The 2014 Orange Bowl was a

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

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 ...

that was played on December 31, 2014, at

Sun Life Stadium Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Southeastern United States, located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the Universit ...

Miami Gardens, Florida Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of Miami and located north of Greater Downtown Miami, downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from Interstate 95 in Florida, I-95 and N ...

.2014 Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl Committee. The 81st

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 ...

is a "New Year's Six Bowl" of the

College Football Playoff The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual single-elimination tournament, knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, D ...

.About the College Football Playoff.
ESPN. It was one of the 2014–15 bowl games that concluded the 2014 FBS football season. The game was televised on

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

and

ESPN Deportes ESPN Deportes (, ) is an American multinational Spanish-language pay television sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the ...

, and broadcast on

ESPN Radio ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...

and

XM Satellite Radio XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XM) was one of the three satellite radio ( SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable ...

, with the kickoff time set for 8:00 p.m. ET. The game is sponsored by the

Capital One Capital One Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company founded on July 21, 1994, and specializing in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts, headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, with operations primarily in the ...

financial services company and is officially named the Capital One Orange Bowl. The Yellow Jackets defeated the Bulldogs 49–34. Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas, who accounted for 4 total touchdowns, 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 ...

Teams

The two participants for the game were the

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The teams have also been nicknamed the ...

vs.

Mississippi State Bulldogs Mississippi State Bulldogs is the name given to the college athletics, athletic teams of Mississippi State University, in Mississippi State, Mississippi. The university is a founding member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA D ...

. Georgia Tech was ACC Coastal Division champion, whereas Mississippi State was SEC Western Division runner-up.

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech was led by head coach Paul Johnson. Georgia Tech entered the game with a 10–3 (6–2 conference) record. Georgia Tech began the season unranked in the AP Poll and was predicted to finish 5th in the Coastal Division in the ACC Preseason Poll.Defending National Champion Florida State Leads ACC Preseason Football Poll #ACCkickoff
. theacc.com. July 21, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014. The Yellow Jackets began the season 5–0 before losing back-to-back games to

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

and

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Georgia Tech ended the regular season with five straight victories, including a 30–24 overtime victory over in-state rivals

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, to finish first in the Coastal Division and earn a berth to the

2014 ACC Championship Game The 2014 ACC Championship Game is the tenth football championship game for the Atlantic Coast Conference. It featured the Florida State Seminoles, winners of the ACC's Atlantic Division, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, winners of the ACC's ...

.Hale, David
Georgia Tech celebrates Coastal title

. November 20, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015. The Yellow Jackets would lose the ACC Championship Game 35-37 to

Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

.FSU holds off Georgia Tech to win ACC; eyes CFP spot next

. December 6, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015. Georgia Tech's offense was led by quarterback

Justin Thomas Justin Louis Thomas (born April 29, 1993) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and is a former List of World Number One male golfers, world number one. In 2017, Thomas experienced a breakout year, winning five PGA Tour e ...

, who entered the game with 1594 passing yards, 965 rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns.Hyman, Ted
Infographic: Orange Bowl Preview
saturdaydownsouth.com. December 30, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015. As a team, Georgia Tech averaged 333.6 rushing yards and 135.2 passing yards per game.
ramblinwreck.com. December 30, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015. This was the Yellow Jackets' seventh Orange Bowl; they had previously lost the 2010 game against

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 ...

, 14–24.Georgia Tech Will Face Mississippi State in Orange Bowl
December 7, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015. The 2014 Orange Bowl also marked Georgia Tech's 18th consecutive bowl game appearance.

Mississippi State

Mississippi State was led by head coach

Dan Mullen Daniel Mullenhttps://media.ledger-enquirer.com/static/SEC-Coaching-Contracts/Mississippi-State/Dan-Mullen-2016.pdf (born April 27, 1972) is an American college football coach, who is currently the head coach at the University of Nevada, Las Veg ...

. Mississippi State entered the game with a 10–2 (6–2 conference) record. Mississippi State began the season unranked in the AP Poll and was predicted to finish 5th in the SEC West division.Casagrande, Michael
SEC preseason media poll picks Alabama over Auburn to win league title
al.com. July 17, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015. Despite starting the season unranked, the Bulldogs quickly rose to #1 on the AP Poll after victories over

LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

and Auburn.Mississippi State No. 1 in AP poll
Associated Press. October 12, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015. The Bulldogs were also ranked #1 in the first ever

poll.Bonner, Michael
Mississippi State No. 1 in first CFB Playoff Rankings
The Clarion-Ledger. October 28, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015. After winning their first nine games, Mississippi State suffered their first loss of the season in a 20–25 defeat to Alabama. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 10–2 record, losing 17–31 to their in-state rivals

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

in the regular season finale.2014 Mississippi State Bulldogs Football Schedule
fbsschedules.com. Retrieved January 1, 2015. Mississippi State's offense was led by quarterback

Dak Prescott Rayne Dakota Prescott (; born July 29, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, twice earning first-team ...

, who entered the game with 2996 passing yards, 939 rushing yards and 38 total touchdowns. The Bulldogs' offense was also led by running back Josh Robinson, who entered the game with 1128 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. As a team, Mississippi State averaged 239.8 rushing yards and 266.3 passing yards per game. This was the Bulldogs' third Orange Bowl; they had previously won the 1941 game over Georgetown 14–7. Re-living the 1941 Orange Bowl, a win secured by two MSU roommates
. hailstate.com. December 28, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015. The 2014 Orange Bowl also marked Mississippi State's 5th consecutive bowl game appearance.

