2001 Gator Bowl
The 2001 Gator Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Clemson Tigers and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on January 1, 2001. The game was the final contest of the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 41–20 victory for Virginia Tech.
| 2001 Toyota Gator Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 56th Gator Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Alltel Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | QB Michael Vick (Virginia Tech) WR Rod Gardner (Clemson) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Virginia Tech by 6.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Steve Shaw (SEC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | The Marching Virginians | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 68,741 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Payout | US$3,313,610 (total) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Matt Vasgersian, Pat Haden, Kip Lewis, Lee Reherman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Virginia Tech entered the game headed by star quarterback Michael Vick, who led the Hokies to a 10–1 regular-season record despite being injured for a part of the season. Clemson entered the game with a regular-season record of 9–2 under the command of head coach Tommy Bowden, who was in the second year of his tenure. The contest featured two high-scoring offenses that emphasized different aspects of the game. These aspects were exemplified in the game, which saw Clemson pass for more yards than Virginia Tech, while the Hokies ran for more yards than the Tigers.
Virginia Tech jumped out to an early lead and maintained it throughout the game. Vick had a 23-yard touchdown run on the game's opening drive, then helped the Hokies expand their lead to 14–0 by the end of the first quarter. The Tigers narrowed Tech's lead to 14–10 in the second quarter, but the Hokies scored another touchdown before halftime and went into the second half with a 21–10 lead. Injuries knocked Clemson's two leading running backs out of the game, and starting Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler was removed from the game after he proved ineffective against the Virginia Tech defense. Despite these changes, the Tigers were unable to reduce Virginia Tech's lead, which stood at 34–13 at the end of the third quarter. A late Clemson touchdown moved the Tigers within two touchdowns, but Virginia Tech answered with a touchdown of its own, making the final score 41–20.
In recognition of his performance in leading his team to a victory, Vick was named the game's most valuable player. It was his final collegiate game, and four months after the Gator Bowl, he was selected with the first overall selection in the 2001 NFL Draft. A handful of other players who participated in the Gator Bowl also were selected in the draft.