards, one interception, and one touchdown. Approximately a third (41 yards) of Stafford's passing yards came on a single completion in the fourth quarter. Another long pass play netted Stafford 24 yards. Together, the two plays accounted for half of Stafford's total passing yards. Seven other completions netted only 64 yards, an average of just over 9 yards a play.
Georgia's kicking game had a far more active day than its offense. Punter Gordon Ely-Kelso booted seven punts and kicker Brandon Coutu nailed three field goals. The field goals, kicked from 39, 51, and 28 yards away and two extra points made Coutu Georgia's leading scorer in the game, earning 11 points. Ely-Kelso netted 264 yards in punts, an average of 37.7 yards per kick. Though not long, the punts were high enough in the air to allow Georgia's special teams to get downfield and prevent long punt returns. Only two of Ely-Kelso's punts were returned by Tech kick returner Eddie Royal, and one return was for negative yardage.
Georgia's defense managed a strong performance statistically and in real terms. The most obvious examples of this were the three interceptions and one forced fumble that proved to be the turning point in the game. Two of the interceptions were caught by linebacker Tony Taylor, who also had nine tackles, two for a loss of yards. The tackles tied him with Paul Oliver, who also had nine. The third interception came from Kelin Johnson, while the fumble was forced by Charles Johnson. Johnson had an active day as well. In addition to the forced fumble, he recorded four tackles, two sacks, and a pass break-up.
The defensive play of Taylor, Oliver, and Johnson greatly affected the course of the game and is apparent in Georgia's time of possession and average starting position in each of the quarters. During the first and second quarters, Georgia had average starting positions on their own 19 and 26-yard lines, respectively. Their first-quarter time of possession was just 5:41, and their second-quarter possession time was 6:34. During the third and fourth quarters, when all four Virginia Tech turnovers took place, Georgia's time of possession jumped to 10:41 and 7:47, respectively. In the third quarter, their average starting possession gained ten yards to the Georgia 36, and during the final quarter, their average starting position was the Virginia Tech 36-yard line. This fact allowed Georgia to capitalize on the Virginia Tech turnovers, turning them into points on the scoreboard.
where Glennon passed for just 86 yards in the face of a tough defense. In a statistic unusual for the 2006 season, Glennon was not the only Tech player to complete a pass. Wide receiver Eddie Royal's 53-yard TD pass made him just the third Virginia Tech player to complete a pass during the 2006 season. The play on which Royal made his throw, a lateral WR pass, had been attempted once previously in the season during a 38–27 loss to Georgia Tech.
On the ground, the Hokies had even less success than they did in the air. Branden Ore, Tech's starting tailback
, earned 42 yards in 20 short rushes during the game. With a long run of eight yards, Ore was kept in check by Georgia's defense. The only other Hokie to achieve positive yardage on the ground was backup tailback Kenny Lewis, who only managed five yards. Glennon was sacked three times, once fumbling the ball. These sacks wiped out the 11 rushing yards he managed to gain during his scrambles for yardage. In the second quarter, Virginia Tech was aided by excellent field position, enabling them to score three offensive touchdowns. Tech's average starting field position in that quarter was the Georgia 48-yard line, allowing for easy scores even for a struggling offense.
As with Georgia, Virginia Tech's kicking and special teams proved to have more success than either aspect of the offense. Virginia Tech kicker Brandon Pace scored a single 28-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter, and punter Nic Schmitt blasted four punts for a total of 195 yards, averaging 48.8 yards a punt. Pace's field goal helped to trigger a late-game rally by Virginia Tech, which had been stunned by a Georgia onside kick and several interceptions thrown by Glennon. Schmitt's long punts, meanwhile, denied Georgia good field position in the first half of the game. Only in the second half, when Glennon's interceptions allowed Georgia to start on the Tech side of the field, was the Georgia offense able to reach the end zone. In the first and second quarters, Georgia's average starting position was their own 19-yard line and own 26-yard line, respectively.
