2000 Independence Bowl
| 2000 Independence Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| “The Snow Bowl” | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 31, 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Independence Stadium | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Shreveport, Louisiana | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 36,974 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Payout | US$2,112,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN | |||||||||||||||||||||
The 2000 Sanford Independence Bowl, part of the 2000–01 NCAA football bowl season, took place on December 31, 2000 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The competing teams were the Mississippi State Bulldogs, representing the Southeastern Conference, and the Texas A&M Aggies from the Big 12 Conference.
The game was later referred to as "The Snow Bowl", as a snowstorm (rare for the Shreveport area) began just before kickoff, blanketing the field in powder, and continued throughout the entire game.
Mississippi State won the bowl in overtime, 43–41 against their future SEC rival.
Prior to the game, the Bulldogs (8–4) had not scored in overtime in regular-season losses to Louisiana State and Arkansas. And things looked bleak for Mississippi State after Texas A&M's Ja'Mar Toombs rambled 25 yards for a touchdown on the first play of overtime.
But defensive tackle Willie Blade blocked the extra point. Eugene Clinton grabbed the ball and lateraled to Julius Griffith, who went the distance to cut the deficit to 41-37.
"They were blocking down on me, but I kept fighting and fighting to get through and finish the play," Blade said.
On the Bulldogs' first play from scrimmage, Madkin turned a busted play into a 19-yard gain. After Dontae Walker lost a yard, Madkin went up the middle from the 7-yard line to give Mississippi State its second straight bowl win after four consecutive losses.
"All I know is that I broke containment and I was trying to stretch (the ball) out as far as I could," Madkin said. "I knew I had scored when my teammates started to jump on me."
Playing in a steady snow that obscured the yard markers and made footing treacherous, Madkin completed 9-of-19 passes for 71 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Walker carried 16 times for 143 yards and three scores.
"There might have been a different football game under normal conditions, but our team just never gave up," said Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill, who held the same post at Texas A&M from 1982-88. "I was surprised both teams scored as many points as we did in the snow."
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