2008 Gator Bowl History & More

2008 Gator Bowl Profiles, History, Best Bowl Moments & More

Virginia (9-3) vs. Texas Tech (8-4)

Jan. 1st, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS

Gator Bowl History
2007	W. Virginia 38, Georgia Tech 35
2006	Virginia Tech 35, Louisville 24
2005	Florida St 30, West Virginia 18
2004	Maryland 41, West Virginia 7
2003	NC State 28, Notre Dame 6
2002	Florida St 30, Virginia Tech 17
2001	Virginia Tech 41, Clemson 20
2000	Miami 28, Georgia Tech 13
1999	Georgia Tech 35, Notre Dame 28
1998	North Carolina 42, Virginia Tech 3
1997	North Carolina 20, West Virginia 13
1996	Syracuse 41, Clemson 0
1994	Tennessee 45, Virginia Tech 23
1993	Alabama 24, North Carolina 10
1992	Florida 27, NC State 10
1991 (Dec.)	Oklahoma 48, Virginia 14
1991 (Jan.)	Michigan 35, Mississippi 3
1989 (Dec.)	Clemson 27, West Virginia 7
1989 (Jan.)	Georgia 34, Michigan State 27
1987	LSU 30, South Carolina 13
1986	Clemson 27, Stanford 21
1985	Florida State 34, Oklahoma St 23
1984	Oklahoma State 21, South Carolina 14
1983	Florida 14, Iowa 6
1982	Florida St 31, West Virginia 12
1981	North Carolina 31, Arkansas 27
1980	Pitt 37, South Carolina 9
1979	North Carolina 17, Michigan 15
1978	Clemson 17, Ohio State 15
1977	Pitt 34, Clemson 3
1976	Notre Dame 20, Penn State 9
1975	Maryland 13, Florida 0
1974	Auburn 27, Texas 3
1973	Texas Tech 28, Tennessee 19
1972	Auburn 24, Colorado 3
1971 (Dec.)	Georgia 7, North Carolina 3
1970 (Jan.)	Auburn 35, Mississippi 28
1969	Florida 14, Tennessee 13
1968	Missouri 35, Alabama 10
1967	Florida State 17, Penn State 17
1966	Tennessee 18, Syracuse 12
1965 (Dec.)	Georgia Tech 31, Texas Tech 21
1965 (Jan.)	Florida State 36, Oklahoma 19
1963	North Carolina 35, Air Force 0
1962	Florida 17, Penn State 7
1961	Penn State 30, Georgia Tech 15
1960 (Dec.)	Florida 13, Baylor 12
1960 (Jan.)	Arkansas 14, Georgia Tech 7
1958	Mississippi 7, Florida 3
1957	Tennessee 3, Texas A&M 0
1956	Georgia Tech 21, Pitt 14
1955	Vanderbilt 25, Auburn 13
1954 (Dec.)	Auburn 33, Baylor 13
1954 (Jan.)	Texas Tech 35, Auburn 13
1953	Florida 14, Tulsa 13
1952	Miami 14, Clemson 0
1951	Wyoming 20, Wash. & Lee 0
1950	Maryland 20, Missouri 7
1949	Clemson 24, Missouri 23
1948	Georgia 20, Maryland 20
1947	Oklahoma 34, NC State 13
1946	Wake Forest 26, South Carolina 14

Get Tickets for the Gator Bowl  

- 2007 CFN Gator Bowl Preview

Scroll Down For Each Team's Bowl History

By Richard Cirminiello

Best Red Raider Bowl Moment: Over the years, the bowl season has been anything but festive for Tech.  Covering 30 games since 1938, it’s lost 19 times and played in January just twice over the last half century.  The 1953 squad was a rare exception.  That explosive 11-1 team blew out Auburn 35-13 in a historic 1954 Gator Bowl.  The game marked the first time Tech was broadcast on television and gave birth to the Masked Rider as a fabled school tradition. 

Best Cavalier Bowl Moment: Virginia didn’t play in its first bowl game until 1984, but has made up for lost time with 16 postseason appearances since then.  The most exciting of the group took place in the 1995 Peach Bowl.  Just moments after the Cavs had fumbled away the lead, Demetrius Allen returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards to stun Georgia with only 57 seconds left on the clock.