That starting field position proved a boon for the Virginia Tech defense, which only allowed 200 total yards in the game. Tech linebacker Vince Hall led the Hokies and all defensive players with 13 tackles in the game. Tech recorded one interception during the game, courtesy of Brenden Hill, who also made three tackles. Georgia's offensive line, despite starting only six scholarship offensive linemen, allowed just two sacks to the Virginia Tech defense. Chris Ellis and Noland Burchette each earned a single sack, accounting for a loss of 15 total yards.
, No. 16 Georgia Tech, and No. 14 Virginia Tech all fell to Georgia in November or December. The game and the tens of thousands of fans it attracted injected an estimated $35 million into the Atlanta area economy, mostly as a result of food, hotel, and other expenses incurred by visiting fans.
was replaced as the Hokies' starter by freshman Tyrod Taylor
, causing many pundits to point to the four interceptions Glennon threw in the Chick-fil-A Bowl as an example of his failure as a quarterback. Brian Mimbs, the former walk-on who kicked and recovered the onside kick that began Georgia's rally was named the Bulldogs' starting punter for the 2007 season, partially due to his performance in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
At the end of the 2007 college football season, both Georgia and Virginia Tech were named to Bowl Championship Series
bowl games, indicating an increase over their 2006 performances. Georgia earned a bid to the 2008 Sugar Bowl
in New Orleans, Louisiana
against the Hawaii Warriors
, who they defeated, 41–10. Virginia Tech, having won the 2007 ACC Championship Game
, earned an automatic bid to the 2008 Orange Bowl
in Miami, Florida
, losing 24–21 to the Kansas Jayhawks
.
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...
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...
match between the Georgia Bulldogs
2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 2006 Georgia Bulldogs football team completed the season with a 9-4 record. The Bulldogs had an SEC record of 4-4. Despite losses to unranked Kentucky and Vanderbilt, Georgia salvaged its season by beating two ranked teams in the last two games of the season: #5 Auburn and #15 Georgia Tech...
and the Virginia Tech Hokies
2006 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2006 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Frank Beamer...
at the Georgia Dome
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. The University of Georgia 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) and 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 competition. The game was the final competition of the 2006 football season for each team and resulted in a 31–24 Georgia victory, even though 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 Virginia Tech to win by three points. In exchange for the right to pick the first ACC team after the 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...
selections, bowl representatives paid $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3.25 million to the ACC, while the SEC, whose fifth team was selected, received $2.4 million. The combined $5.65 million payout was the seventh-largest among all college football bowl games, and the fourth-largest non-BCS bowl game payout.
In a game that was expected to be a defensive
Defense (sport)
In many team sports, defense or defence is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring. The term may also refer to the tactics involved in defense, or a sub-team whose primary responsibility is defense...
struggle, Virginia Tech took a 21–3 lead in the first half. After halftime, Georgia answered Tech's first-half success, thanks in part to four second-half turnovers
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...
by Tech 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...
Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League....
. Virginia Tech's No. 1 ranked defense struggled in the second half, allowing 153 yards (of 200 total) in the final 30 minutes. As time ran out, Georgia held a one-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:...
lead, 31–24, having beaten back a last-second Tech rally. 75,406 people attended the game, making it the 10th consecutive Peach Bowl sellout, the largest crowd to ever attend an event at the Georgia Dome, and the third-largest bowl game in terms of attendance for the 2006–2007 season. Each school sold out its allotment of 18,500 tickets quickly. 31,922 people attended the Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A |"fillet"]]) is a quick service restaurant chain headquartered in College Park, Georgia, United States, specializing in chicken entrées and is known for promoting the company founder's claims of Christian values. Long associated with the southern United States, where it has been a...
"fan fest" before the game, setting a new attendance record. Virginia Tech's loss brought it to a final 2006 record of 10–3, while Georgia's final-game win earned it a record of 9–4.
Selection process
Beginning with the 2006 game, the Chick-fil-A Bowl had purchased the right to select the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference team after representatives from the Bowl Championship SeriesBowl 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...
made their selection. According to the official selection rules still used today, the team chosen to represent the ACC must be within one conference victory of the remaining, highest-ranked conference team or be ranked more than five spaces ahead of the ACC team with the best Conference record available in the final BCS Standings.
