Gator Bowl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Toyota Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played at ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. It is one of the oldest non-BCS bowls, held continuously since 1946.
Until 1993 the game was played in Gator Bowl Stadium, when the stadium was partially demolished during the construction of ALLTEL Stadium on the same site. The 1994 game was played in Gainesville, Florida during construction; the 1996 game (moved to January 1 that season) and subsequent games have been held at ALLTEL Stadium. The game is currently sponsored by Toyota, hence its official title.
The Gator Bowl traditionally hosted the second-place ACC against the second-place Big East team, but beginning with the 2007 game will host the third-place ACC team versus a team from either the Big East, Big 12 or Notre Dame to take the Big East's spot in this game.
The payout for each team will jump to $2.5 million for the 2006-07 game with a new TV contract with CBS Sports to televise the game.
The Gator Bowl is one of Jacksonville's annual sports highlights. However, the event was once at the root of tragedy. In 1963, the Hotel Roosevelt in downtown caught fire after a post-Gator Bowl party in the ballroom (it was later determined that the party was not the cause of the fire, and was a mere tragic coincidence). 22 hotel patrons lost their lives.
See also: Gator Bowl Stadium
Contents |
[edit] Previous results
Italics denotes a tie game.
(1) - Game held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainsville, Florida.
[edit] MVPs
| Date Played | MVP(s) | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 1946 | Nick Sacrinity | Wake Forest | QB |
| January 1, 1947 | Joe Golding | Oklahoma | HB |
| January 1, 1948 | Lu Gambino | Maryland | HB |
| January 1, 1949 | Bobby Gage | Clemson | HB |
| January 2, 1950 | Bob Ward | Maryland | G |
| January 1, 1951 | Eddie Talboom | Wyoming | HB |
| January 1, 1952 | Jim Dooley | Miami (Fla.) | HB |
| January 1, 1953 | John Hall | Florida | RB |
| Mary Matuszak | Tulsa | T | |
| January 1, 1954 | Bobby Cavazos | Texas Tech | RB |
| Vince Dooley | Auburn | QB | |
| December 31, 1954 | Joe Childress | Auburn | FB |
| Billy Hooper | Baylor | QB | |
| December 31, 1955 | Don Orr | Vanderbilt | QB |
| Joe Childress | Auburn | FB | |
| December 29, 1956 | Wade Mitchell | Georgia Tech | QB |
| Corny Salvaterra | Pittsburgh | QB | |
| December 28, 1957 | Bobby Gordon | Tenneessee | TB |
| John David Crow | Texas A&M | HB | |
| December 27, 1958 | Bobby Franklin | Mississippi | QB |
| Dave Hudson | Florida | E | |
| January 2, 1960 | Jim Mooty | Arkansas | HB |
| Maxie Baughan | Georgia Tech | LB | |
| December 31, 1960 | Larry Libertore | Florida | QB |
| Bobby Ply | Baylor | QB | |
| December 30, 1961 | Galen Hall | Penn State | QB |
| Joe Auer | Georgia Tech | HB | |
| December 29, 1962 | Tom Shannon | Florida | QB |
| Dave Robinson | Penn State | E | |
| December 28, 1963 | Ken Willard | North Carolina | RB |
| David Sicks | Air Force | C | |
| January 2, 1965 | Fred Biletnikoff | Florida State | SE |
| Steve Tensi | Florida State | QB | |
| Carl McAdams | Oklahoma | LB | |
| December 31, 1965 | Lenny Snow | Georgia Tech | TB |
| Donny Anderson | Texas Tech | RB | |
| December 31, 1966 | Dewey Warren | Tenneessee | QB |
| Floyd Little | Syracuse | HB | |
| December 30, 1967 | Kim Hammond | Florida State | QB |
| Tom Sherman | Penn State | QB | |
| December 28, 1968 | Terry McMillan | Missouri | QB |
| Mike Hall | Alabama | LB | |
| December 27, 1969 | Mike Kelley | Florida | TB |
| Curt Watson | Tennessee | FB | |
| January 2, 1971 | Pat Sullivan | Auburn | QB |
| Archie Manning | Ole' Miss | QB | |
| December 31, 1971 | Jimmy Poulos | Georgia | TB |
| James Webster | North Caroline | LB | |
| December 30, 1972 | Wade Whatley | Auburn | QB |
| Mark Cooney | Colorado | LB | |
| December 29, 1973 | Joe Barnes | Texas Tech | QB |
