| 2000 Toyota Gator Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 55th Gator Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Alltel Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | LBNate Webster (Miami) QBJoe Hamilton (Georgia Tech) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Bill McCabe (Mtn. West) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 43,416 | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Tom Hammond, James Lofton, Craig Sager | ||||||||||||||||||
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The2000 Gator Bowl featured theGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets and theMiami Hurricanes.
The Jackets had at one point been ranked as high as 7th in the polls before two losses had made them fall to 17th. They finished 2nd in theAtlantic Coast Conference. This was their third consecutive bowl season. The Hurricanes finished 2nd in theBig East Conference with a loss to Virginia Tech late in the season costing them a share of the title. But Miami was making their third bowl appearance under Davis, who was hired to help rebuild the program after a scandal that rocked the school in 1995.
Tech had multiple opportunities to score, but two interceptions and two missed field goals doomed the Jackets in their first bowl loss since 1978. Miami scored the first 14 points of the game on aJames Jackson rushing touchdown and anAndre King touchdown catch fromKenny Kelly. Tech mustered aJoe Hamilton touchdown late in the first half but Miami scored before the half ended on aClinton Portis 73 yard run to lead 21–7. From that point on, Tech scored just six points on two Luke Manget field goals, which narrowed it to 21–13. ButKen Dorsey's touchdown pass toReggie Wayne midway through the fourth quarter sealed the game for the Hurricanes.[1]
The Jackets would go to one more bowl game with O'Leary before he left the program. The Jackets would return to the Gator Bowlseven years later. Miami would go to the Sugar Bowl the next year, their last bowl game with Davis before he departed for theCleveland Browns.
| Statistics | GT | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 29 | 22 |
| Yards Rushing | 217 | 239 |
| Yards Passing | 245 | 208 |
| Total Offense Yards | 462 | 447 |
| Punts-Average | 6-26.2 | 5-42.6 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 1-1 |
| Interceptions | 2 | 1 |
| Penalties-Yards | 7-75 | 9-90 |
| Time of Possession | 32:20 | 27:40 |
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