In choosing the SEC opponent, the Chick-fil-A Bowl selection committee had the right to select the first SEC school after the Bowl Championship Series, Cotton Bowl Classic, Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
, and Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
made their selections. Just as in the ACC, the selection committee could not select an SEC team with two more losses than the highest available team. The bowl earned the right to select these teams via its multi-million-dollar payout system, which guarantees a certain amount of money to the participating conferences. Prior to 2006, the Chick-fil-A Bowl (then known as the Peach Bowl) matched the No. 5 team in the SEC versus the No. 3 team in the ACC. After the bowl increased its payout to $2.8 million per squad, it then was given the second pick from the ACC, with the Gator Bowl dropping to third.
Leeman Bennett
Leeman Bennett
Leeman Bennett is a former football coach who served at both the collegiate and professional levels, but is most prominently remembered as head coach of the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
, the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, served as chairman of the selection committee, which had the task of picking the best teams from those made available by the selection criteria set by the two conferences. The committee would have approximately one month to select the two teams that would attract the most people to the game and generate the largest possible television audience. This fact helped eliminate ACC runner-up Georgia Tech
2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's coach is former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey...
from the selection process, as the Yellow Jackets had already played Georgia earlier in the season, thus making a potential Georgia-Georgia Tech showdown less attractive. In addition, that matchup, while attractive to football fans in the Atlanta area (the site of the Chick-fil-A Bowl and home to Georgia Tech), would have less appeal to television viewers outside the Georgia area. Supervising the selection committee was the Chick-fil-A Bowl Executive Committee, which consisted of representatives from various Atlanta businesses and the Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A |"fillet"]]) is a quick service restaurant chain headquartered in College Park, Georgia, United States, specializing in chicken entrées and is known for promoting the company founder's claims of Christian values. Long associated with the southern United States, where it has been a...
corporation.
Pregame buildup
On the morning of December 3, 2006, Chick-fil-A Bowl representatives selected Virginia Tech to represent the ACC in the 2006 Chick-fil-A BowlChick-fil-A Bowl
The Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly called the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and before that simply called the Peach Bowl, is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. The first three Peach Bowls were played at Grant Field on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta....
. A few hours later, Georgia was selected as the second half of the matchup. Two days after the selections were announced, the game was declared sold out, the 10th consecutive sellout in the combined history of the Peach and Chick-fil-A Bowls. Georgia and Virginia Tech each were assigned initial allocations of 18,500 tickets for distribution, and following the quick sales of those ticket bloc
Bloc
Bloc may refer to:* Eastern Bloc, a former group of countries in Europe* Voting bloc, a group of voters voting together* Trade bloc, a type of intergovernmental agreement* Bloc voting , several types of voting systems...
s, each asked for and received additional tickets to distribute.
The game was the third time Virginia Tech and the University of Georgia faced each other on the football field. The two previous games—one in 1931 and the other in 1932—resulted in one loss and one win for each team. Various casinos and betting organizations favored Virginia Tech by 2.5–3 points when setting their point spread.
Media coverage
Media discussion of the game in the weeks leading up to kickoff centered on the Hokies' No. 1-nationally ranked defense and Georgia's 5th-ranked SEC defense. Most pundits predicted a low-scoring game, and a few predicted an "all-out defensive war". A week before departing for Atlanta, Virginia Tech head coach Frank BeamerFrank 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...
revealed that Ike Whitaker, Virginia Tech's backup 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...
