2012 Sugar Bowl
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was the 78th edition of the annual postseason
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bowl game In North America, a bowl game, or simply bowl, is one of a number of postseason college football games primarily played by NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. For most of its history, the FBS did not use a playoff tourname ...
known as the Sugar Bowl. It featured the
Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except wo ...
and the
Virginia Tech Hokies The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams representing Virginia Tech in intercollegiate athletics. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 22 varsity sports. Virginia Tech's men's sports are football, b ...
on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at the
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in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game was the final contest of the 2011 football season for both teams and was the third game of the 2011–2012
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(BCS). The game ended with 23–20 Michigan victory in overtime. Michigan represented the
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(Big Ten) as the at-large team from the conference, while Virginia Tech represented the
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(ACC) as its at-large team. The game was televised in the United States on
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and an estimated 9.6 million viewers watched the broadcast live. This was the first Sugar Bowl since
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, as well as only the sixth since
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and the tenth overall, not to feature a
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(SEC) team (the
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, coincidentally, also featured Virginia Tech). This was because the top two SEC teams, the
LSU Tigers The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers (also known as the Fighting Tigers) are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiat ...
and
Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the Na ...
, played each other in the
2012 BCS National Championship Game The 2012 BCS National Championship Game (branded as the 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game for sponsorship reasons) was a postseason college football bowl game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers, and determined the na ...
, also held at the Superdome. This was the last SEC-less Sugar Bowl until January 2021, when the Ohio State Buckeyes (representing the Big Ten) faced off against the Clemson Tigers (representing the ACC). Michigan was offered a berth after it finished the season with a 10–2 record—its highest win total since the 2006 season—that ended with a 40–34 win against arch-rival
Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
. Virginia Tech was offered a berth after it finished its season 11–2, which culminated in a 38–10 loss in the
2011 ACC Championship Game The 2011 ACC Championship Game was the seventh football championship game for the Atlantic Coast Conference. It featured the winners of the ACCs two divisions, the Atlantic Division and the Coastal Division. Clemson represented the Atlantic ...
to Clemson. Media attention focused on the quality of the bowl selection, as both teams were criticized for not having strong schedules. Attention also focused on how Virginia Tech's defense would contain Michigan QB Denard Robinson. The game kicked off at 8:32 pm
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, and Virginia Tech scored first, converting its first possession into on a
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...
. Virginia Tech added another field goal in the second quarter, but Michigan scored a
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
in the final minute to take a 7–6 lead, and then recovered a Virginia Tech
fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...
on the ensuing kickoff. Michigan kicked a field goal as time expired in the first half to take a 10–6 lead. Michigan converted its first possession of the second half into a touchdown to take a 17–6 lead, but Virginia Tech added a field goal to narrow the lead to 17–9. In the fourth quarter, Virginia Tech scored a touchdown to narrow Michigan's lead to two points, and then converted a
two-point conversion In gridiron football, a two-point conversion, two-point convert, or two-point attempt is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that ...
to tie the game. Michigan responded with a field goal, but Virginia Tech tied the game with a field goal with two seconds remaining. In overtime, Virginia Tech appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown, but the call on the field was overturned upon video review. On the next play, Virginia Tech missed a crucial field goal. Michigan converted its field goal opportunity to win the game 23–20 in overtime. In recognition of his performance, Michigan's
Junior Hemingway Kenneth Earl "Junior" Hemingway Jr. (born December 27, 1988) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2012 NFL draft. He completed his redshirt senior season in 2011 for the Mich ...
was named the game's
most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
.


Team selection

In the 2011 college football season, the SEC champion had an auto-bid to the Sugar Bowl. However, the SEC champion, the
LSU Tigers The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers (also known as the Fighting Tigers) are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiat ...
, were ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings and were selected to play in the BCS Championship Game. The second place SEC team, the
Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the Na ...
, was also selected to the BCS title game, so the Sugar Bowl Committee was forced to turn to other conferences to select two teams. After bypassing teams such as
Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
,
Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public inst ...
and
Boise State Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It ...
, the committee selected the Michigan Wolverines and the Virginia Tech Hokies.


