2006 Gator Bowl The 2006 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Louisville Cardinals and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville , Florida , United States , on January 2 , 2006 . The game was the final contest of the 2005 football season for each team and resulted in a 35 – 24 Virginia Tech victory . Louisville represented the Big East Conference ( Big East ) , and Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) in the competition . Virginia Tech was selected as a participant in the 2006 Gator Bowl following a 10 – 2 regular season that included wins over 15th - ranked Georgia Tech and traditional rivals Virginia and West Virginia . A loss to Florida State in the inaugural ACC Championship Game gave Tech a position in the Gator Bowl instead of the more prestigious Bowl Championship Series - run Orange Bowl game . Facing the 12th - ranked Hokies were the 15th - ranked Louisville Cardinals , who finished 9 – 2 during the regular season of their first year in the Big East Conference . Louisville won its last five games before the Gator Bowl and participated in the Liberty Bowl at the end of the previous season . Pre - game media coverage of the game focused on Virginia Tech ' s fall from being a contender for the national championship , Louisville ' s loss of star quarterback Brian Brohm to injury , the fact that both teams were playing under new conference affiliations , and the rise of Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick , younger brother of NFL star Michael Vick . The 2006 Gator Bowl began on January 2 , 2006 , at 12 : 30 p . m . EST in Jacksonville . Louisville led for much of the game , beginning with an 11 - yard touchdown pass in the first quarter by backup quarterback Hunter Cantwell , who filled in for the injured Brohm . Tech ' s offense replied with a field goal , but Louisville was able to add another touchdown before the end of the quarter , extending its lead to 14 – 3 . In the second quarter , Virginia Tech fought back and narrowed Louisville ' s lead to a single touchdown . At halftime , the score was 17 – 10 in Louisville ' s favor . In the second half , Virginia Tech ' s offense began to have success . Tech earned the only points of the third quarter — a 28 - yard field goal from kicker Brandon Pace — to narrow Louisville ' s lead to 17 – 13 . In the fourth quarter , the game fully turned in the Hokies ' favor . Though Louisville scored a touchdown early in the quarter , Virginia Tech scored 22 unanswered points in the final 13 minutes of the game to take a 35 – 24 lead and earn the win . Tailback Cedric Humes was named the most valuable player of the game for Virginia Tech , and quarterback Hunter Cantwell was named the Cardinals ' most valuable player . Tech punter Nic Schmitt set Gator Bowl records for punt yardage and average punt distance , kicking the ball six times for 300 yards , an average of 50 yards per kick . Virginia Tech ' s win was marred by excessive penalties and unsportsmanlike conduct that resulted in the ejection of one player . Following the game , Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was released from the team as a result of several incidents of misconduct , including a stomp on Louisville defender Elvis Dumervil ' s leg during the game . Several players who participated in the game , including Dumervil , later went on to careers in the National Football League . Team selection . In the 2005 college football season , the Atlantic Coast Conference had an automatic bid to the Gator Bowl . By contract , the Gator Bowl Association — which produces the game — possessed the first pick of bowl - eligible ACC teams after the winner of the ACC Championship Game was given a spot in a Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ) game . This was the final year that the Gator Bowl had first pick of eligible ACC teams , as contract renegotiations later resulted in the Gator Bowl slipping to the third selection , beginning with the 2006 college football season . Virginia Tech , losers of the 2005 ACC Championship Game , were chosen by the Gator Bowl Association to participate as the ACC ' s representative to the 2006 Gator Bowl . The other half of the matchup would consist of either Notre Dame or the first selection from the Big East Conference after that conference ' s automatic BCS bid . Because Notre Dame was selected to play in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl , a BCS game , the Gator Bowl Association was required to select the Big East ' s Louisville Cardinals , which , like Virginia Tech , finished second in their conference . Virginia Tech . The Virginia Tech Hokies football team began the 2005 college football season as reigning Atlantic Coast Conference football champions . The Hokies also played in the 2005 Sugar Bowl against the third - ranked Auburn Tigers , losing 16 – 13 in a close contest . Expectations were high for the Hokies to repeat their ACC championship performance the next year , and a preseason poll of media covering ACC football resulted in Virginia Tech being picked to face Florida State in the inaugural ACC