, would not be attending the game for undisclosed reasons. It was later revealed that Whitaker had been admitted to an alcohol treatment center in Salem
Salem, Virginia
Salem is an independent city in Virginia, USA, bordered by the city of Roanoke to the east but otherwise adjacent to Roanoke County. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,802 according to 2010 U.S. Census...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
For Georgia, discussion centered around the play-calling duties of assistant coach Mike Bobo. Bobo had been named the temporary offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the Bulldogs after then-assistant coordinator Neil Calloway had been named the new head coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Calloway would remain with the Bulldogs as the offensive line coach during the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but Bobo would take over his role as offensive coordinator for the game. It was only the second time that Bobo performed as a play-caller for the Bulldogs, the previous game having come in Georgia's regular-season closer, a 15–12 win against Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Offensive matchups
With the fifth-ranked defense in the SEC going up against the number-one ranked scoring defense in the nation, attention centered around the likelihood of a low-scoring defensive struggle. Of particular interest were the two teams' quarterbacks and how they would likely fare against such a tough defense. Georgia struggled on offense for much of the season, resulting in a battle for the starting quarterback position between senior Joe Tereshinski and freshman Matthew Stafford. Though Stafford was eventually given the starting role, he struggled in his first year, completing 126 of 235 passes (53.6%) for 1,620 yards, with six touchdowns and 12 interceptions heading into the Chick-fil-A Bowl. On the opposite side of the field, Virginia Tech would be starting redshirtRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
sophomore Sean Glennon. Named the starting quarterback at the beginning of the 2006 season, Glennon replaced Marcus Vick
Marcus Vick
Marcus Vick is a former college and professional football player. He is the younger brother of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who also began playing high school football in Newport News Public Schools. After accepting a full scholarship to attend Virginia Tech, Marcus played...
, who had been expelled from Virginia Tech at the end of the previous year. While not as statistically successful as Marcus Vick, Glennon still managed to lead the Hokies to their third consecutive 10-win season, and had the edge over Stafford in terms of experience.
On the ground, it appeared that Virginia Tech had the edge in experience, forcing Georgia's defense to concentrate on stopping Tech's run game. Virginia Tech 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...
Branden Ore suffered an ankle injury in the Hokies' regular-season game against Wake Forest, but still took the field in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The same could not be said for Georgia, whose original starting running back, Thomas Brown, suffered a season-ending knee injury in October. Filling his role were two inexperienced players: Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware. Making up for this inexperience, the two players were coached by Tony Ball, a former Virginia Tech wide receivers coach with insights into the Tech defense.
With Ore still not fully recovered from his injury and two inexperienced players on the Georgia side, it appeared that the teams' passing offenses
Offensive philosophy (American football)
The approach to offense in American and Canadian football has splintered and evolved in the 100 years in which the modern form of the sport has existed. Many philosophies exist about deploying a team's 11 players.-Smash Mouth:...
would have to take up the slack. Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal, with 452 receiving yards, led both teams in receiving yardage coming into the game. Georgia's receiving corps was led by wide receiver Mohammed Massaquoi and tight end Martrez Milner. Massaquoi caught 28 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns coming into the game, while Milner had 27 receptions for 376 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensive matchups
Each offense would face tough defense in the air and on the ground. The Virginia Tech defense, led by junior linebackers Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi, was expected to present a challenge for the Georgia offense. "You try to find some kind of mismatch, but it's very difficult to do", Georgia head coach Mark Richt said before kickoff. "That's why they're the best (defense) in the country. Their interior defensive linemen are very, very strong and physical, and, really, everybody else is built for speed. Their edge rushers are tremendous, and their linebackers are outstanding and physical. Their defensive backs can all run and hit. It's going to be a real challenge." Of particular concern for quarterback Matt Stafford were Virginia Tech's 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...
s, whom he would have to go through in order to complete passes to his receivers. "They play kind of a different scheme than a lot of teams so it would be tough if you only had one week to try to prepare for these guys", Stafford said in an interview prior to the game. "They trust their corners a lot, but they've got good ones and can. They lock up a lot of time single receiver side because they've got a good corner down there that plays on the boundary."
Georgia's defense, ranked fifth in the SEC, was no less a concern for Virginia Tech's offense. "Defense is one of the major aspects of the SEC", said Georgia center Nick Jones before the game. "You face great defenses week in and week out, and we face a great one week in and week out in practice against our defense. We've been up against great defenses and great personnel, so it's nothing new for us." Heading into the game, Georgia was ranked ninth in total defense, giving up only 264 yards per game, and 22nd in scoring defense, allowing an average of just 17.1 points a game.
