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Allstate Sugar Bowl

January 4, 2012 by · Comments Off on Allstate Sugar Bowl 

Allstate Sugar BowlAllstate Sugar Bowl, Of course, the Sugar Bowl came down to the game’s final seconds. After the Rose and Fiesta were decided in their final moments, the Sugar Bowl followed suit on Tuesday night. Michigan kicker Brendan Gibbons kicks the game-winning field goal in overtime at the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

In overtime after a 20-yard catch in the left corner of the end zone by Virginia Tech’s Danny Coale was ruled incomplete, the Hokies’ MVP in the previous 60 minutes, third-string kicker Justin Myer missed a 37-yard field goal.

Next it was Michigan kicker Brendan Gibbons’ turn to secure the win with a 37-yard field goal. So what was he thinking about during such a pressure-filled moment?

“Brunette girls,” he said. “Every tune we were like struggling in kicking, Coach tells me to think about girls on a beach or brunette girls. So that’s what we did. Made the kick.”

Hey, whatever works. Gibbons intense focus on his dating prospects gave the Wolverines a 23-20 win.

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer stared with his hands on his hips as the kick sailed through the uprights. The resignation on his face summed up the Hokies’ star-crossed Bowl Championship Series fate.

The No. 11 Hokies (11-3) have lost five of their six BCS appearances, including three times in the Sugar Bowl. The Atlantic Coast Conference is 2-12 in BCS play.

“We need wins,” Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said when asked about those records. “We wanted to get a win for the ACC and wanted to get a win for Virginia Tech. We haven’t done as well as we want to in these BCS games. But give Michigan credit. They gave effort throughout and hung on and got a win.”

Virginia Tech’s biggest concern entering the Sugar Bowl was its kicking game. Myer, who handles kick-offs, was called into duty after Tyler Weiss was sent home this week for a curfew violation. The Hokies were also without top kicker Cody Journell following his an arrest in an alleged home invasion.

Myer made the first field goal of his college career, a 37-yarder midway through the first quarter. His second came in the second quarter, a 43-yarder, the team’s longest field goal this season. He followed with his third in the third quarter, a 36-yarder then clinched the tie with a 25-yarder with two seconds remaining in the game. As bad luck would have it, Myer missed his only kick when it mattered the most.

Still it was hard to blame Myer for the result. “He kicked a good game,” said Virginia Tech tailback David Wilson. “He’s the one who kept us in the running.” Even though Virginia Tech had more than double Michigan’s total yards, 377-184, and had 22 first downs to Michigan’s 12, only four field goals resulted.

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