Game summary

First quarter

The opening kickoff went for a

touchback In American football, a touchback is a ruling that is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line (i.e., in their end zone) and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to travel ...

, thus Mississippi State began its opening drive at its 25-yard line. On Mississippi State's third play of the game, Dak Prescott's pass was intercepted by Chris Milton at MSU's 36-yard line. Georgia Tech took advantage of the interception, scoring first to go up 7–0 on a 3-yard touchdown run by Synjyn Days. The next Bulldogs drive, MSU was able to drive into Georgia Tech territory. However, the Bulldogs came up empty after being unable to convert a 4th and 4 at Georgia Tech's 32-yard line. After the Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs exchanged punts, Georgia Tech went up 14–0 on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Justin Thomas to Darren Waller.Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets play-by-play

. Retrieved January 1, 2015.

Second quarter

Mississippi State finally got on the board early in the second quarter with a 32-yard field goal from Evan Sobiesk to make it a 14–3 game. After forcing Georgia Tech to punt, Mississippi State scored on a 5-yard touchdown run by Dak Prescott to make it a 14–10 game. On the following Yellow Jackets drive, Georgia Tech was able to drive into MSU's territory. However, the Yellow Jackets turned the ball over when Justin Thomas' pass was intercepted by Beniquez Brown. The Bulldogs took advantage of the interception, driving deep into Georgia Tech territory. However, Mississippi State was forced to settle for a 30-yard field goal by Evan Sobiesk to make it a 14–13 game in Georgia Tech's favor. On the ensuing Georgia Tech drive, the Yellow Jackets went up 21–13 on a 13-yard touchdown run by Justin Thomas with 29 seconds remaining in the second quarter. On the ensuing Bulldogs possession, Mississippi State was able to quickly drive to Georgia Tech's 42-yard line. On the final play of the first half, Dak Prescott completed a 42-yard

Hail Mary The Hail Mary or Ave Maria (from its first words in Latin), also known as the Angelic or Angelical Salutation, is a traditional Catholic prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the ...

touchdown pass to Fred Ross to make it a 21–20 game going into the half.

Third quarter

Georgia Tech scored on the second play of the second half on 69-yard touchdown run from Synjyn Days, making it a 28–20 game. After Mississippi State turned the ball over on downs, Georgia Tech went up 35–20 on a 35-yard touchdown run from Justin Thomas. On the ensuing Mississippi State drive, Dak Prescott fumbled at Georgia Tech's 48-yard line. Georgia Tech took advantage of Prescott's fumble, going up 42–20 on a 15-yard touchdown run from Justin Thomas.

Fourth quarter

Mississippi State opened the fourth quarter with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to

De'Runnya Wilson De’Runnya S. Wilson (September 14, 1994 – January 21, 2020) was an American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Early life Wilson attended Wenonah High School in Birmingham, Alabama, where ...

to make it a 42–27 game. The Bulldogs then attempted an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff. However, MSU was unable to recover the onside kick, giving Georgia Tech the ball at MSU's 46-yard line. Georgia Tech took advantage of the good field position, going up 49–27 on a 4-yard touchdown run by Synjyn Days. On the ensuing Mississippi State drive, the Bulldogs were able to drive to Georgia Tech's 5-yard line. However, the Bulldogs were unable to score when Dak Prescott's pass fell incomplete on fourth down. On the ensuing Georgia Tech possession, the Yellow Jackets went on a 9 yard play, 32-yard drive that took 5 minutes and 50 seconds off the clock. After forcing Georgia Tech to punt, Mississippi State cut into Georgia Tech's lead on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to De'Runnya Wilson with 2:20 remaining in the game. Mississippi State was unable to recover their onside kick, however, and Georgia Tech was able to run out the clock.

Scoring summary

Source:

Statistics

Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas was named the game's

. Thomas completed 7 of his 12 passes for 1 touchdown, 1 interception and 125 yards. Thomas also had 121 rushing yards for 3 touchdowns.Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

. Retrieved January 1, 2015. Mississippi State outgained Georgia Tech in total yardage 605–577. Mississippi State committed 2 turnovers while Georgia Tech committed 1 turnover. The Yellow Jackets were more efficient in third down conversions; Georgia Tech converted 9 out of 13 attempts while MSU converted 6 out of 15 attempts. Synjyn Days was Georgia Tech's leading rusher, rushing for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns. Justin Thomas was Georgia Tech's second leading rusher, rushing for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns. As a team, Georgia Tech rushed for 452 yards, an Orange Bowl record. Darren Waller was Georgia Tech's leading receiver, catching 5 passes for 114 yards and 1 touchdown. Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott completed 33 of his 51 passes for 453 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Prescott set the Orange Bowl record for passing yards with his performance.Justin Thomas' four total TDs lead Georgia Tech over Mississippi State

. Retrieved January 1, 2015. Josh Robinson was the Bulldogs' leading rusher, rushing 75 yards on 13 carries. Joe Morrow was Mississippi State's leading receiver, catching 6 passes for 117 yards. De'Runnya Wilson was MSU's second leading receiver, catching 9 passes for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Game notes

* The Easton Area High School Marching Band performed at the Orange Bowl as part of the pre-game show. They were the only high school performing. *

Little Big Town Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group from Homewood, Alabama. Founded in 1998, the group has had the same four members since its founding: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman (née Roads), Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook. Fa ...

performed at halftime of the game.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2014 Orange Bowl (12)

Orange Bowl Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football bowl games Mississippi State Bulldogs football bowl games 2014 in sports in Florida

Sports competitions in Miami Gardens, Florida