Michigan

Michigan replaced its head coach prior to the season, with
Rich Rodriguez Richard Alan Rodriguez (; born May 24, 1963), also known as Rich Rod, is an American college football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at West Virginia Mountaineers football, West Virginia University, his second sti ...
being fired and Brady Hoke replacing him. Michigan began its 2011 college football season against
Western Michigan West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for a region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Generally, it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula's Lake ...
and won 34–10 in a game that lasted a little under three quarters, as numerous thunderstorms first delayed and then ultimately postponed the game. In spite of the game ending early, Michigan was awarded the win. Michigan hosted Notre Dame in its next game, which was the first night game in
Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "the Big House," is the American football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the wo ...
history. After Notre Dame built its lead to 17 points—24–7 after the third quarter—Michigan came back to take the lead 28–24 with only 1:02 to go in the game. Notre Dame scored with 30 seconds remaining to take a 31–28 lead, but Michigan drove 80 yards in 28 seconds to score the game-winning touchdown and win the game 35–31. Michigan ended its non-conference schedule with comfortable wins against both
Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan University (EMU, EMich, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern) is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal school (teachers' ...
(31–3) and
San Diego State San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1897, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system. SDSU is ...
(28-7). Michigan began its conference schedule against
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in the battle for the Little Brown Jug. Michigan recorded its first shutout since 2007 with a 58–0 victory. Michigan then traveled to
Evanston, Illinois Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...
, for its first road game of the season to face Northwestern. Michigan scored 28 unanswered points in the second half, coming back from a ten-point deficit at halftime to win 42–24. Michigan followed its trip to Evanston with a trip to
East Lansing, Michigan East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County, although a small portion extends north into Clinton County. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 47,741. The city is located immediate ...
to face its in-state rival
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
. Michigan suffered its first defeat of the season, losing 28–14, its fourth straight loss to Michigan State. Following a
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, Michigan returned home to face
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...
in its
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game. Michigan handily defeated Purdue, 36–14. Michigan then traveled to
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to face
Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
. Michigan suffered its second and final defeat of the season, losing 24–16. Michigan then traveled to
Champaign, Illinois Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Illinois, tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in ...
, for its final road game to face
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
. Michigan won 31–14, with the defense performing in a matter that made
Greg Mattison Greg Mattison (born November 15, 1949) is a former American football coach, and former player. He spent most of his career in college football as a defensive coach. Mattison coached at Michigan for eleven years, at Notre Dame for seven years, ...
, Michigan's
defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator (DC) is a coach responsible for a gridiron football team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's coaching structure, wit ...
, emotional as he told reporters: "That was a Michigan defense. ... Nobody knows what went on inside of these guys and for them to stick together and to play like they played tonight, and like they have tried in every game, it says a lot about them." Michigan returned home to face
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
and once again dominated its opponent, winning 45–17. In the final game of its regular season, Michigan faced
Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
in the game known simply as " The Game." Michigan snapped its seven-game losing streak against Ohio State, winning 40–34. The 2011 Wolverines, the first team to win eight home games in Michigan Stadium in a season, led the Big Ten Conference in rushing defense (115.6 yards per game) and opponent third-down percentage (30.1%, 31 of 103). The Wolverines featured consensus All-American and
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Winner
David Molk David Michael Molk (born December 15, 1988) is an American former professional football center who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles. Molk played college football for the Michiga ...
and two 1,000-yard rushers, (
Fitzgerald Toussaint Fitzgerald D'Andre Toussaint (born May 4, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and signed with the Baltimore ...
and Denard Robinson). Robinson led the Big Ten Conference in
total offense Total offense, also called total yards, is a gridiron football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a player or team. Total offense differs from yards from scrimmage, which gives credit for passing yardage ...
/game and wide receiver
Junior Hemingway Kenneth Earl "Junior" Hemingway Jr. (born December 27, 1988) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2012 NFL draft. He completed his redshirt senior season in 2011 for the Mich ...
led the conference in yards per reception.


Virginia Tech


Controversy

Almost immediately following the team selection, controversy arose regarding the two teams selected.
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
QB
Kirk Cousins Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Mi ...
, whose team failed to qualify for a BCS game because it did not finish in the top 14 of the BCS standings, criticized the potential selection of Michigan after his team's debilitating 42–39 loss to
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
in the Big Ten Championship Game, "I don't see how you get punished for playing and someone else gets to sit on the couch and get what they want". Michigan State had defeated the University of Michigan 28–14 in East Lansing earlier that season. Others criticized the selection of Virginia Tech, stating that both Kansas State and Boise State were more deserving of the bid and that the bowl committee had chosen a familiar team as opposed to a new one. The bowl was considered the lowest-ranked match-up of two teams in the history of the BCS.


Game summary

The game kicked off at 8:32 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Official attendance was listed at 64,512.