Game summary
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, with over 5 million households tuning into the game at home, enough to earn ESPN a television 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 4.8 for the broadcast. 75,406 people attended the game in person, making it the 10th consecutive Chick-fil-A Bowl sell-out, the first since the word "Peach" was dropped from the title, the largest crowd ever to attend an event at the Georgia Dome
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
, and the third-largest bowl game in terms of attendance for the 2006-2007 season. 31,922 people attended the Chick-fil-A "fan fest" prior to the game, setting a new attendance record. Due to the proximity of Atlanta to the University of Georgia's main campus in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, gave Georgia a home-field advantage. but the Virginia Tech fans, known for traveling well to their bowl appearances, quickly bought out their school's allotment of tickets and ensured a divided crowd.
First quarter
Defense dominated in the first quarter of the game. Virginia Tech received the opening kickoff, but failed to capitalize on its opening drive thanks to a personal foulPenalty (American football)
In American football and Canadian football, a penalty is a sanction called against a team for a violation of the rules, called a foul. Officials initially signal penalties by tossing a bright yellow or orange colored "penalty flag" onto the field toward or at the spot of a foul...
penalty that forced the Hokies to punt. On its first possession, Georgia moved into scoring position courtesy of a 26-yard run by Kregg Lumpkin. Failing to advance the ball further, Georgia sent in kicker Brandon Coutu who kicked a 39-yard field goal to give Georgia the early lead, 3–0.
The two teams proceeded to trade possession, with no side able to gain an advantage over the other's defense. Tech received the kickoff from Georgia, but was again hampered by penalties after earning a first down. After the Virginia Tech punt, Georgia went three-and-out, punting to the Hokies, who also went three-and-out.
After taking possession on his own 16-yard line, Georgia quarterback and true freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford (American football)
John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....
caused the first turning point of the game as he threw an interception to Brenden Hill of Virginia Tech. Starting deep in Georgia territory, Virginia Tech was further aided by a personal foul on Georgia, which set up a first-and-goal situation for Virginia Tech on the Georgia 6-yard line. A two-yard run by Virginia Tech tailback
Tailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
Branden Ore brought the ball closer to the goal line and ended the first quarter of play.
At the end of the first quarter, Georgia led Virginia Tech 3–0.
Second quarter
The second quarter began with Virginia Tech inside the Georgia 10-yard line. After two unsuccessful plays, Virginia Tech was finally able to reach the end zone on a Branden Ore one-yard rush in a fourth-and-one situation. The touchdownTouchdown
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:...
and 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...
gave Virginia Tech a 7–3 lead with 13:23 left in the half.
Georgia began its first possession with a 25-yard kickoff return, but failed to earn a first down in the face of a tough Hokie defensive effort. Georgia punter Gordon Ely-Kelso kicked a 56-yard punt following the Virginia Tech defensive stop. A breakdown in special teams coverage by Georgia allowed Virginia Tech kick returner Eddie Royal to break free, returning the kick 56 yards back to the original line of scrimmage. As a result of the excellent field position provided by the return, Virginia Tech was able to drive the remaining 30 yards to the end zone. Branden Ore earned his second touchdown of the game, making the score 14–3 with 6:13 remaining on the clock.
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...
later, Georgia was again punting. Virginia Tech again was in excellent field position, starting on their own 47-yard line. Instead of rushing the ball, as had been the trend for the Tech offense up to that point, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer called for a trick play
Trick play
A trick play, also known as a gadget play or a gimmick play, is a play in American football that uses deception and unorthodox strategies to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or a touchdown if it is successful, but with the chance of a...
. At the snap
Snap (football)
A snap starts each American football and Canadian football play from scrimmage.-Action:...
, quarterback Sean Glennon lateraled
Lateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
the football to wide receiver Eddie Royal. Rather than running the ball, Royal threw the ball downfield, catching the Georgia defense off guard. Tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Sam Wheeler, the target of the throw, had been left uncovered by a defense expecting a run. The pass was completed, and Wheeler ran unimpeded 53 yards for a touchdown. The play took 19 seconds to execute, and gave Virginia Tech a 21–3 lead with 4:00 remaining in the half.
