2007 Music City Bowl

NCAAFootballSingleGameHeader
Name=2007 Music City Bowl
Date=December 31, 2007
Year=2007
Visitor School=University of Kentucky
Visitor Name Short=Kentucky
Visitor Nickname=Wildcats
Visitor Record=8–5
Visitor

Visitor Coaches=
Visitor BCS=
Visitor Coach=Rich Brooks
Visitor1=7
Visitor2=7
Visitor3=14
Visitor4=7
Visitor Total=35
Home School=Florida State University
Home Name Short=Florida State
Home Nickname=Seminoles
Home Record=7–6
Home

Home Coaches=
Home BCS=
Home Coach=Bobby Bowden
Home1=7
Home2=7
Home3=0
Home4=14
Home Total=28
Type=bg
Stadium=LP Field
City=Nashville, Tennessee


MVP=Kentucky QB André Woodson
Odds=Kentucky by 7 [ [http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/ College Football Las Vegas Odds, Betting Lines and Point Spreads at VegasInsider.com, The Leader in Sportsbook and Gaming Information - College Football Las Vegas Odds,NCAA Football Las Vegas Lines,College Football Las Vegas Lines,NCAA Football Las Vegas Odds, College Football Las Vegas Point Spread, NCAA Football Las Vegas Point Spread ] ]
Anthem=
Referee=Jerry McGinnhttp://www.musiccitybowl.com/nm_files/File/PDF%20Files%20/071231MC.pdf]
Halftime=
Attendance=68,661
US Network=ESPN
US Announcers=Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham [ [http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2007/12/your-comprehensive-bowl-game-announcing.html Awful Announcing: Your Comprehensive Bowl Game Announcing Schedule ] ] The 2007 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl was the 2007 edition of the Music City Bowl, and it was played on December 31, 2007. Part of the 2007–2008 bowl season, it featured the Kentucky Wildcats and the Florida State Seminoles. Both teams entered the game with a 7–5 overall record and a 4–4 conference record.

The Seminoles came into the game without 34 players due to various injuries, violations of team rules, and a large academic cheating scandal. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls07/news/story?id=3165899 Scandal, rule violations, injuries deplete Florida State bowl roster] , Associated Press, December 22, 2007.] For the Wildcats, this was , as they had played in last year's edition of the game, entered it with the same 7–5 overall record, and faced an Atlantic Coast Conference team coached by a Bowden, namely the Clemson team coached by Tommy Bowden, son of longtime FSU head coach Bobby Bowden.

In the first quarter, Kentucky scored first on a 14-yard André Woodson touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Tamme. Florida State quarterback Drew Weatherford then scored on a 6 yard touchdown run. Kentucky built a 14-7 lead in the second quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Woodson to Steve Johnson. Kentucky's defense then held Florida State to a turnover on downs inside the Kentucky five yard line, but immediately after that Florida State tied the game before halftime when Tony Carter intercepted a Woodson pass and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown.

Kentucky struck first in the third quarter when Woodson threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Rafael Little. A 4 yard touchdown run by Tony Dixon boosted Kentucky's third quarter lead to 28-14. Florida State scored first in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard Weatherford touchdown run to make it 28-21. Woodson's 38-yard touchdown pass to Steve Johnson extended the Kentucky lead to 35-21. The game's final score was a 7-yard touchdown pass from Weatherford to Greg Carr to bring about the final tally: Kentucky 35, Florida State 28. The game appeared iced when Kentucky linebacker Micah Johnson intercepted a Weatherford pass with under one minute remaining, but in attempting to return the interception Johnson fumbled the ball away and Florida State recovered. Florida State threw a pass into the end zone at the end of regulation but Kentucky defenders batted it down to seal the win.

The attendance of 68,661 set a new record for the Music City Bowl.

In Kentucky's 35–28 victory, 2006 game MVP André Woodson repeated as the 2007 MVP after throwing four touchdown passes. Florida State's Antone Smith gained a career-high 156 rushing yards; Kentucky's Rafael Little rushed for 152 yards and caught one touchdown pass, but he also fumbled twice. The win gave the Wildcats back-to-back bowl wins for the first time since 1952. It was also the first loss ever for the elder Bowden in a December bowl game. [cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=273650052 |title=Wildcats hand Bowden first December bowl loss |author=Associated Press |publisher="ESPN.com" |date=2007-12-31 |accessdate=2007-12-31]

References

External links

* [http://www.ukathletics.com/index.php?s=&change_well_id=2&url_article_id=7201#2007 University of Kentucky Athletics Association article and box score for 2007 Music City Bowl]
* [http://www.musiccitybowl.com/nm_files/File/PDF%20Files%20/071231MC.pdf Official Box Score]