The 1997 Gator Bowl was a

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

postseason bowl game between the

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the ''Tar Heel ...

and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Background

North Carolina finished 2nd in the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

to undefeated Florida State. Meanwhile, after Virginia Tech, Miami & Syracuse all finished tied for first in the Big East Conference, West Virginia was slated to play in the Gator Bowl. This was North Carolina's first since Gator Bowl since 1993, and the first for the Mountaineers since 1989. North Carolina was trying to win their first Gator Bowl since 1981 while West Virginia was trying to break their five-game bowl losing streak and win their first Gator Bowl.

Game summary

After a scoreless first quarter, 20 total points would be scored in the second quarter, 17 of them by the Tar Heels. It started when Oscar Davenport threw an 18-yard pass to Octavus Barnes in the back corner of the end zone to give the Tar Heels a 7–0 lead with 13:05 remaining in the half. The Tar Heels added on to the lead with a field goal over two minutes later. The Mountaineers responded with a field goal of their own with 2:24 remaining, but the Tar Heels scored on a Davenport run with 1:15 remaining to close out the scoring and give them a 17–3 lead. West Virginia scored on a touchdown pass to make it 17–10, but a UNC field goal by McGee made it 20–10 going into the final quarter. A field goal by the Mountaineers made it 20–13, as the Mountaineers had one last chance to tie it late, in UNC territory with two minutes remaining. But on 4th and 6 at the 25, the Mountaineers were stopped short as the Tar Heels hung on to win. Dré Bly had two interceptions as the Tar Heels forced four turnovers. Davenport went 14-of-26 for 175 yards and 1 touchdown. In a losing effort for the Mountaineers, David Saunders caught 9 passes for 130 yards.

Aftermath

The Mountaineers would return to the Gator Bowl in 2004. North Carolina would return to the Gator Bowl the following year.

Statistics

References

{{West Virginia Mountaineers bowl game navbox

Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...

Gator Bowl North Carolina Tar Heels football bowl games West Virginia Mountaineers football bowl games January 1997 sports events in the United States 1997 in sports in Florida 1990s in Jacksonville, Florida