First quarter

Following the coin toss, Virginia Tech elected to defer to the second half. Michigan elected to receive, which ensured that Virginia Tech would start the second half on offense. Justin Myer kicked off for the Hokies and Michael Cox returned the kick to Michigan's 34-yard line. Michigan began the game missing starting C David Molk, who suffered a foot injury during the pre-game warmup. Michigan went
three and out ''Three and Out'' is a 2008 British black comedy film directed by Jonathan Gershfield and starring Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Gemma Arterton, Imelda Staunton, and Kerry Katona. It premiered in London on 21 April 2008, and was released in the U ...
on its first drive that featured two
fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...
d snaps by Denard Robinson, Michigan was forced to punt. Tech received the ball at its own 37-yard line.
Logan Thomas Logan Lamont Thomas Sr. (born July 1, 1991) is an American professional American football, football tight end. He was the starting quarterback while playing college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies football, Virginia Tech Hokies in the earl ...
completed his first pass to
Danny Coale Daniel Kinsman Coale (June 27, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Virginia Tech. Early life Coale was a versatile player for head coach Mark Gowin at Episcopal High School. He played wide receiver ...
and then completed another pass, this time to
Jarret Boykins Jarrett, Jarratt, Jarrott or Jarret may refer to: People *Jarrett (name), a page for people with the name "Jarrett" Places United States * Jarratt, Virginia * Jarrett, Minnesota * Jarrett, West Virginia * Jarrettsville, Maryland France * Jarret, ...
for 14 yards and a
first down A down in gridiron football is an attempt by the offensive team to run a play to advance the ball, while the defending team simultaneously attempts to halt their advance. The down is a distinguishing characteristic of the game compared to othe ...
. Following a David Wilson run for loss of four yards, Thomas completed an 18-yard pass to D.J. Coles. Wilson then had two consecutive carries for eight yards and one-yard respectively. Following a Thomas three-yard run, Wilson ran for 11 yards to the Michigan four-yard line. On the next play Wilson rushed for a loss of 22 yards. Tech was forced to settle for a 37-yard field goal after it committed a
delay of game Delay of game is an action in a sports game in which a player or team deliberately stalls the game, usually with the intention of using the delay to its advantage. In some sports, the delay of game is considered an infraction if it is longer than ...
penalty on second down, and after attempts on second and third down did not succeed. On the post-field goal kickoff, Martavious Odoms returned the ball 16 yards to the Michigan 16-yard line; however, Michigan committed a holding penalty on the play and was forced to start on its own eight-yard line. Michigan's second drive was more successful than the first, with Denard Robinson completing an 11-yard pass to Kelvin Grady on third down, and
Fitzgerald Toussaint Fitzgerald D'Andre Toussaint (born May 4, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and signed with the Baltimore ...
rushing for 14 yards on the next play. The drive ended, however, following the Toussaint run as Robinson threw a pass that
Kyle Fuller Kyle Brandon Fuller (born February 16, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft and play ...
intercepted In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...
at Tech's 28-yard line. Tech then embarked on another long drive, with Thomas rushing for 11 yards on second down and finding Boykin for ten yards after a 15-yard illegal block penalty. After a
false start In sports, a false start is a disallowed start, usually due to a movement by a participant before (or in some cases after) being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. Depending on the sport and the event, a false start can resu ...
penalty made it third-and-ten, Thomas completed a 27-yard pass to Coale. Following a three-yard loss on a Thomas run and an incomplete pass, Tech again converted on third-and-long, this time with on a 13-yard Thomas to Coles pass. Following two short rushes, the time ran out in the first quarter.


