The 2001 Visit Florida Tangerine Bowl was the 12th edition to the 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...

, successing the MicronPC.com bowl. It featured the NC State Wolfpack

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....

 and the Pittsburgh Panthers

Pittsburgh Panthers football

Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...

. This was the first year since 1982 that the Tangerine Bowl was played; the original version is now known as the 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...

.

Game summary

Scoring began in the first quarter with the two teams trading field goals. Early in the second quarter, Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Bryant

Antonio Bryant

Antonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...

 caught a touchdown pass on an 80 yard drive to take the lead 10-3. On their next possession, Bryant caught another touchdown on a 99 yard drive. North Carolina State countered with a 90 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Gregory Golden, but the Pitt Panthers then scored another touchdown as time expired to go into halftime with a 24-10 lead.

Coming out of the half, Pitt scored another field goal for the only points of the 3rd quarter to make it 27-10, but the Wolfpack put together two scoring drives for a touchdown and a field goal to make it 27-19 in the 4th. NC State had one last opportunity to tie or take the lead on a late possession, but quarterback Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...

was sacked, lost the football, and Pittsburgh scooped it up for a score, winning 34-19.