Championship Game . In its first game of the season , however , eighth - ranked Virginia Tech almost let those expectations fall short . At North Carolina State , the Hokies trailed at halftime and were tied at the beginning of the fourth quarter before eking out a 20 – 16 win in the final minutes . The Hokies bounced back from the close contest in their second game of the season — against the Duke Blue Devils — as Tech raced to a 45 – 0 victory . The Hokies held Duke to just 35 yards of total offense , Tech ' s best defensive performance in the modern era . The win over Duke was followed by several others in succession . Heading into their ninth game of the season , the Hokies were 8 – 0 record and the third - ranked college football team in the country . Against the fifth - ranked Miami Hurricanes , however , Virginia Tech suffered its first defeat of the season , falling 27 – 7 . Tech recovered by winning its next two games , earning a spot in the inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game , held in Jacksonville , Florida . There , the Hokies lost , 27 – 22 , to the Florida State Seminoles . The Seminoles earned an automatic bid to a Bowl Championship Series game by virtue of the victory — had Virginia Tech won the game , it would have been awarded the bid . The day after Tech lost the ACC Championship Game , the Gator Bowl extended a formal invitation to Virginia Tech , which the Hokies accepted . Ninth - ranked Miami , the same team that beat the Hokies 27 – 7 earlier in the season , was considered for selection , but the Gator Bowl Association took into consideration Virginia Tech ' s history of having a large fan base travel to its bowl games , and selected the Hokies on those grounds . Louisville . The Louisville Cardinals football team came into the 2005 season having gone 11 – 1 the previous season , including a season - ending 44 – 40 victory over Boise State in the 2004 Liberty Bowl . In addition , Louisville was also entering a new conference — the Big East — after departing Conference USA following the end of the 2004 season . In a poll of media members covering the Big East prior to the 2005 season , Louisville was predicted to win the Big East championship its first year in the conference . In their first and second games of the season , the Cardinals lived up to that expectation . At in - state rival Kentucky , Louisville earned a 31 – 24 victory to win the Governor ' s Cup . This was followed the next week by a 63 – 27 victory over non - conference opponent Oregon State . Unfortunately for the Cardinals , their first Big East conference game of the season — and of school history — did not go as well . At South Florida , the ninth - ranked Cardinals were outscored 45 – 14 , the first time in 13 games Louisville ' s offense was held to less than 30 points . Following the loss , Louisville recovered , scoring 61 points and 69 points , respectively , in non - conference wins over Florida Atlantic University and North Carolina , returning to their previous offensive success . Again , however , Louisville faltered against a Big East opponent . The Cardinals ' second Big East game , at West Virginia University , was another Louisville loss , 46 – 44 . West Virginia later went on to finish 11 – 1 for the season , winning the Big East championship and defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2006 Sugar Bowl . Louisville , meanwhile , returned to its winning ways . The Cardinals , following their loss to the Mountaineers , won their first Big East game in school history the next week , over the Cincinnati Bearcats , 46 – 22 . The rout of Cincinnati sparked a five - game winning streak , which concluded on December 3 with a 30 – 20 victory over the University of Connecticut Huskies . Unfortunately for the Cardinals , starting quarterback Brian Brohm , who had the sixth - best season ( in terms of passing yards ) in Louisville history , suffered a season - ending knee injury . With West Virginia having won the Big East championship and an automatic Bowl Championship Series game bid , Big East second - place Louisville was selected by the Gator Bowl even before the victory over Connecticut . Pregame buildup . Pregame media and fan interest surrounding the game focused largely on Louisville ' s top - ranked offense and Virginia Tech ' s first - ranked scoring defense . Other major points of media coverage included the two teams ' quarterbacks : Louisville ' s Hunter Cantwell , who replaced starter Brian Brohm after Brohm suffered a season - ending knee injury ; and Virginia Tech ' s Marcus Vick , brother of National Football League star Michael Vick . Also a concern for Louisville was the health of star running back Michael Bush , who missed two games in November due to an injury . On a wider note , there was also interest in the conference - level showdown between a new Big East team ( Louisville ) and a team that left the Big East for the ACC after the 2003 season ( Virginia Tech ) . For Virginia Tech , there was also the hope of overcoming the disappointment of a season that saw the Hokies ranked third in the country and in the hunt for the national championship before failing to even win the Atlantic Coast Conference and missing a bid to a Bowl Championship Series game . When betting on the game opened , spread bettors favored Virginia Tech by 10 points . Five days after betting opened , the point spread narrowed to 7 . 