Second quarter

Virginia Tech continued its drive at the Michigan 31-yard line. Logan Thomas rushed for five yards, which set up a Justin Myer 43-yard field goal and gave Tech a 6–0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Myer kicked the ball out of bounds, which, by rule, gave Michigan the ball at its own 40-yard line. Michigan obtained some success on its drive, with Denard Robinson rushing for three yards, completing a three-yard pass to
Jeremy Gallon Jeremy Jermaine Gallon (born February 9, 1990) is an American former football player who was a wide receiver. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, finishing second all-time in school history in receptions and receiving yards. ...
, and then completing an eight-yard pass to Kevin Koger for a first down. The drive, however, stalled as Robinson was sacked and then threw two incompletions. Michigan was forced to punt and Tech received the ball at its own 26-yard line. Following two short running plays, Thomas threw a 16-yard pass to Coale for a first down. On the ensuing play, David Wilson ran 32 yards for a first down to Michigan's 24-yard line.
Josh Ogelsby Josh is a masculine given name, frequently a diminutive (hypocorism) of the given names Joshua or Joseph, though since the 1970s, it has increasingly become a full name on its own. It may refer to: People A–J *Big Josh, stage name for America ...
followed Wilson's run with an 11-yard run of his own. Ogelsby then rushed for five yards and one-yard respectively. Thomas followed these plays with a three-yard rush, setting up a fourth-and-one at the Michigan 4-yard line. Instead of kicking the field goal that would have given Tech a 9–0 lead, Frank Beamer decided to go for the first down. Thomas was stopped for no gain and Tech turned the ball over on downs. Following the turnover, Michigan started on its own four-yard line. Fitzgerald Toussaint ran for six yards, and Robinson followed with a 16-yard run. Michigan's offense stalled on its next three plays forcing a punt. On the punt, however, Tech committed a
roughing the kicker In gridiron football, roughing the kicker is an action in which a defender, having missed an attempt to block a kick, tackles the kicker or otherwise runs into the kicker in a way that might injure the kicker. This protection is also extended to th ...
penalty that gave Michigan 15 yards and an automatic first down. Toussaint ran the ball for a two-yard gain, and Michigan called a timeout. Following the timeout, Robinson rushed for five yards and then completed a 14-yard pass to Toussaint for a first down at the Tech 38-yard line. Robinson was sacked on the next play for a loss of seven yards and then threw an incompletion to make it third-and-seventeen. On the next play, however, Robinson threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to
Junior Hemingway Kenneth Earl "Junior" Hemingway Jr. (born December 27, 1988) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2012 NFL draft. He completed his redshirt senior season in 2011 for the Mich ...
that saw Hemingway reach around a Tech defender to make the original catch, and then sprint into the endzone. Brendan Gibbons added the extra point to give Michigan a 7–6 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Tech's Tony Gregory returned the ball 27 yards, however, Michigan's J.B. Fitzgerald forced a fumble that Michigan's Delonte Hollowell recovered at Tech's 26-yard line. Gallon rushed for seven yards on the first play before Robinson threw two incomplete passes. Michigan brought out Gibbons to attempt a field goal, however, Michigan attempted a fake field goal that saw Michigan's
long snapper In gridiron football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a Center (gridiron football), center on American football positions#Special teams, special teams whose duty is to Snap (gridiron football), snap the football over a longer distance, ty ...
Jareth Glanda make a catch for 11 yards after the ball hit a Virginia Tech defender in the head. With eight seconds remaining in the half, Robinson threw a seven-yard screen pass to Vincent Smith, which moved the ball to the Tech one-yard line. With two seconds remaining on the clock, Michigan elected to again send out its field goal unit. Michigan intentionally took a delay of game penalty to move the ball back in order for Gibbons to have a better angle to kick the field goal. Gibbons converted the 24-yard field goal as time expired, giving Michigan a 10–6 lead at halftime.


Halftime

The halftime show consisted of 11 high school bands along with dance troupes performing a
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
theme halftime show in connection with New Orleans' history with jazz. The bands performed
Harry Connick Jr. Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and former television host. As of 2019, he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 best-selling ma ...
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Save the Last Dance for Me "Save the Last Dance for Me" is a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, first recorded in 1960 by American musical group the Drifters with Ben E. King on lead vocals. It has since been covered by several artists, including the DeFranco ...
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Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Regarded as a pop icon, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American ...
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Haven't Met You Yet "Haven't Met You Yet" is the first single from Canadian singer Michael Bublé's fourth studio album, '' Crazy Love'', released on August 31, 2009. According to Bublé, the single and its official music video are "about everyone's dream of finding ...
", and
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
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Fly Me to the Moon "Fly Me to the Moon", originally titled "In Other Words", is a song written in 1954 by Bart Howard. The first recording of the song was made in 1954 by Kaye Ballard. Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra's 1964 version was closely associated with the Apo ...
".2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic Official Souvenir Magazine. Professional Sports Publications, New York. January 2012. Pages 168.