Virginia's best win ... Virginia 48 ... Miami 0
Virginia destroyed Miami in the Canes' final game in the Orange Bowl as Mikell Simpson ran for two one-yard scores, Maurice Covington caught a 29-yard touchdown pass, and Chris Gould nailed field goals from 33 and 41 yards out. Miami's offense went nowhere with nine first downs, five turnovers, and a lost fumble to Virginia's Chris Cook, who took it 44 yards for a score. Virginia outgained Miami 418 yards to 189.
Player of the game: Virginia QB Jameel Sewell completed 20 of 25 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown with an interception, and ran eight times for 28 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Jameel Sewell, 20-25, 288 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mikell Simpson, 22-93, 2 TD. Receiving: John Phillips, 4-77
Miami - Passing: Kyle Wright, 9-21, 94 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Javarris James, 15-53. Receiving: Chris Zellner, 2-35

Virginia's worst performance ... Wyoming 23 ... Virginia 3
Wyoming's defense embarrassed Virginia, holding the Cavalier offense to 110 yards of total offense and only allowing a 42-yard field goal at the end of the first half. Billy Vinnedge nailed field goals from 48, 40 and 39 yards for the Cowboys, Karsten Sween threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Greg Bolling, and Devin Moore all but sealed it with a 49-yard scoring dash midway through the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers were outgained 218 yards to seven on the ground.
Player of the game ... Wyoming RB Devin Moore ran for 125 yards and a score on 18 carries, and added three catches for 47 yards.
Stat Leaders: Virginia- Passing: Jameel Sewell, 11-23, 87 yds, 2 INTs
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 7-18  Receiving: Maurice Covington, 4-20
Wyoming - Passing: Karsten Sween, 25-34, 253 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Devin Moore, 18-125, 1 TD  Receiving: Greg Bolling, 5-43, 1 TD

Texas Tech's best win ... Texas Tech 34 ... Oklahoma 27
Graham Harrell threw 72 times with touchdown passes to Michael Crabtree and Erick Norris, to go along with a touchdown run, as Texas Tech got up 34-10 midway through the third quarter. And then things got interesting as OU got a 33-yard Garrett Hartley field goal in the third and two Joey Halzle to Manuel Johnson touchdown passes, connecting from 65 and nine yards out, in the fourth. The Red Raiders recovered the onside kick after the second score and was able to run out the clock. OU scored first on a 63-yard Lendy Holmes interception return, but later in the first quarter lost QB Sam Bradford to a concussion following an interception.
Player of the game: Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell completed 47 of 72 passes fro 420 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, and ran 12 yards for a score.
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma - Passing: Joey Halzle, 21-41, 291 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: DeMarco Murray, 19-94. Receiving: Juaquin Iglesias, 7-73
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 47-72, 420 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Aaron Crawford, 12-47, 1 TD. Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 12-154, 1 TD

Texas Tech's worst performance ... Colorado 31 ... Texas Tech 26
Colorado picked off Texas Tech's Graham Harrell four times with Terrence Washington getting three, and Jordon Dizon taking one 42 yards for a score. Hugh Charles started off the scoring with a 31-yard touchdown run, and all but put the game away late in the third on a six-yard scoring grab. The Red Raiders rallied with a 19-yard Michael Crabtree scoring catch and with two minutes to go, a seven-yard Edward Britton scoring grab, but the Buffs held on. CU outgained Texas Tech 217 yards to 39 on the ground.
Player of the game: Colorado RB Hugh Charles ran 20 times for 121 yards and a touchdown, and led the team with five catches for 26 yards and a score, and CB Terrence Washington made 3.5 tackles, three interceptions, and broke up a pass.
Stat Leaders: Colorado - Passing: Cody Hawkins, 15-26, 123 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Hugh Charles, 20-121, 1 TD. Receiving: Hugh Charles, 5-26, 1 TD
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 46-62, 431 yds, 3 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Aaron Crawford, 2-31 Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 12-131, 1 TD