Georgia was again unable to earn a first down in the ensuing possession, and attempted three straight rushing plays that earned a total of six yards. After a Georgia punt, Virginia Tech ran two rushing plays before attempting the same Royal pass that had gone for a touchdown earlier. Georgia, having anticipated the play, sacked Royal for a loss of two yards, ending the first half.
At halftime, Virginia Tech led Georgia 21–3.
Third quarter
A 19-yard punt return by Mikey Henderson put Georgia into good field position. Stafford capitalized on the opportunity, completing a 26-yard pass to put Georgia into field-goal range. After three unsuccessful plays, kicker Brandon Coutu connected on a 51-yard field goal to cut the Virginia Tech lead to 21–6.
On the kickoff following the field goal, Georgia head coach Mark Richt ordered an unorthodox 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...
. Surprised by the unexpected play, the Virginia Tech coverage team was unable to recover the ball, which was leapt upon by the kicker, Brian Mimbs. With a new chance at offense and a sense of optimism triggered by the successful onside kick, Georgia drove down the field. Aided by 20 yards in penalties against Virginia Tech, the drive resulted in a six-yard touchdown pass to Martrez Milner
Martrez Milner
Martrez Milner is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. The touchdown and extra point boosted Georgia's morale and cut the score to 21–13, Virginia Tech leading by eight.
The third quarter came to a close as Virginia Tech struggled to answer the two Georgia scores. Tech quarterback Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League....
connected on a 29-yard pass to Eddie Royal, driving the Hokies to the Bulldog 47-yard line as the clock hit zero.
At the end of the third quarter, Virginia Tech still led Georgia, 21–13.
Fourth quarter
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...
. The resulting scores tied the game at 21–21 with 12:39 remaining in the game.
Virginia Tech's hopes to answer were smashed on the first play after Georgia's kickoff as Glennon fumbled the snap, losing the ball to Georgia's Quentin Moses. Georgia failed to pick up a first down following the turnover, but the fumble did turn into three points for the Bulldogs, as kicker Brandon Coutou connected on his third field goal of the day, giving Georgia its first lead since the first quarter, 24–21.
After the Georgia kickoff, Glennon was again intercepted by Tony Taylor, who earned his second interception on the day and created Glennon's third turnover. Taylor returned the ball 16 yards to the Tech one-yard line, setting up an easy touchdown for the Bulldogs. With 6:54 remaining, Georgia took a 31–21 lead over Virginia Tech.
On the ensuing Tech possession, Tech's quarterback continued to play poorly. On the third play following the kickoff, Glennon was intercepted for the fourth time in the game. The downfield interception set up Georgia at their own 11-yard line. Georgia rushed the ball three times, forcing Virginia Tech to use two timeouts in order to stop the clock. The punt by Georgia's Ely-Kelso was poorly done, and traveled only 15 yards before going out of bounds.
As a result of the excellent field position, Virginia Tech seemed in position for an easy score. However, after a quick Tech first down, the Georgia defense stiffened and Tech was forced to settle for a field goal. The 28-yard kick by Brandon Pace cut Georgia's lead to 31–24, but only 3:42 remained on the clock. Due to the short time remaining, Virginia Tech was forced to attempt an onside kick in order to have another chance at offense. The kick was recovered by Georgia, however, and the Bulldogs proceeded to rush the ball in three consecutive plays, forcing the Hokies to use their last timeout in order to conserve time for one final drive.
Georgia's punt rolled into the end zone for a touchback, and with 1:28 remaining in the game, Virginia Tech began the final drive on its own 20-yard line. Any tension was soon defused by the Georgia defense, which forced three incompletions and a sack. Glennon's attempt at a Hail Mary pass
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
fell short, giving Georgia the win with a final score of 31–24.
Final statistics
The 18-point comeback was the largest for Georgia under coach Mark Richt up to that point. In recognition of their performances during the game, Georgia linebacker Tony Taylor and quarterback Matthew Stafford were named the defensive and offensive MVPs of the game, respectively. Taylor's two interceptions tied the Georgia bowl record for interceptions, first set by Scott Woerner and Ronnie Harris. The four Virginia Tech turnovers resulted in 18 Georgia points. Georgia's sole turnover resulted in seven points for Virginia Tech.Georgia statistical recap
Over a third of Georgia's 71 rushing yards came on a single 26-yard run in the first quarter by halfbackRunning 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...