Third quarter

Since Virginia Tech deferred its option to the second half, it received the half's opening kickoff. Jayron Hosley returned the kick to Tech's 30-yard line. Tech opened its drive with a five-yard Thomas to Coale pass and followed that play with a Wilson two-yard rush. After a Michigan timeout, Thomas rushed for one-yard and was stopped short of a first down in the process. Tech was forced to punt for this first time in the game. Coale—who was also Tech's punter in addition to receiver—punted the ball 36 yards to the Michigan 26-yard line. Michigan's drive also saw little success. Following a Toussaint one-yard run, Robinson threw an incomplete pass intended for
Roy Roundtree Roy Randolph Roundtree (born March 7, 1989) is a former American football wide receiver and current wide receivers coach for Temple. He was a 2013 preseason member of the Cincinnati Bengals and played college football for the Michigan Wolverine ...
and Antone Exum sacked Robinson for a loss of 11 yards. Wile punted the ball 40 yards to the Tech 49-yard line. Tech's first play on the following drive was its only play, as Frank Clark made a leaping block on a Thomas pass and then retained possession for an interception. Following a Tech timeout, Vincent Smith rushed for two yards. On the next play, Hosley committed a defensive pass interference penalty, giving Michigan a 15-yard advancement and an automatic first down at the Tech 18-yard line. Toussaint rushed for no gain, but on the next play, Robinson threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Hemingway, his second touchdown reception of the night. Gibbons converted the extra point, giving Michigan a 17–6 lead. Tech returned the ensuing kickoff to its own 42-yard line. Wilson carried the ball for the first three plays, gaining eleven, four, and six yards respectively. Thomas then threw a 3-yard pass to Wilson, and on the next play, Clark committed an offside penalty, making it second-and-two on the Michigan 31-yard line. Oglesby rushed two yards for a first down, and then Wilson ran the next two plays for five and two yards respectively. Thomas then completed a two-yard pass to Joey Phillips, but Phillips was stopped short of a first down, forcing Tech to kick a 36-yard field goal. Myer converted the kick, cutting Michigan's lead to eight points. Odoms returned the kickoff for Michigan to the Michigan 23-yard line, but the Wolverines had little success on its drive. After a Toussaint run for five yards, Toussaint gained zero yards on his next run and Robinson's pass to Hemingway was incomplete. Michigan was forced to punt and Tech received the ball at its own 39-yard line. Jake Ryan sacked Thomas for a loss of three yards on Tech's first play, and Thomas completed a pass for a gain of one-yard to Boykin on the next play; however, Thomas converted a third-and-twelve into a first down with a 13-yard run. After Wilson and Oglesby both had one-yard runs, the third quarter ended.


Fourth quarter

Tech resumed its drive on the Michigan 48-yard line. On its first play, Oglesby ran the ball for 18 yards and a Tech first down. Tech's next three plays saw Thomas throw two incomplete passes interspersed with a
Ryan Van Bergen Ryan Charles Van Bergen, sometimes (mis)spelled Ryan VanBergen, (born March 18, 1989) is an American former college football player who was a defensive end for the Michigan Wolverines. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panth ...
sack for a one-yard loss. Beamer elected to go for it on fourth down and Thomas converted, gaining 13 yards on 4th-and-11. Wilson ran the ball for a two-yard gain on first down, and then carried the ball for another 12 yards on second down. After an incomplete pass, Thomas rushed for a one-yard loss making it 3-and-11.
Blake Countess Blake Countess (born August 8, 1993) is an American former professional football cornerback. He played college football for Michigan, using three years of eligibility between 2011 and 2014. He was an All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection ...
committed a pass interference penalty which advanced the ball seven yards and gave Tech a first down. After a Wilson one-yard run, Thomas rushed for a one-yard gain and a Tech touchdown. Since Michigan led by two, Tech elected to attempt a
two-point conversion In gridiron football, a two-point conversion, two-point convert, or two-point attempt is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that ...
and converted on a Thomas to Marcus Davis pass, which tied the game. Odoms returned the kickoff to the Michigan 22-yard line. Michigan's offense stalled, as after a Robinson one-yard run, his next two passes to Hemingway and Drew Dileo were incomplete. Michigan was forced to punt, and Tech received the ball on its own 43-yard line. Thomas completed a five-yard pass to Eric Martin on Tech's first play, but Michigan's defense held Wilson to a run for no gain on second down. Thomas ran for four yards on third down, which forced Tech to punt on fourth-and-one. Tech elected to attempt a fake punt, but Coale's attempt to run for the first down was stopped. He then attempted to punt the ball away before he was tackled, but the kick was blocked and Michigan recovered on the Tech 45-yard line. After a Toussaint run for no gain, Robinson completed a pass to Roundtree for a 10-yard gain. After another incomplete pass, Robinson rushed for an 11-yard gain. Michigan's offense then stalled, as Tech stopped Toussaint for no gain, held Robinson to a two-yard run, and then forced an incomplete pass intended for Kevin Koger. Gibbons kicked a 39-yard field goal, giving Michigan a 20–17 lead. Tech returned the kickoff to its own 17-yard line, but a holding penalty forced Tech to start on its own nine-yard line. Wilson begane the drive with an eight-yard run. Thomas advanced the ball 41 yards in two plays, with an 11-yard pass to Davis and a 30-yard pass to Coale. After a Wilson one-yard run, Thomas completed a 12-yard pass to Coale, giving Tech a first down at the Michigan 31-yard line. Following an incomplete pass intended for Davis, Thomas completed a 15-yard pass to Chris Drager. Wilson rushed for no gain, but Thomas completed an eight-yard pass to Coale, giving Tech a third-and-two on the Michigan eight-yard line. Tech committed a false start penalty, making it third-and-seven from the 13-yard line. Thomas completed an eight-yard pass to Boykin, but settled for the tying 25-yard field goal from Myer after a timeout from each team. The game went to overtime with the score tied at 20.