5 , still in favor of Virginia Tech . Two weeks later , the point spread remained at 7 . 5 in favor of Virginia Tech . Offensive matchup . Louisville offense . Heading into the Gator Bowl , Louisville ' s scoring offense was ranked third in the country — averaging 45 . 2 points per game — and was held under 30 points just once in their preceding 21 games . The high - powered Cardinals ' offense was predicted to pose a challenge for the Virginia Tech defense . With star quarterback Brian Brohm having undergone surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament , there were some questions as to how backup Hunter Cantwell would perform under pressure . Cantwell played well in the Cardinals ' season - ending contest against Connecticut , but some commentators predicted that Virginia Tech ' s quicker defense would pose problems for him . In that contest , Cantwell completed 16 of 25 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown . In high school , Cantwell passed for 7 , 272 yards and 70 touchdowns . His . 606 career completion percentage ranked 11th in Kentucky state history . Running back Michael Bush was predicted to return to form after suffering a foot injury that kept him out of two games in November . Bush ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns against Connecticut , his first game back from the injury . Heading into the Gator Bowl , Bush earned a school - record 24 touchdowns and led the country in scoring . He ran for 1 , 049 yards in nine games . He was also a capable receiver , catching 20 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown . But with Brohm on the sidelines , it was expected the Cardinals would rely on Bush ' s legs more than usual , in an effort to minimize the need for the inexperienced Cantwell to pass the ball . Louisville wide receiver Mario Urrutia , who caught 31 passes for 702 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season , stirred a bit of controversy in the final days leading up to the Gator Bowl after he declared that Virginia Tech ' s first - ranked defense was " mostly hype " . Virginia Tech offense . Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was considered the key player for the Virginia Tech offense heading into the Gator Bowl . The younger brother of first - overall NFL Draft pick Michael Vick — who also played for Tech — Marcus led the league in passing efficiency ( 141 . 6 rating ) , completed 166 of 268 passes ( 60 . 3 percent ) for 2 , 190 yards and 15 touchdowns , with ten interceptions . On the ground , he ran for 370 yards and six touchdowns . Prior to the Gator Bowl , he pledged that he would return for another season at Virginia Tech before entering the NFL draft . " The NFL is tough . It ' s the real deal . You ' ve got to be ready for it . You just don ' t want to rush into just throwing yourself out there because of the money or anything like that . You ' ve got to really be prepared for it " , he said . On the ground , two different Tech players were predicted to share time running the ball . Senior running back Cedric Humes was predicted to get the bulk of the carries in the game , but redshirt freshman Branden Ore was also predicted to see some plays at times . Humes rushed the ball 140 times for 639 yards and ten touchdowns during the regular season . Ore , meanwhile , ran the ball for 591 yards and six touchdowns . Wide receiver Josh Morgan was also considered a key component of the Hokie offense . Morgan finished the season with 28 receptions for 471 yards and four touchdowns . Prior to the game , Morgan predicted that if the Hokies executed their plays well , they would emerge the victors . Backup guard Brandon Gore broke his ankle during the Hokies ' loss to Florida State and would not be able to participate . Senior Tech running back Mike Imoh , who shared time running the ball during the regular season with Ore and Humes , was also out after undergoing surgery to repair an injured ankle . Adding to the injury situation for Virginia Tech was offensive tackle Jimmy Martin , who suffered a sprained knee ligament in practice leading up to the game . Martin started 45 consecutive games prior to the Gator Bowl , a streak that was broken when he was replaced by Brandon Frye on the day of the game . Defensive matchup . Louisville defense . Shortly after Louisville was selected to the 2006 Gator Bowl , Cardinals defensive end Elvis Dumervil was awarded the Bronko Nagurski Trophy , given annually to the top defensive college football player in the United States . Dumervil also earned several other honors in the weeks leading up to the game , including being named Big East Defensive Player of the Year , an Associated Press All - American and earning the Ted Hendricks Award , given annually to the best defensive end in the country . Dumervil led the nation in sacks ( 20 ) and forced fumbles ( 10 ) during the regular season . Prior to the game , he announced that he was looking forward to the contest , saying , " To me , I wanted to play the best possible team in the Gator Bowl , and I think that ' s what we ' ve got " . A week and a half after Dumervil won the Nagurski Trophy , senior defensive tackle Montavious Stanley , who was a leader on defense for Louisville , underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle . Stanley was the Cardinals ' best run - stopper on defense , amassing 48 tackles and 5 . 