2004 Sugar Bowl

NCAAFootballSingleGameHeader
Name=2004 Sugar Bowl
Year=2003
Type=ncg


Date=January 4, 2004
Visitor School=Oklahoma University
Visitor Name Short=Oklahoma
Visitor Nickname=Sooners
Visitor Record=12-1
Visitor

Visitor Coaches=3
Visitor BCS=1
Visitor Coach=Bob Stoops
Visitor1=0
Visitor2=7
Visitor3=0
Visitor4=7
Home School=Louisiana State University
Home Name Short=LSU
Home Nickname=Tigers
Home Record=12-1
Home

Home Coaches=2
Home BCS=2
Home Coach=Nick Saban
Home1=7
Home2=7
Home3=7
Home4=0
Type=ncg
Stadium=Louisiana Superdome
City=New Orleans, Louisiana
Attendance=79,342
MVP=LSU RB Justin Vincent
US Network=ABC
US Announcers=Brent Musburger and Gary Danielson

The 2004 Sugar Bowl, the BCS title game for the 2003 college football season, was played on January 4, 2004 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The teams were LSU Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners. The Tigers won their second National Championship by beating the Sooners by a score of 21-14.

et-up

Number 2 ranked LSU came into The National Championship Title Game 12-1, with their one loss to #17 Florida. #1 ranked Oklahoma was 12-1, with the 1 loss coming in the Big 12 Championship Game against Kansas State. There was some media and fan controversy as to which teams should play in the National Title game. USC ranked #3 in the BCS standings but #1 by the AP poll, owned a record of 11-1 (its loss coming against unranked Cal).LSU defeated Oklahoma to win their second National Championship Title. Following LSU's victory, the coaches voted LSU National Champions as contractually required by the BCS. #3 USC won the Rose Bowl against #4 ranked Michigan, and was voted the National Champion in the AP Opinion Poll. The BCS formula for determining the seeds was changed as a result, with the weight given to the computers being lessened and the opinions of the AP Poll removed.

LSU's claim to the title was not the product of BCS politics. Their #1 ranked defense held the country's most prolific offense, which had averaged 45.2 points and 461 yards per game, to 154 total yards and just one touchdown until the closing minutes of the game. Heisman Trophy winning QB Jason White, who completed only 13 of his 37 passing attempts for a mere 102 yards, was sacked seven times and intercepted twice. LSU was in control of the game from the end of the 1st quarter and Oklahoma was never really able to get any real momentum against a stingy LSU defense.

The win was LSU's second National Championship and their first since 1958.

coring Summary

Trivia

*The attendance of 79,342 became the largest ever to see a game in the Superdome. That figure has since been surpased by the 2008 BCS National Championship Game (79,651 [ [http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-09-lsujan09,1,3750337.story Football - chicagotribune.com ] ] ).
*The team that led at half-time had won 10 of 11 Sugar Bowl games.
*LSU improved its record to 5-7 in Sugar Bowl games.
*The SEC improved its record to 34-29-1 in Sugar Bowl games.

References

External links

* [http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27811&SPID=2164&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=164667 Article on LSUSports.com]
* [http://www.victorypennants.com/lsu-tigers-2003-national-champions-football-pen.html LSU Tigers 2003 BCS National Champions Football Pennant]