Kregg Lumpkin. After the run, Lumpkin would amass only 13 additional yards in the remaining three quarters of play. Over half of Georgia's total offensive yards (200 total yards) came through the air from Stafford, who finished with 129 passing yards, one interception, and one touchdown. Approximately a third (41 yards) of Stafford's passing yards came on a single completion in the fourth quarter. Another long pass play netted Stafford 24 yards. Together, the two plays accounted for half of Stafford's total passing yards. Seven other completions netted only 64 yards, an average of just over 9 yards a play.
Georgia's kicking game had a far more active day than its offense. Punter Gordon Ely-Kelso booted seven punts and kicker Brandon Coutu nailed three field goals. The field goals, kicked from 39, 51, and 28 yards away and two extra points made Coutu Georgia's leading scorer in the game, earning 11 points. Ely-Kelso netted 264 yards in punts, an average of 37.7 yards per kick. Though not long, the punts were high enough in the air to allow Georgia's special teams to get downfield and prevent long punt returns. Only two of Ely-Kelso's punts were returned by Tech kick returner Eddie Royal, and one return was for negative yardage.
Georgia's defense managed a strong performance statistically and in real terms. The most obvious examples of this were the three interceptions and one forced fumble that proved to be the turning point in the game. Two of the interceptions were caught by linebacker Tony Taylor, who also had nine tackles, two for a loss of yards. The tackles tied him with Paul Oliver, who also had nine. The third interception came from Kelin Johnson, while the fumble was forced by Charles Johnson. Johnson had an active day as well. In addition to the forced fumble, he recorded four tackles, two sacks, and a pass break-up.
The defensive play of Taylor, Oliver, and Johnson greatly affected the course of the game and is apparent in Georgia's time of possession and average starting position in each of the quarters. During the first and second quarters, Georgia had average starting positions on their own 19 and 26-yard lines, respectively. Their first-quarter time of possession was just 5:41, and their second-quarter possession time was 6:34. During the third and fourth quarters, when all four Virginia Tech turnovers took place, Georgia's time of possession jumped to 10:41 and 7:47, respectively. In the third quarter, their average starting possession gained ten yards to the Georgia 36, and during the final quarter, their average starting position was the Virginia Tech 36-yard line. This fact allowed Georgia to capitalize on the Virginia Tech turnovers, turning them into points on the scoreboard.
Virginia Tech statistical recap
Sean Glennon's four turnovers tied a career high for interceptions and brought his season interception mark to 11. He completed 13 of his 26 passes for 94 yards and a completion percentage of 50%. The passing total of 94 yards was the second-lowest total in the entire season, coming behind only a November 4 game in MiamiMiami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
where Glennon passed for just 86 yards in the face of a tough defense. In a statistic unusual for the 2006 season, Glennon was not the only Tech player to complete a pass. Wide receiver Eddie Royal's 53-yard TD pass made him just the third Virginia Tech player to complete a pass during the 2006 season. The play on which Royal made his throw, a lateral WR pass, had been attempted once previously in the season during a 38–27 loss to Georgia Tech.
On the ground, the Hokies had even less success than they did in the air. Branden Ore, Tech's starting tailback
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...
, earned 42 yards in 20 short rushes during the game. With a long run of eight yards, Ore was kept in check by Georgia's defense. The only other Hokie to achieve positive yardage on the ground was backup tailback Kenny Lewis, who only managed five yards. Glennon was sacked three times, once fumbling the ball. These sacks wiped out the 11 rushing yards he managed to gain during his scrambles for yardage. In the second quarter, Virginia Tech was aided by excellent field position, enabling them to score three offensive touchdowns. Tech's average starting field position in that quarter was the Georgia 48-yard line, allowing for easy scores even for a struggling offense.
