Various high school marching bands from Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, Florida and Michigan
Attendance
63,780
United States TV coverage
Network
NBC
Announcers
Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, and Lewis Johnson
Nielsen ratings
3.93
Gator Bowl
< 2005
2007 >
The 2006 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Louisville Cardinals and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, on January 2, 2006. The game was the final contest of the 2005 football season for each team and resulted in a 35–24 Virginia Tech victory. Louisville represented the Big East Conference (Big East), and Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the competition.
Louisville was selected as a participant in the 2006 Gator Bowl following a 9–2 regular season of their first year in the Big East Conference. Louisville won its last five games before the Gator Bowl and participated in the Liberty Bowl at the end of the previous season. Facing the 15th-ranked Cardinals, were the 12th-ranked Hokies. Virginia Tech finished 10–2 regular season, and included wins over 15th-ranked Georgia Tech and traditional rivals Virginia and West Virginia. A loss to Florida State in the inaugural ACC Championship Game gave Tech a position in the Gator Bowl instead of the more prestigious Bowl Championship Series-run Orange Bowl game. Pre-game media coverage of the game focused on Louisville's loss of star quarterback Brian Brohm to injury, Virginia Tech's fall from being a contender for the national championship, the fact that both teams were playing under new conference affiliations, and the rise of Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick, younger brother of NFL star Michael Vick.
The 2006 Gator Bowl began on January 2, 2006, at 12:30 p.m. EST in Jacksonville. Louisville led for much of the game, beginning with an 11-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter by backup quarterback Hunter Cantwell, who filled in for the injured Brohm. Tech's offense replied with a field goal, but Louisville was able to add another touchdown before the end of the quarter, extending its lead to 14–3. In the second quarter, Virginia Tech fought back and narrowed Louisville's lead to a single touchdown. At halftime, the score was 17–10 in Louisville's favor. In the second half, Virginia Tech's offense began to have success. Tech earned the only points of the third quarter—a 28-yard field goal from kicker Brandon Pace—to narrow Louisville's lead to 17–13. In the fourth quarter, the game fully turned in the Hokies' favor. Though Louisville scored a touchdown early in the quarter, Virginia Tech scored 22 unanswered points in the final 13 minutes of the game to take a 35–24 lead and earn the win.
Tailback Cedric Humes was named the most valuable player of the game for Virginia Tech, and quarterback Hunter Cantwell was named the Cardinals' most valuable player. Tech punter Nic Schmitt set Gator Bowl records for punt yardage and average punt distance, kicking the ball six times for 300 yards, an average of 50 yards per kick. Virginia Tech's win was marred by excessive penalties and unsportsmanlike conduct that resulted in the ejection of one player. Following the game, Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was released from the team as a result of several incidents of misconduct, including a stomp on Louisville defender Elvis Dumervil's leg during the game. Several players who participated in the game, including Dumervil, later went on to careers in the National Football League.
The GatorBowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, usually contested on or around New Year's Day. It has been held...
2023 GatorBowl was a college football bowl game played on December 29, 2023, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The 79th annual GatorBowl featured...
The 2007 GatorBowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the West Virginia Mountaineers played on January...
to 23–10. The Tigers drove deep into Gator territory on two other occasions in the fourth quarter, but the Gator defense intercepted LSU quarterback Jamarcus...
The 1978 GatorBowl was a college football bowl game played between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Clemson Tigers on December 29, 1978. Clemson won the contest...
The 1994 GatorBowl was an American college football bowl game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium...
The 1975 GatorBowl was a college football bowl game played between the Maryland Terrapins and the Florida Gators on December 29, 1975. Maryland won the...
The 1992 GatorBowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 31, 1992, at GatorBowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The...
The 2012 TaxSlayer.com GatorBowl, the 67th edition of the game, was a post-season American college football bowl game, held on January 2, 2012 at EverBank...
with the GatorBowl ended after the 1994 game, and the Citrus Bowl had offered Florida and Georgia a larger sum of money than the GatorBowl for the right...
The 1969 GatorBowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Florida Gators and the Tennessee Volunteers, both representing the SEC. Florida...
The 2002 GatorBowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Virginia Tech Hokies, The 57th edition...
The 1983 GatorBowl was an American college football bowl game played on December 30, 1983, at GatorBowl Stadium in Jacksonville, FL. The matchup featured...
The 2008 GatorBowl was played on January 1, 2008, as part of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It featured the Red Raiders of Texas Tech University...
The 1962 GatorBowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions an independent and the Gators of the University of...
championship appearance during the 2000 Sugar Bowl, and followed that performance by leading the Hokies to the 2001 GatorBowl, his final collegiate game. Following...
Muschamp. Muschamp coached the Gators to a third-place finish in the SEC East, a 3–5 conference record, a 24–17 GatorBowl victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes...
GatorBowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Tulsa Golden Hurricane of the Missouri Valley Conference and the Florida Gators representing...
with a 7–4 record. The 2006 Outback Bowl was the third all-time meeting between the two programs. Florida won the 1983 GatorBowl 14-6 over the Hawkeyes...
The 1984 GatorBowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the #7 South Carolina Gamecocks and the #9 Oklahoma State Cowboys. It was...
appearance in the inaugural ACC Championship Game, and a win in the 2006GatorBowl. The 2005 season, however, saw more controversy surrounding Vick. On...
The 1985 GatorBowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Florida State University Seminoles and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and...
that cut the Gator advantage to 3 late in the 3rd quarter. Mississippi's lead in the all-time series was reduced to 11-10-1. The Gator victory broke...
Cotton Bowl Classic (2001–06), AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic (since 2007) The GatorBowl has been known as: the GatorBowl (1946–85), Mazda GatorBowl (1986–91)...
The 2005 GatorBowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Florida State Seminoles and the West Virginia Mountaineers on January 1, 2005...
Global Information