5 sacks during the season . Virginia Tech defense . Coming into the Gator Bowl , the Virginia Tech defense was ranked first in total defense , second in pass defense , fourth in rushing defense , and third in scoring defense , allowing an average of just over 12 points per game . The Virginia Tech defense was led by defensive end Darryl Tapp , a first - team All - ACC pick , an American Football Coaches Association ( AFCA ) All - American , a finalist for the Lott Trophy , and a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award . Tapp was considered a natural leader both on and off the field and led the Hokies ' defensive workouts during practice . Tapp finished the regular season with 45 tackles ( including 12 . 5 for a loss ) and ten sacks . He was also named a second - team Associated Press All - American , and he won the Dudley Award , given annually to the best college football player in the state of Virginia . Tech cornerback Jimmy F . Williams , considered a cornerstone of the Hokie defense , was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy that season , but lost to Louisville ' s Elvis Dumervil . Williams was Tech ' s sole first - team Associated Press All - American and also was named to the American Football Coaches Association , Football Writers Association of American and Walter Camp All - America teams . He recorded 44 tackles and an interception for the Hokies in the regular season . Williams had foregone entering the NFL draft after the 2004 college football season in order to return to Virginia Tech for his senior season , and he was expected to be a high draft pick upon graduation . Game summary . The 2006 Gator Bowl kicked off at 12 : 30 p . m . EST on January 2 , 2006 in Jacksonville , Florida . Official attendance for the game was listed as 63 , 780 , placing it at 34th ( out of 62 ) on the list of Gator Bowls in terms of attendance . At kickoff , the weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of approximately 76 degrees . The wind was from the south - southwest at . Approximately 4 . 14 million American households watched the game on television , earning the game a Nielsen rating of 3 . 93 . The pre - game show featured the Marching Virginians , the Cardinal Marching Band , and the Wachovia Dance Team , a collection of Jacksonville - area entertainers . Also before kickoff , the stadium was overflown by a flight of U . S . Navy F / A - 18 Super Hornet s from VFA - 103 , based in Virginia . The national anthem was sung by Monty Lane Allen , member of a Gospel singing group . < ref name = " pregame / halftime " > The Gator Bowl Association . " 2006 Toyota Gator Bowl Gameday Program " . Host Communications . December 2006 . Page 12 . < / ref > First quarter . Virginia Tech won the ceremonial pre - game coin toss to select first possession and deferred its option to the second half ; Louisville elected to receive the opening kick . The Cardinals began the game ' s opening drive at their own 18 - yard line after the opening kickoff . Running back Michael Bush rushed for 12 yards on the game ' s opening play , netting the game ' s first first down . Subsequent plays , however , saw Louisville struggle to gain another . Facing fourth down and six yards at their own 34 - yard line , the Cardinals seemingly prepared to punt . Instead , the Cardinals executed a trick play by running back Kolby Smith , who ran with the ball . Smith surprised the Tech defense and broke free for a 30 - yard run , converting the first down and continuing the Louisville drive . Eight plays later , Louisville quarterback Hunter Cantwell connected on an 11 - yard pass to Mario Urrutia for a touchdown and the game ' s first points . The extra point kick was good , and with 10 : 42 remaining in the first quarter , Louisville took a 7 – 0 lead . Virginia Tech ' s first possession of the game began at its own 32 - yard line after Louisville ' s post - touchdown kickoff . Tech running back Cedric Humes gained 12 yards and a first down on the Hokies ' first play of the game , and quarterback Marcus Vick completed a 24 - yard pass to wide receiver Josh Hyman three plays later to get another first down and drive the Hokies into Louisville territory . After Vick was stopped for losses on two consecutive rushing plays , he completed another long pass to Hyman for a first down . Subsequent plays saw Tech advance into the Louisville red zone but fail to gain another first down . Kicker Brandon Pace entered the game to attempt a 36 - yard field goal kick , which was successful . With six