2007 Gator Bowl
West Virginia 38 ... Georgia Tech 35
Down 28-10 in the first half, West Virginia roared back with a mix of offense, brilliant play from Pat White, and a defense that stuffed Georgia Tech for the final 28 minutes. The game was all about the combination of Taylor Bennett, who took over for a suspended Reggie Ball, and Calvin Johnson with the two hooking up for touchdown passes of 31 and 48 yards. James Johnson caught a 27-yard pass to give the Yellow Jackets their big lead. And then White took over, especially in the fourth quarter, with a 57-yard touchdown pass to Tito Gonzalez, a 14-yard pass to Brandon Myles, and after a stroke of bad luck with a fumble recovered after a punt his a Georgia Tech player's leg, a 15-yard run for what would turn out to be the game-winner. Georgia Tech had one last shot, but Travis Bell missed a 54-yard field goal attempt. West Virginia star Steve Slaton was dinged up early with a leg bruise, but Owen Schmitt took over the rushing load with 109 yards and two touchdown runs.
Player of the game ... West Virginia QB Pat White completed nine of 15 passes for 131 yards and two touchdown and ran 22 times for 145 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Pat White, 9-15, 131 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Pat White, 22-145, 1 TD. Receiving: Brandon Myles, 6-54, 1 TD
Georgia Tech - Passing: Taylor Bennett, 19-29, 326 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tashard Choice, 27-169, 2 TD. Receiving: Calvin Johnson, 9-186, 2 TD

---

Virginia Bowl History (7-9)

2005	Music City	Virginia 34, Minnesota 31
2004	MPC Computers	Fresno State 37, Virginia 34 (OT)
2003	Cont. Tire	Virginia 23, Pittsburgh 16
2002	Continental Tire	Virginia 48, West Virginia 22
2000	O'ahu	Georgia 37, Virginia 14
1999	Micronpc.com	Illinois 63, Virginia 21
1998	Peach	Georgia 35, Virginia 33
1996	Carquest	Miami 31, Virginia 21
1995	Peach	Virginia 34, Georgia 27
1994	Independence	Virginia 20, TCU 10
1993	Carquest	Boston College 31, Virginia 13
1991	Gator	Oklahoma 48, Virginia 14
1990	Sugar	Tennessee 23, Virginia 22
1989	Citrus	Illinois 31, Virginia 21
1987	All American	Virginia 22, BYU 16
1984	Peach	Virginia 27, Purdue 24

 

Texas Tech Bowl History (10-19)

2006	Insight	Texas Tech 44, Minn. 41 OT
2005	Cotton	Alabama 13, Texas Tech 10
2004	Holiday	Texas Tech 45, Cal 31
2003	Houston	Texas Tech 38, Navy 14
2002	Tangerine	Texas Tech 55, Clemson 15
2001	Alamo	Iowa 19, Texas Tech 16
2000	Gallery furn.	East Carolina 40, Texas Tech 27
1998	Indep.	Ole Miss 35, Texas Tech 18
1996	Alamo	Iowa 27, Texas Tech 0
1995	Copper	Texas Tech 55, Air Force 41
1993	Hancock	Okla 41, Texas Tech 10
1989	All-Am.	Texas Tech 49, Duke 21
1986	Indep.	Ole Miss 20, Texas Tech 17
1977	Tangerine	Florida St 40, Texas Tech 17
1976	Astro-Blue	Nebraska 27, Texas Tech 24
1974	Peach	Texas Tech 6, Vanderbilt 6
1973	Gator	Texas Tech 28, Tenn. 19
1972	Sun	N Carolina 32, Tex Tech 28
1970	Sun	Ga Tech 17, Texas Tech 9
1965	Gator	G Tech 31, Texas Tech 21
1964	Sun	Georgia 7, Texas Tech 0
1956	Sun	Wyoming 21, Texas Tech 14
1954	Gator	Texas Tech 35, Auburn 13
1952	Sun	Texas Tech 25, Pacific 14
1949	Raisin	San Jose St 20, Tex Tech 13
1947	Sun	Miami Un 13, Texas Tech 12
1941	Sun	Tulsa 6, Texas Tech 0
1938	Cotton	St. Mary's (Ca) 20, Texas Tech 13
1937	Sun	West Va 7, Texas Tech 6