Nov. 30, 2004
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ORLANDO — Florida Citrus Sports (FCS) will select either Auburn or Louisiana State (LSU) to represent the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in the 2005 Capital One Bowl, FCS Executive Director Tom Mickle announced Tuesday. The final decision will be made on Sunday, following the SEC Championship Game.
“These are two of the best teams in the nation,” FCS Selection Committee Chairman Richard M. Jackson said. “Auburn has had a storybook season, and LSU is riding a six-game winning streak. I think either team will provide a wonderful game when they face Iowa on January 1.”
Auburn closed out a perfect 11-0 regular season and will face Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday. The Tigers can gain a berth to a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game with a win over the Vols, and will still be eligible as an at large selection with a loss. If Auburn does not receive a BCS Bowl bid, they will play in the Capital One Bowl for the second time in three years. Coach Tommy Tuberville’s team defeated Penn State, 13-7, in 2003.
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“These are two of the best teams in the nation. Auburn has had a storybook season, and LSU is riding a six-game winning streak. I think either team will provide a wonderful game when they face Iowa on January 1.”
FCS Selection Committee Chairman Richard M. Jackson
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LSU, which claimed the 2003 BCS National Championship, finished the 2004 campaign with a 9-2 record including six-consecutive victories to end the year. The Tigers feature the nation’s third-ranked defense in total yards allowed and the LSU rushing offense ranks atop the SEC, averaging more than 200 yards per game. LSU has not played in Orlando’s New Year’s Day Classic since Dec. 22, 1979, in what was legendary head coach Charlie McClendon’s final game.
“The SEC has once again proven to be on the nation’s finest football conferences,” Jackson added. “There were several teams in our mix to the end, and each of them would have been worthy of a bid.”
Last week, the FCS announced Big Ten co-champion Iowa will play in the Capital One Bowl. Iowa finished the 2004 regular season with a 9-2 overall record, including a 7-1 mark in Big Ten Conference games. With a stingy defense, ranked ninth nationally in yards-per-game allowed, and a turnover margin that stands seventh in the country, the Hawkeyes closed out the season with seven-consecutive victories.
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A limited number of tickets for the Capital One Bowl are available online at hawkeyesports.com. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the UI Athletic Ticket Office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and by phone at 1-800 IA-HAWKS.
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The Capital One Bowl possesses the first selections from the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference (SEC) after the BCS chooses its participating teams. The 59th annual game will kickoff at 1:00 p.m. (EST) on New Year’s Day, and will be televised nationally by ABC.
A limited number of tickets for the Capital One Bowl are available online at hawkeyesports.com. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the UI Athletic Ticket Office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and by phone at 1-800 IA-HAWKS.