minutes remaining in the first quarter , Tech cut Louisville ' s lead to 7 – 3 . Louisville ' s second drive of the game was much quicker than the Cardinals ' first . After beginning at their own 20 - yard line , it took the Cardinals just seven plays to travel 80 yards and earn a touchdown . Louisville was helped throughout the drive by repeated Virginia Tech personal foul penalties . Tech players committed three separate 15 - yard personal fouls during the drive , one of which came after Louisville ' s successful extra point kick when cornerback Jimmy Williams bumped a game official . Williams was ejected from the game for the contact and was removed from the field after watching the next series from the sidelines . The touchdown and extra point extended Louisville ' s first - quarter lead to 14 – 3 . Tech received the ball at its 20 - yard line with 2 : 44 remaining in the first quarter . Three quick rushes picked up 22 yards and two first downs , pushing the ball to the Tech 42 - yard line . On the next play , however , wide receiver Justin Harper committed a 15 - yard pass interference penalty , which negated much of the previous plays ' gains . Marcus Vick rushed for five yards , threw two incomplete passes , and was unable to get another first down after the penalty . With time winding down in the quarter , Tech was forced to punt the ball away . The game ' s first punt traveled 53 yards , and Louisville took over on offense at its 40 - yard line following a 25 - yard punt return as time expired in the quarter . At the end of the first quarter , Louisville led Virginia Tech , 14 – 3 . Second quarter . Louisville began the second quarter in possession of the ball at its 40 - yard line . Despite having good field position , the Cardinals were unable to gain more than four yards on three plays and were forced into their first punt of the game . Throughout much of the second quarter , both teams traded punts as each went three and out on several occasions . By the quarter ' s halfway point , Virginia Tech punted the ball twice in the period . Louisville punted the ball three times after kicking no punts at all in the first quarter . After the third Louisville punt , Virginia Tech took over at its 46 - yard line . Unlike the previous second - quarter possessions , which saw the Tech offense struggle to move the ball effectively , Tech began its drive with a five - yard rush . After losing seven yards on the next play , Marcus Vick completed a 19 - yard pass to tight end Jeff King , driving the Hokies into Louisville territory for the first time in the quarter . Two plays later , Vick connected with wide receiver Justin Harper on a 33 - yard pass that resulted in the Hokies ' first touchdown of the game . With 4 : 56 remaining in the first half of the game , Tech trimmed Louisville ' s lead to 14 – 10 . Following the Tech touchdown , Louisville attempted to answer with points of its own before halftime . After starting on his own 20 - yard line , Hunter Cantwell completed two quick passes that resulted in 26 yards . Two plays later , Michael Bush broke free for a 34 - yard run , driving Louisville deep into the Virginia Tech side of the field . Despite having a first down at the Virginia Tech 18 - yard line , Louisville was unable to gain any yards on three consecutive plays . Bush was stopped for no gain on a rushing attempt , and two Cantwell passes fell incomplete . Kicker Arthur Carmody came in to complete a 35 - yard field goal , and with 2 : 16 remaining in the first half , Louisville led by a score of 17 – 10 . After receiving Louisville ' s kickoff , Virginia Tech elected to run out the clock and bring the first half to an end . During the process , Marcus Vick ran the ball on a designed play and was tackled by Cardinals defensive end Elvis Dumervil after Vick gained nine yards . Following the play , Vick paused , then stomped on Dumervil ' s leg . Though referees failed to observe the stomp , television commentators replayed the action , and Tech coaches considered pulling Vick from the game as punishment . At the end of the first half of play , Louisville held a 17 – 10 lead . Third quarter . The second half of play began with Virginia Tech receiving the ball , going three and out , and punting the ball back to Louisville . The Cardinals reciprocated by also going three and out and punting the ball back to Virginia Tech . The Hokies began their second drive of the quarter at their one - yard line . Despite beginning deep in their own end of the field , Virginia Tech mounted a successful drive . Tailback Branden Ore and quarterback Marcus Vick alternated rushes , picking up 18 yards and a first down . After Vick was sacked by the Louisville defense , he recovered by throwing a 29 - yard pass for another first down . Following the pass , Vick and Ore rushed for six consecutive plays , alternating carries at various intervals . Inside the Louisville red zone , however , the Cardinals ' defense stiffened and the Tech offense began to falter . After Tech successfully gained a first down on fourth and one , the Hokies were unable to gain another . Tech