| 2007 Allstate Sugar Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| BCS Bowl Game 73rd Sugar Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg) TheLouisiana Superdome inNew Orleans, Louisiana, hosted the Sugar Bowl. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 3, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Louisiana Superdome | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | New Orleans,Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | LSUQBJaMarcus Russell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | LSU by 8½ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Irvin Mayfield | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Tom Walker (Big XII) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | LSU and Notre Dame Marching Bands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 77,781 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | FOX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Kenny Albert,Terry Bradshaw,Howie Long | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 9.3[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The2007AllstateSugar Bowl was acollege footballbowl game, which formed part of the 2006–2007Bowl Championship Series (BCS) of the2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Played on January 3, 2007, in theLouisiana Superdome inNew Orleans, it was the 73rdSugar Bowl. The game matched theNotre Dame Fighting Irish against theLSU Tigers and was televised onFox.
This game received extra attention because it was the return of the Sugar Bowl to New Orleans. In2006, the game was played at theGeorgia Dome inAtlanta, Georgia due to the damage caused byHurricane Katrina to the Superdome (that game also featured a virtual "home" team, theGeorgia Bulldogs). LSU won the 2007 contest 41–14, tying the Notre Dame-LSU series at 5–5 (with LSU taking a 2–0 lead in bowl game meetings).
With the loss, Notre Dame lost a record-setting nine bowl games in a row,[2] including losing their three BCS bowl games by wide point margins.[2]
Notre Dame, aDivision I FBS independent, finished the regular season at 10–2. The Fighting Irish entered the season ranked at no. 2 in the AP Poll before losing 21–47 to no. 11Michigan in week three. The team won its next eight games, reaching no. 6 in the AP Poll, but lost the regular season finale 24–44 to no. 3USC. The Fighting Irish entered the Sugar Bowl ranked no. 11 in all three polls.
LSU, from theSoutheastern Conference (SEC), finished the regular season at 10–2. The Tigers entered the season ranked at no. 8 in the AP Poll before losing 3–7 to no. 3Auburn in week three. The team won its next two games before losing to no. 5Florida 10–23. The Tigers won their next six games, including victories over no. 8Tennessee and no. 5Arkansas. LSU entered the Sugar Bowl ranked no. 4 in all three polls.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| No. 11 Notre Dame | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| No. 4 LSU | 14 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 41 |
atLouisiana Superdome •New Orleans,Louisiana
| Game information |
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| Statistics | ND | LSU |
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| First downs | 17 | 31 |
| Plays–yards | 66–291 | 71–577 |
| Rushes–yards | 31–143 | 37–245 |
| Passing yards | 158 | 345 |
| Passing:comp–att–int | 15–35–2 | 21–34–1 |
| Time of possession | 28:14 | 31:46 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | Passing | Brady Quinn | 15/35, 148 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Darius Walker | 22 rushes, 128 yards | |
| Receiving | Jeff Samardzija | 8 receptions, 59 yards, TD | |
| LSU | Passing | JaMarcus Russell | 21/34, 332 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Keiland Williams | 14 rushes, 107 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Early Doucet | 8 receptions, 115 yards |
LSU has played three national championship games in the Superdome since, defeating Ohio State for the 2007 BCS title, losing to Alabama for the 2011 BCS crown, and defeating Clemson in the College Football Playoff title game following the 2019 season. LSU also defeated Tulane in a 2007 regular season game in the Superdome.
LSU and Notre Dame met in the2014 Music City Bowl and2018 Citrus Bowl, with the Fighting Irish winning both.Brian Kelly, who led Notre Dame to those wins, became the Tigers' coach in2022 after 12 seasons in South Bend.