Overtime

With the game tied, both teams returned to the field for an overtime coin toss. Michigan won the toss and elected to play defense first. Tech began its overtime drive with the ball on the Michigan 25-yard line. Wilson carried the ball two straight times, gaining two yards and three yards respectively. On third down, Thomas threw a pass into the endzone to Coale. The play was originally ruled a touchdown, but was overturned after a lengthy video review. Myer then lined up for a 37-yard field goal, but pushed it to the right, giving Michigan the ball and the opportunity to win the game with a field goal. Michigan played conservatively on its drive, beginning on Tech's 25-yard line. Michigan handed the ball to Toussaint three straight times, which saw runs of three, two, and zero yards respectively. After a Tech timeout in an attempt to
ice the kicker In the sports of American football or Canadian football, the act of icing the kicker or freezing the kicker is the act of calling a Time-out (sport), timeout immediately prior to the Snap (American and Canadian football), snap before a field goal a ...
, Gibbons kicked a 37-yard field goal to give Michigan the victory and its first BCS win since the
2000 Orange Bowl The 2000 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Alabama Crimson Tide on January 1, 2000, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Michigan defeated Alabama 35–34 in a ...
.


Final statistics

Junior Hemingway caught both Michigan
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s, earning 2012 Sugar Bowl Most Outstanding Player honors. Virginia Tech statistically dominated Michigan on offense, out-gaining the Wolverines 377–184. This was also reflected in the number of first downs gained. Virginia Tech earned 22 first downs: twelve rushing, nine passing, and one via penalty. Michigan, meanwhile, earned 12 first downs: three rushing, seven passing, and two via penalty. Michigan possessed the ball 11 times during the game. Five of their possessions ended with punts, one with an interception, two with touchdowns, and three with field goals. Michigan's longest drive lasted 11 plays and covered a distance of 96 yards, ending with a touchdown. Virginia Tech also possessed the ball 11 times during the game. Virginia Tech only punted the ball one time, but lost possession of the ball once via a fumble, once via an interception, and twice on downs. Virginia Tech kicked four field goals and had one touchdown, but also missed one field goal which led to Michigan's victory. Virginia Tech's longest drive lasted 11 plays and covered a distance of 83 yards, leading to the game-tying field goal at the end of the fourth quarter, which sent the game to overtime. Over two-thirds of Michigan's offense came through the air, as Michigan racked up 128 net passing yards. Virginia Tech gained a little over half of its yards through the air, as it racked up 214 net passing yards. Both teams' strategies did little to ensure success on third down, as Michigan only converted four of its thirteen attempts, while Virginia Tech converted only six of its fifteen attempts. Michigan converted its only fourth down attempt, while Virginia Tech converted one out of its three attempts. Virginia Tech dominated the time of possession as well, controlling the ball 36:50 to Michigan's 23:10. The game was ultimately decided via
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
and turnovers. Michigan only committed one turnover compared with Virginia Tech's two, with each team throwing an interception, and Michigan recovering a fumble. Michigan also committed two fumbles, but recovered both of them. Michigan converted both of Virginia Tech's turnovers into points, scoring three points on a field goal after recovering a fumble off of a Virginia Tech kick return, and scoring its second touchdown after Frank Clark intercepted a Logan Thomas pass. Justin Myer's missed field goal in overtime led to Michigan winning the game on its next drive with a field goal of its own.