| Haskell Stanback | Tennessee | TB | |
| December 30, 1974 | Phil Gargis | Auburn | QB |
| Earl Campbell | Texas | RB | |
| December 29, 1975 | Steve Atkins | Maryland | TB |
| Sammy Green | Florida | LB | |
| December 27, 1976 | Al Hunter | Notre Dame | HB |
| Jimmy Cefalo | Penn State | WR | |
| December 30, 1977 | Matt Cavanaugh | Pittsburgh | QB |
| Jerry Butler | Clemson | SE | |
| December 29, 1978 | Steve Fuller | Clemson | QB |
| Art Schlichter | Ohio State | QB | |
| December 28, 1979 | Matt Kupec | North Carolina | QB |
| Amos Lawrence | North Carolina | RB | |
| John Wangler | Michigan | QB | |
| Anthony Carter | Michigan | WR | |
| December 29, 1980 | Rick Trocano | Pittsburgh | QB |
| George Rogers | South Carolina | RB | |
| December 28, 1981 | Kelvin Bryant | North Carolina | TB |
| Ethan Horton | North Carolina | TB | |
| Gary Anderson | Arkansas | RB | |
| December 30, 1982 | Greg Allen | Florida State | TB |
| Paul Woodside | West Virginia | K | |
| December 30, 1983 | Tony Lilly | Florida | S |
| Owen Gill | Iowa | FB | |
| December 28, 1984 | Thurman Thomas | Oklahoma State | RB |
| Mike Hold | South Carolina | QB | |
| December 30, 1985 | Chip Ferguson | Florida State | QB |
| Thurman Thomas | Oklahoma State | RB | |
| December 27, 1986 | Rodney Williams | Clemson | QB |
| Brad Muster | Stanford | RB | |
| December 31, 1987 | Wendell Davis | LSU | SE |
| Harold Green | South Carolina | RB | |
| January 1, 1989 | Wayne Johnson | Georgia | QB |
| Andre Rison | Michigan State | WR | |
| December 30, 1989 | Levon Kirkland | Clemson | LB |
| Mike Fox | West Virginia | DT | |
| January 1, 1991 | Offensive Line | Michigan | N/A |
| Tyrone Ashley | Mississippi | DB | |
| December 29, 1991 | Cale Gundy | Oklahoma | QB |
| Tyrone Davis | Virginia | DB | |
| December 31, 1992 | Errict Rhett | Florida | RB |
| Reggie Lawrence | North Carolina | WR | |
| December 31, 1993 | Brian Burgdorf | Alabama | QB |
| Corey Holliday | North Carolina | WR | |
| December 30, 1994 | James Stewart | Tennessee | TB |
| Maurice DeShazo | Virginia Tech | QB | |
| January 1, 1996 | Donovan McNabb | Syracuse | QB |
| Peter Ford | Clemson | CB | |
| January 1, 1997 | Oscar Davenport | North Carolina | QB |
| David Saunders | West Virginia | WR | |
| January 1, 1998 | Chris Keldorf | North Carolina | QB |
| Nick Sorenson | Virginia Tech | QB | |
| January 1, 1999 | Dez White | Georgia Tech | WR |
| Joe Hamilton | Georgia Tech | QB | |
| Autry Denson | Notre Dame | RB | |
| January 1, 2000 | Nate Webster | Miami (Fla.) | LB |
| Joe Hamilton | Georgia Tech | QB | |
| January 1, 2001 | Michael Vick | Virginia Tech | QB |
| Rod Gardner | Clemson | WR | |
| January 1, 2002 | Javon Walker | Florida State | WR |
| Andre Davis | Virginia Tech | WR | |
| January 1, 2003 | Philip Rivers | North Carolina State | QB |
| Cedric Hillard | Notre Dame | NG | |
| January 1, 2004 | Scott McBrian | Maryland | QB |
| Brian King | West Virginia | DB | |
| January 1, 2005 | Leon Washington | Florida State | RB |
| Kay-Jay Harris | West Virginia | RB | |
| January 2, 2006 | Cedric Humes | Virginia Tech | RB |
| Hunter Cantwell | Louisville | QB |
[edit] Most Appearances
| Rank | Team | Appearances | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Florida | 8 | 6-2 |
| T1 | Clemson | 8 | 4-4 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 7 | 5-2 |
| T4 | Florida State | 6 | 5-0-1 |
| T4 | Auburn | 6 | 4-2 |
| T4 | Georgia Tech | 6 | 3-3 |
| T7 | Tennessee | 5 | 3-2 |
| T7 | Virginia Tech | 5 | 2-3 |
| T7 | West Virginia | 5 | 0-5 |
| T10 | Penn State | 4 | 1-2-1 |
| T10 | South Carolina | 4 | 0-4 |
| T12 | Georgia | 3 | 2-0-1 |
| T12 | Maryland | 3 | 2-0-1 |
| T12 | Oklahoma | 3 | 2-1 |
| T12 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 2-1 |
| T12 | Texas Tech | 3 | 2-1 |
| T12 | Mississippi | 3 | 1-2 |
| T12 | Missouri | 3 | 1-2 |
| T12 | North Carolina State | 3 | 1-2 |
| T12 | Notre Dame | 3 | 1-2 |
