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 at 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 others 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 in the weeks leading up to the game. Much was made of that and the success of Auburn running backs Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown, each of whom was considered among the best at his position. On the Virginia Tech side, senior quarterback Bryan Randall had a record-breaking season. Both teams also had high-ranked defenses, and Tech's appearance in the 2000 Sugar Bowl also was mentioned in the run-up 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 extended 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 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 attempted an onside kick to have another chance on offense. When Auburn recovered the kick, the Tigers ran out the clock and secured 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 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.
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.Tech Meets Auburn in 71st Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic Virginia Tech Athletics Department, Hokiesports.com. December 5, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. Auburn, meanwhile, finished the season undefeated at 12–0, and was named champion of the SEC.Auburn To Face Virginia Tech In Nokia Sugar Bowl Auburn Athletics Department, auburntigers.cstv.com. December 5, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. 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. The Associated Press, ESPN.com. January 4, 2005. Accessed May 31, 2008.
Virginia Tech
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.Virginia Tech Football Past Schedules (2003) Virginia Tech Athletics Department, Hokiesports.com. Accessed May 26, 2008. 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.Miami, Virginia Tech quietly join ACC The Associated Press, MSNBC.com. July 2, 2004. Accessed March 13, 2008. 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,Bush fills void left by Williams The Associated Press, ESPN.com. August 28, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. but recovered to win its next game—against lightly regarded Western Michigan—in blowout fashion, 63–0. SportsTicker, ESPN.com. September 11, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. In its first conference game in the ACC, the Hokies beat Duke, 47–17, to improve to a 2–1 record. The Associated Press, ESPN.com. September 18, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. 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. SportsTicker, ESPN.com. September 25, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008.
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. The Hokies won their next eight games, finishing the season with a 10–2 record.Virginia Tech Football Past Schedules (2004) Virginia Tech Athletics Department, Hokiesports.com. Accessed May 26, 2008. With late-season wins over perennial rival, 16th-ranked Virginia,Randall throws 2 second-half TDs for Hokies The Associated Press, ESPN.com. November 27, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. and fellow ACC newcomer, ninth-ranked Miami,Tech wins conference in its first season The Associated Press, ESPN.com. December 4, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. 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.
Auburn
Auburn, like Virginia Tech, had gone 8–5 during the 2003 college football season,Auburn Tigers Schedule - 2003 ESPN.com, Accessed May 26, 2008. 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. The Associated Press, ESPN.com. September 4, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. One week later, the Tigers backed up their good start with an emphatic 43–14 victory over Southeastern Conference foe Mississippi State University. The Associated Press, ESPN.com. September 11, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. 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.LSU penalty gives Auburn second chance, victory The Associated Press, ESPN.com. September 18, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008.
After an easy 33–3 victory over The Citadel,Auburn tunes up for Vols with rout The Associated Press, ESPN.com. September 25, 2004. Accessed May 25, 2004. Auburn faced eighth-ranked Tennessee. The Tigers' defense forced six turnovers en route to a 34–10 victory.Tigers D swarms freshman quarterbacks The Associated Press, ESPN.com. October 2, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. With the victory over Tennessee, Auburn reeled off another four victories and became a prominent candidate for inclusion in the national championship game.Auburn's Statement Is a Stump Speech, Los Angeles Times, November 14, 2004. Accessed August 24, 2008. 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. The Associated Press, ESPN.com. November 13, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. 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. The Associated Press, ESPN.com. December 4, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2008. 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.Auburn Clings to Its Title Hopes, Los Angeles Times, January 3, 2005. Accessed August 24, 2008.
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 "Cadillac" 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