1999 Gator Bowl
| 1999 Toyota Gator Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Alltel Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | WR Dez White (Georgia Tech) QB Joe Hamilton (Georgia Tech) QB Autry Denson (Notre Dame) |
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| Attendance | 70,791 | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||
Both Georgia Tech and Notre Dame entered the 1999 Toyota Gator Bowl hoping to extend their season win totals to double digits. This matchup pinned two top 20 teams against each other on New Year’s Day in Jacksonville, Florida. Georgia Tech’s own, Dez White, led the Yellow Jacket offensive charge with 129 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Dez White would be named Most Valuable Player along with his Quarterback, Joe Hamilton. Hamilton also had an impressive performance in the 1999 Gator Bowl, as a result he ended the season on a high note to be carried onto the following season. After a hard fought game, Georgia Tech edged out Notre Dame to boost their season win total to ten.
The Irish were 1–1 before going on an 8-game winning streak that made them ranked number 9, until a loss to USC in the last game of the season as they tried to break their losing streak in bowl games, which was at three. Georgia Tech were co-champions in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a loss to Florida State costing them a Bowl Championship Series spot. This was Georgia Tech's fifth Gator Bowl and first since 1965. This was Notre Dame's first Gator Bowl since 1976.
Wearing their green uniforms for the first time since the 1995 Fiesta Bowl, the Irish hoped to have luck on their side. But as it turned out, their defense gave the Yellow Jackets luck, allowing five long drives for touchdowns and 436 yards. Joe Burns would throw a touchdown pass to Joe Hamilton to start off the scoring for GT, though Autry Denson responded with a touchdown run. But the Yellow Jackets scored 14 unanswered points in the second quarter, with a Phillip Rogers touchdown run and a Mike Sheridan touchdown catch from Hamilton, as they had a 21–7 halftime lead. The Irish responded with two rushing touchdowns from Jarious Jackson and Denson, but they still trailed 21–20 due to a blocked extra point. Dez White made the lead 8 with his touchdown catch from Hamilton to make it 28–20 as the third quarter ended. Notre Dame tied the game with a Autry Denson touchdown run and the successful conversion pass from Jackson. Georgia Tech took the lead for the final time with a Dez White touchdown pass from Hamilton. With less than three minutes remaining, Notre Dame tried to drive to tie the game; Jackson was tackled by Nate Simson, who forced a fumble that was recovered by Jesse Tarplin as the Yellow Jackets won their fifth bowl game appearance. For GT, Hamilton went 13 of 20 for 237 yards and two touchdowns, and White caught 4 passes, but for 129 yards and two touchdowns. For Notre dame, Denson rushed 26 times for 130 yards.
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