Michigan statistical recap

* Completions/Attempts a Carries b Long play c Receptions
Despite winning the game, the Wolverines were relatively ineffective on offense. Denard Robinson only completed 9 of 21 passes for a total of 117 yards. He did, however, throw for two touchdowns, both of which were thrown to Junior Hemingway. His one interception ended a Michigan drive at Tech's 28-yard line in the first quarter, and was later converted into a Virginia Tech field goal in the second quarter. Drew Dileo's one pass came on a fake field goal attempt, which led to a field goal two plays later as time expired in the half. Michigan utilized eight different receivers in its offense, but only two of them, Kevin Koger and Hemingway, had more than one reception. Hemingway had two receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns, while Koger's receptions totaled only nine yards. The eighth receiver,
long snapper In gridiron football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a Center (gridiron football), center on American football positions#Special teams, special teams whose duty is to Snap (gridiron football), snap the football over a longer distance, ty ...
Jareth Glanda, caught his pass as a result of a deflection on the fake field goal attempt. Glanda's 11-yard reception totaled the third highest receiving yards on the team, tied with Kelvin Grady. Hemingway's 45-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter was Michigan's longest play from scrimmage in the game. The Wolverines were even more ineffective running the ball, gaining a total of 56 rushing yards. Fitzgerald Toussaint carried the ball 13 times for 30 yards, with his longest run coming on a 14-yard play in the first quarter. Denard Robinson also carried the ball 13 times, but he only gained 13 yards, with his longest play of 16 yards coming in the second quarter. Martavious Odoms and Vincent Smith each had one carry, for five and two yards respectively, with Odoms' carry coming on an
end-around The end-around is a play in American football in which an end or wide receiver crosses the backfield towards the opposite end of the line and receives a handoff directly from the quarterback. The receiver then may proceed to do one of two thing ...
. Jake Ryan had four
tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
for a loss and a sack, for a total loss of 36 yards, while Jordan Kovacs led the Wolverines with eleven total tackles, six solo and five assisted. Desmond Morgan and Ryan also had six solo tackles, with Morgan recording one and a half tackles for a loss. Mike Martin and Ryan Van Bergen each recorded half a sack.
Blake Countess Blake Countess (born August 8, 1993) is an American former professional football cornerback. He played college football for Michigan, using three years of eligibility between 2011 and 2014. He was an All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection ...
and Courtney Avery each recorded half a tackle for a loss. Frank Clark had one interception, which led to Michigan's second touchdown of the game, and assisted on one tackle for a loss. Brendan Gibbons converted all three of his field goal attempts, with distances of 24, 39, and 37 yards.
Will Hagerup William Hagerup (born December 1991) is a former college football punter for the Michigan Wolverines. He holds the single-season average punting yards record and was the Big Ten Punter of the Year in 2012. High school He started for the varsit ...
was ineffective as Michigan's punter, only averaging 25 yards per punt on two punts, which led to
Matt Wile Matthew Blake Dickinson Wile (born June 20, 1992) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a Punter (football), punter in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolve ...
replacing Hagerup. Wile averaged 43.7 yards per punt, punting a total of three times. Wile also handled the team's kickoff duties, kicking off four times for a total of 256 yards, or an average kick of 64 yards per kickoff. Martavious Odoms and Michael Cox handled Michigan's kick return duties, with Odoms returning three kicks for a total of 51 yards, with a long of 21 yards. Michael Cox returned two kicks for a total of two yards, with a long of two yards. No Michigan player was able to return a punt during the game. Michigan's special teams did draw a roughing the kicker penalty that eventually led to Michigan's first touchdown of the game. Michigan also recovered one fumble in the second quarter, which led to a field goal at the end of the first half.