As with Georgia, Virginia Tech's kicking and special teams proved to have more success than either aspect of the offense. Virginia Tech kicker Brandon Pace scored a single 28-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter, and punter Nic Schmitt blasted four punts for a total of 195 yards, averaging 48.8 yards a punt. Pace's field goal helped to trigger a late-game rally by Virginia Tech, which had been stunned by a Georgia onside kick and several interceptions thrown by Glennon. Schmitt's long punts, meanwhile, denied Georgia good field position in the first half of the game. Only in the second half, when Glennon's interceptions allowed Georgia to start on the Tech side of the field, was the Georgia offense able to reach the end zone. In the first and second quarters, Georgia's average starting position was their own 19-yard line and own 26-yard line, respectively.
That starting field position proved a boon for the Virginia Tech defense, which only allowed 200 total yards in the game. Tech linebacker Vince Hall led the Hokies and all defensive players with 13 tackles in the game. Tech recorded one interception during the game, courtesy of Brenden Hill, who also made three tackles. Georgia's offensive line, despite starting only six scholarship offensive linemen, allowed just two sacks to the Virginia Tech defense. Chris Ellis and Noland Burchette each earned a single sack, accounting for a loss of 15 total yards.
Postgame effects
The win over #14 Virginia Tech enabled the Bulldogs to break into the Top 25 rankings in the final college football poll of the season. Georgia was ranked #23 in the country thanks to its win over the Hokies, who dropped to #19 nationally following the loss. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak by Virginia Tech and ended the Hokies' bid at becoming just the fourth team in school history to win 11 games in a season. The 2006 Georgia Bulldogs, consequently, became the first team in school history to defeat three consecutive ranked teams. No. 5 Auburn2006 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2006 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Tommy Tuberville served his eighth season at Auburn, the third longest tenure among current SEC head coaches that year...
, No. 16 Georgia Tech, and No. 14 Virginia Tech all fell to Georgia in November or December. The game and the tens of thousands of fans it attracted injected an estimated $35 million into the Atlanta area economy, mostly as a result of food, hotel, and other expenses incurred by visiting fans.
2007 season
In August 2007, Frank Beamer closed team practices to outside observers for the first time in 20 years. He cited concerns about unknown individuals watching Virginia Tech practice in Atlanta before the Hokies' loss to Georgia, potentially leading to the defeat. During the 2007 season, Virginia Tech quarterback Sean GlennonSean Glennon
Sean Glennon is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League....
was replaced as the Hokies' starter by freshman Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was the starting quarterback for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team from the start of the 2008 college football season until the 2011 Orange Bowl, the final game of the 2010 college...
, causing many pundits to point to the four interceptions Glennon threw in the Chick-fil-A Bowl as an example of his failure as a quarterback. Brian Mimbs, the former walk-on who kicked and recovered the onside kick that began Georgia's rally was named the Bulldogs' starting punter for the 2007 season, partially due to his performance in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
At the end of the 2007 college football season, both Georgia and Virginia Tech were named to 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...
bowl games, indicating an increase over their 2006 performances. Georgia earned a bid to the 2008 Sugar Bowl
2008 Sugar Bowl
The 2008 Allstate Sugar Bowl Game was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the Bowl Championship Series for the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and was the 74th Sugar Bowl...
in New Orleans, Louisiana
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...
against the Hawaii Warriors
2007 Hawaii Warriors football team
The 2007 Hawaii Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in the 2007 NCAA Division I-Bowl Subdivision college football season....
, who they defeated, 41–10. Virginia Tech, having won the 2007 ACC Championship Game
2007 ACC Championship Game
The 2007 Dr. Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game featured the Boston College Eagles and the Virginia Tech Hokies in a regular-season college football game that determined the conference's champion for the 2007 season. Virginia Tech defeated Boston College 30–16 to win the ACC...
, earned an automatic bid to the 2008 Orange Bowl
2008 Orange Bowl
The 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Kansas Jayhawks on January 3, 2008, at Dolphins Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Spread bettors favored Virginia Tech by three points, but in a game dominated by defensive and...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, losing 24–21 to the Kansas Jayhawks
2007 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 2007 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas for the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision intercollegiate football season of 2007-2008...
.