| 2005 Nokia Sugar Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | January 3, 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Louisiana Superdome | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Auburn QB Jason Campbell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Auburn by 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Brad Arnold | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Dick Honig (Big Ten) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Bowl Games of America | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 77,349 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Mike Tirico, Tim Brant, Terry Bowden, and Suzy Shuster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 9.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.