Virginia Tech statistical recap

Virginia Tech was effective with its passing attack. Logan Thomas completed 19 of his 28 pass attempts for a total of 214 yards, completing one fourth down conversion and only throwing one interception. He was unable to throw for a passing touchdown. His interception in the third quarter, however, led to Michigan's second touchdown of the game. Virginia Tech utilized eight different receivers, with Danny Coale leading the team in both receptions (8) and yards (117) with a long of 30 yards, but none of Virginia Tech's receivers were able to record a touchdown. Jarett Boykin recorded Virginia Tech's next highest number of receptions at four for a total of 30 yards, while DJ Coles recorded the next highest number of receiving yards with two receptions for 31 yards. Five other receivers each caught one pass, with Chris Drager recording the longest reception (15 yards) of those five players. David Wilson led Virginia Tech's rushing attack, gaining a total of 82 rushing yards on 24 carries, and running for 32 yards in one play. Logan Thomas also was effective running the ball, gaining 53 yards on 16 attempts, for an average of 3.3 yards per carry. Both Wilson and Thomas each recorded a rushing touchdown in addition to their yardage totals. Coale's negative rushing yard total made him the only player from either team to have a negative total in rushing yards. He lost seven yards on his only rushing attempt—a fake punt in the fourth quarter—which gave Michigan the ball in Virginia Tech territory. Tariq Edwards led Virginia Tech's defense with eight total tackles, six solo and two assisted. Two of these tackles were for a loss for a total of eight yards, with one of the two being a sack for a loss of seven yards. Corey Marshall also had one sack for a loss of four yards, while Justin Tyler and Antone Exum had a combined one sack for a loss of seven yards. JR Collins and Tyler each had a total of seven tackles. Collins' seven tackles consisted of five solo and two assisted, while Tyler's tackles consisted of three solo and four assisted. Seven total Virginia Tech players recorded either a solo or an assisted tackle for a loss. Eddie Whitley had five total tackles, three solo and two assisted, and recorded the most tackles for Virginia Tech without recording a tackle for a loss. Kyle Fuller recorded Virginia Tech's only interception, which was also Michigan's only turnover of the game. Justin Myer converted four of his five field goal attempts, from 37, 43, 36, and 25 yards respectively. He missed his final attempt from 37 yards in overtime, which allowed Michigan to kick the game-winning field goal on its ensuing possession. Myer also handled the team's kickoff duties, kicking off six times for a total of 336 yards for an average of 56 yards per kickoff, with one of those kicks going out of bounds. Coale also acted as Virginia Tech's punter, punting one time for a total of 36 yards. Three Virginia Tech players returned kickoffs during the game. David Wilson returned two kickoffs for a total of 39 yards, with a long of 25 yards. Jayron Hosely returned one kick for a total of 29 yards. Tony Gregory returned one kick for 23 yards, but also was responsible for the fumble that led to Michigan's field goal at the end of the first half.


Postgame effects

The game improved Michigan's record to 11–2, its first 11 win season since 2006, while Virginia Tech's record dropped to 11–3. With the victory, Michigan won the only BCS bowl in which it had not yet been victorious, improved its bowl record to 20–21, and improved its record against the ACC to 19–3. Michigan also moved to 2–0 in overtime in bowl games, with its previous victory being in the
Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...
against
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
. The Superdome was reconfigured to host the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
vs.
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
National Football Conference The National Football Conference (NFC) is a conference of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference (AFC), each h ...
(NFC)
wild card Wild card most commonly refers to: * Wild card (cards), a playing card that substitutes for any other card in card games * Wild card (sports), a tournament or playoff place awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal pla ...
game the following Saturday. The Superdome would then play host to the BCS National Championship game the following Monday.


2012 NFL Draft

As the final game of the season, the game gave Michigan and Virginia Tech players a chance to improve their draft stock before the
2012 NFL draft The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
. Michigan had three players drafted, with Mike Martin being the first. He was drafted in the third round, 82nd overall by the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
. He was followed by
David Molk David Michael Molk (born December 15, 1988) is an American former professional football center who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles. Molk played college football for the Michiga ...
(226th) and Hemingway (238th). Michigan players not drafted signed free agent contracts with other teams after the draft ended.
Ryan Van Bergen Ryan Charles Van Bergen, sometimes (mis)spelled Ryan VanBergen, (born March 18, 1989) is an American former college football player who was a defensive end for the Michigan Wolverines. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panth ...
subsequently signed with the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
, minutes after the draft ended on April 28. Later that day, Troy Woolfolk and Michael Shaw announced via
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
through their agents that they had signed with the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
and
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, respectively. Virginia Tech had three players drafted. David Wilson was the first Virginia Tech player selected. He was drafted in the first round, 32nd overall by the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. He was followed by
Danny Coale Daniel Kinsman Coale (June 27, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Virginia Tech. Early life Coale was a versatile player for head coach Mark Gowin at Episcopal High School. He played wide receiver ...
and
Jayron Hosley Jayron Todd Hosley (born September 18, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Early ...
.


Aftermath

On May 9, 2013, the two teams worked out an agreement to play a home-and-away in 2020 and 2021, but this series was later cancelled by Michigan. Michigan would have hosted Virginia Tech on September 19, 2020, at
Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "the Big House," is the American football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the wo ...
while Virginia Tech would have hosted Michigan on September 11, 2021, at
Lane Stadium Lane Stadium is a college football stadium in the eastern United States, located on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. The playing surface of the stadium is named Worsham F ...
.


References

{{Virginia Tech Hokies bowl game navbox
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only ...
Sugar Bowl Michigan Wolverines football bowl games Virginia Tech Hokies football bowl games
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only ...
January 2012 sports events in the United States