2006 Sugar Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Nokia
Sugar Bowl
game was played on January 2, 2006, as part of the Bowl Championship Series
. This 72nd edition of the Sugar Bowl featured the West Virginia Mountaineers
, champions of the Big East
, and the Southeastern Conference
Champion Georgia Bulldogs
. Double-digit underdog West Virginia's upset victory bolstered the Big East's profile in the wake of losing three members to the ACC
, and likely preserved the conference's automatic inclusion in the BCS. The game was played in Atlanta
, as its traditional site, the Louisiana Superdome
, was unfit for use in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
.
The freshmen-led West Virginia team stunned Georgia--playing in what amounted to a home game in the Georgia Dome
--by opening a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. While West Virginia pushed the lead to 28-0 a minute into the second quarter, Georgia rallied to close the gap to 31-21 at halftime, behind quarterback D.J. Shockley. The 52 first-half points were a record for a single half in a BCS game.
In the third quarter, Georgia cut the lead to 31-28 following a 68-yard scoring drive.
Freshman quarterback Pat White
led West Virginia on a 9-play, 95-yard drive to extend its lead to 38-28 with 8:32 remaining in the game. Georgia responded with a 90-yard drive of its own to cut the lead to 38-35 with 5:13 left.
With 1:26 remaining in the game and facing a 4th-and-6 near midfield, West Virginia's Phil Brady ran for 10 yards on a fake punt to seal the win. West Virginia's freshman running back Steve Slaton
was named the game's MVP, having rushed for a Sugar Bowl-record 204 yards and 3 touchdowns, including two separate scores of 52-yards each. Fellow freshman Darius Reynaud
, a wide receiver, scored the Mountaineers' other two touchdowns.
.
ESPN
ranked the 2006 Sugar Bowl #6 on its list of the best major bowl games of the BCS era.
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
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...
game was played on January 2, 2006, as part of 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...
. This 72nd edition of the Sugar Bowl featured the West Virginia Mountaineers
2005 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2005 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the season with an 11–1 record. The Mountaineers won their third consecutive Big East Title with a conference record of 7–0...
, champions of the Big East
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 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...
Champion Georgia Bulldogs
2005 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 2005 Georgia Bulldogs football team completed the season with a 10-3 record. Winning 10 games for the fourth year in a row, Georgia tied its own record for consecutive 10 win seasons. The Bulldogs, with a regular season SEC record of 6-2, won the SEC East and advanced to the 2005 SEC...
. Double-digit underdog West Virginia's upset victory bolstered the Big East's profile in the wake of losing three members to the ACC
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...
, and likely preserved the conference's automatic inclusion in the BCS. The game was played in Atlanta
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...
, as its traditional site, 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...
, was unfit for use in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
The freshmen-led West Virginia team stunned Georgia--playing in what amounted to a home game in 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...
--by opening a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. While West Virginia pushed the lead to 28-0 a minute into the second quarter, Georgia rallied to close the gap to 31-21 at halftime, behind quarterback D.J. Shockley. The 52 first-half points were a record for a single half in a BCS game.
In the third quarter, Georgia cut the lead to 31-28 following a 68-yard scoring drive.
Freshman quarterback Pat White
Pat White
Pat, Patrick or Patricia White may refer to:*Patricia White, British Tenpin Bowling Association chairman*Patrick White , Nobel prize winning Australian author*Pat White , American professional baseball and football player...
led West Virginia on a 9-play, 95-yard drive to extend its lead to 38-28 with 8:32 remaining in the game. Georgia responded with a 90-yard drive of its own to cut the lead to 38-35 with 5:13 left.
With 1:26 remaining in the game and facing a 4th-and-6 near midfield, West Virginia's Phil Brady ran for 10 yards on a fake punt to seal the win. West Virginia's freshman running back Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
was named the game's MVP, having rushed for a Sugar Bowl-record 204 yards and 3 touchdowns, including two separate scores of 52-yards each. Fellow freshman Darius Reynaud
Darius Reynaud
Darius Reynaud is an American football running back / wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at West Virginia....
, a wide receiver, scored the Mountaineers' other two touchdowns.
Aftermath
West Virginia capped off an 11-1 season ranked #5 in the nation, while Georgia fell to 10-3. The win was the first of four bowl victories for West Virginia QB Pat WhitePat White
Pat, Patrick or Patricia White may refer to:*Patricia White, British Tenpin Bowling Association chairman*Patrick White , Nobel prize winning Australian author*Pat White , American professional baseball and football player...
.
ESPN
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....
ranked the 2006 Sugar Bowl #6 on its list of the best major bowl games of the BCS era.
External links
- http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=260020061