| 2021 Vrbo Citrus Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 75th Citrus Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Camping World Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Orlando, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Peyton Ramsey (QB, Northwestern)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Northwestern by 3.5[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Jerry Magallanes (ACC)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Dave Flemming (play-by-play) Rod Gilmore (analyst) Paul Carcaterra (sideline) | ||||||||||||||||||
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The2021 Citrus Bowl was acollege footballbowl game played on January 1, 2021, with kickoff at 1:00 p.m.EST onABC.[4] It was the 75th edition of theCitrus Bowl, and was one of the2020–21 bowl games concluding the2020 FBS football season. Sponsored byVrbo, a vacation rental marketplace owned by theHomeAway division ofExpedia, the game was officially known as theVrbo Citrus Bowl.
The game featured theAuburn Tigers of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC) and theNorthwestern Wildcats of theBig Ten Conference. This was the second meeting between the two programs, and first since the2010 Outback Bowl, won by Auburn, 38–35.[5]
Auburn entered the game with a 6–4 record, unranked in theAP Poll. They finished in third place in the SEC's West Division. The Tigers faced four ranked teams during the season, losing toGeorgia,Alabama, andTexas A&M while defeatingKentucky. Their only other loss was toSouth Carolina. Prior to the Citrus Bowl, Auburn fired head coachGus Malzahn, who had led the program for eight seasons.[6] Defensive coordinatorKevin Steele served as interim head coach for the Tigers.[7]
Northwestern entered the game with a 6–2 record, ranked 15th in the AP Poll. The Wildcats won the Big Ten's West Division, but fell toOhio State in theBig Ten Championship Game, 22–10. Their only other loss was toMichigan State. Northwestern faced two ranked opponents, losing to Ohio State and defeatingWisconsin. The Wildcats were led by head coachPat Fitzgerald, in his 15th season with the program.[8]
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | 0 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 |
| No. 14 Northwestern | 14 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
atCamping World Stadium •Orlando, Florida
| Game information |
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| Statistics | AUB | NU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 25 |
| Plays–yards | 69–361 | 86–457 |
| Rushes–yards | 26–61 | 51–166 |
| Passing yards | 300 | 291 |
| Passing:comp–att–int | 26–43–0 | 24–35–0 |
| Time of possession | 24:18 | 33:47 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | Passing | Bo Nix | 25/42, 292 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Bo Nix | 10 carries, 32 yards | |
| Receiving | Elijah Canion | 3 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD | |
| Northwestern | Passing | Peyton Ramsey | 24/35, 291 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Cam Porter | 33 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | John Raine | 6 receptions, 76 yards, 1 TD |