kicker Brandon Pace was forced to make his second field goal of the game , this one a 28 - yarder , to make the game 17 – 13 with 2 : 52 remaining in the quarter . The Tech drive began with 11 : 17 remaining in the quarter and took eight minutes and 25 seconds off the clock . Louisville received the post - field goal kickoff , but again went three and out , punting the ball back to Virginia Tech . Louisville did not pick up a first down in the third quarter , and Tech began yet another drive as time ran out in the quarter . With one quarter remaining in the game , Tech narrowed the Louisville lead to 17 – 13 . Fourth quarter . Shortly after the fourth quarter began , the Virginia Tech drive that began in the waning moments of the third quarter came to an end . The Hokies were forced to punt , and Louisville began its first drive of the fourth quarter . The Cardinals ' Harry Douglas ran for 29 yards on the their first play of the drive . On the second , Hunter Cantwell completed a 29 - yard touchdown pass to Gary Barnidge . It took Louisville just 33 seconds and two plays to travel 58 yards and earn a touchdown . The score gave Louisville a 24 – 13 lead with 13 : 32 remaining to play . But just as it took Louisville just two plays to score , so too did it take Virginia Tech two plays to answer the Louisville touchdown . After taking over at his team ' s 22 - yard line , Marcus Vick completed a 54 - yard pass to wide receiver David Clowney . Virginia Tech and Louisville committed offsetting 15 - yard personal foul penalties before the play , to no effect on the Hokie offense . On the next play after the long pass , Cedric Humes rushed for 24 yards and the answering Hokie touchdown . It took just 28 seconds for Virginia Tech to answer the Louisville touchdown . Having done that , Tech went Louisville one better , successfully scoring a two - point conversion on a pass from Vick to Morgan . The touchdown and two - point conversion cut the Louisville lead to 24 – 21 . The Cardinals began their second drive of the quarter at their own 25 - yard line . In fits and starts , the Louisville offense advanced down the field . Kolby Smith ran for a yard , Michael Bush for two , then six yards , and Cantwell completed two passes of seven yards each . The Cardinals were also helped by a defensive pass interference penalty against Virginia Tech , which gave Louisville a first down by penalty . As Louisville began to enter Tech territory in earnest , however , the Cardinals suffered their first turnover of the game . Facing third down and three yards from the Virginia Tech 40 - yard line , Cantwell was sacked and fumble d the ball . Tech defender Xavier Adibi scooped up the loose ball , and Tech gained the initiative . Following the fumble , the Hokies began a drive at their 47 - yard line . On the first play , Tech was aided by a pass interference penalty on Louisville . The penalty was followed by a three - yard Cedric Humes rush and yet another pass interference penalty against Louisville . Humes rushed twice more for five yards , and Vick completed a 16 - yard pass to David Clowney before Vick completed a five - yard touchdown pass to Jeff King . The score and subsequent extra point gave Virginia Tech a 28 – 24 lead — its first of the game — with 6 : 03 remaining . Louisville took over on offense needing to get a touchdown to regain a lead before the waning clock finally ran out of time . After the Tech kickoff and a touchback , the Cardinals took over at their 20 - yard line . Michael Bush ran for 10 yards and a first down , and Hunter Cantwell scramble d for six more on a rushing play . Facing third down and needing four yards , Cantwell dropped back to pass for the first down . As the pass soared through the air , Tech defender James Anderson jumped and caught the ball , intercepting it . Still on his feet , Anderson quickly rushed the other way and , unimpeded , ran 39 yards into the end zone for a Virginia Tech touchdown . The score and extra point energized Virginia Tech ' s offense and defense and gave the Hokies an 11 - point lead — 35 – 24 — with 4 : 45 remaining in the game . Louisville returned on offense , needing to score quickly , make a stop on defense , then score a second time to take the lead . The energized Tech defense was disinclined to allow any such thing . Though Cantwell completed two short passes for 16 yards and a first down , he was sacked on first down and the Tech defense prevented him from completing another pass . Two passes were knocked down by Hokie defenders , while another fell short . After Louisville failed to convert a fourth down , Virginia Tech took over on offense . The Hokies proceeded to run out the clock , executing two short rushes and an incomplete pass . Louisville had one final chance on offense after a Tech punt , but three consecutive desperation Hail Mary pass es were unsuccessful . Two fell incomplete , and the third was intercepted by Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers . With time almost gone , Tech finished running out the clock and secured the victory . As time expired , Virginia Tech held a 35 – 24 lead and won the 2006 Gator Bowl . Final statistics . Running back Cedric Humes was named the game ' s most valuable player for Virginia Tech , and quarterback Hunter Cantwell was named the Cardinals ' most valuable player . Tech punter Nic Schmitt set Gator Bowl record for punt yardage and average punt distance , kicking the ball six times for 300 yards , an average of 50 yards per kick . Despite being more highly promoted in pregame media coverage , Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was outperformed statistically by Louisville ' s Hunter Cantwell . Vick completed 11 of 21 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns . He also ran for 10 yards on 13 carries . Cantwell , meanwhile , completed 15 of his 37 passes for 216 yards , three touchdowns , and three interceptions . On the ground , Tech running back Cedric Humes led all rushers with 22 carries for 113 yards and one touchdown . Louisville ' s leading rusher , Michael Bush , had 16 carries for 94 yards and one fumble . The third - leading rusher in the game was Tech ' s Branden Ore , who carried the ball 11 times for 56 yards . Louisville ' s Kolby Smith carried the ball three times for 32 yards , including a 30 - yard run that was the game ' s second - longest rushing play . Defensively , Virginia Tech dominated , intercepting the ball three times , forcing a fumble once , and earning one defensive touchdown . Two Louisville defenders had the best individual performances during the game , however . Brandon Johnson and Abe Brown had six tackles apiece , and Brown sacked Marcus Vick once for a loss of ten yards . The sack was one of three earned by the Louisville offense during the game . Virginia Tech ' s defense earned two sacks during the game , and the Hokies ' leading tackler was Vince Hall , who recorded four and two assists on sacks of Louisville ' s Hunter Cantwell . Postgame effects . Virginia Tech ' s victory in the 2006 Gator Bowl had far - reaching effects for both the Hokies and the Louisville Cardinals . The win pushed Tech to 11 – 2 on the season , while the Cardinals ' loss ensured they ended the 2005 season with a 9 – 3 overall record . The game itself provided more than $ 14 million in economic benefit to the Jacksonville area as Louisville and Virginia Tech fans flocked to the region , spending money on food , hotel rooms , transportation , and entertainment . Virginia Tech quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers announced after the game that he would be leaving the team in order to become an assistant coach with the NFL ' s Minnesota Vikings . Rogers was replaced by new hire Mike O ' Cain . Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring ' s second job as offensive line coach was filled by James Madison University assistant coach Curt Newsome . Marcus Vick . Following the 2005 ACC Championship Game , Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick stormed off the field , refusing to talk to reporters following the loss . Vick , who picked up a 15 - yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in that game , also earned several unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the 2006 Gator Bowl , where post - game replays revealed he purposefully stomped on the leg of Louisville Cardinals ' defensive end Elvis Dumervil . Vick claimed he apologized to Dumervil after the game , but Dumervil stated that no apology was made . In the wake of the incident , Virginia Tech officials announced that they would be conducting a review of Vick ' s conduct on and off the field . On January 6 , 2006 , just a few days after the Gator Bowl , Virginia Tech officials dismissed Vick from the Virginia Tech football team , citing a December 17 traffic stop in which Vick was cited for speeding and driving with a revoked or suspended license . Vick hid the information from the team and the infraction was not discovered until January . The traffic stop , an earlier suspension from the team , and his unsportsmanlike conduct during the 2005 ACC Championship Game and 2006 Gator Bowl were used as grounds for his dismissal . In response to being dismissed from the team , Vick was quoted as saying , " It ' s not a big deal . I ' ll just move on to the next level , baby " . Vick appeared in one regular - season NFL game for the Miami Dolphins in 2006 . The Dolphins did not renew his contract , and he has been out of football ever since . 2006 NFL Draft . On April 29 and 30 , the National Football league held its annual player draft . Over a dozen players who participated in the 2006 Gator Bowl were selected in the draft . Virginia Tech had a record nine players selected in the draft , with Darryl Tapp ( 31st overall ) selected first from the Hokies . Jimmy Williams ( 37th overall ) , James Anderson ( 88th ) , Jeff King ( 155th ) , Jonathan Lewis ( 177th ) , Justin Hamilton ( 222nd ) , Jimmy Martin ( 227th ) , Will Montgomery ( 234th ) , and Cedric Humes ( 240th ) were the other Tech players selected . Louisville had four players selected in the draft . Offensive guard Jason Spitz was selected 75th overall and was the first Cardinals ' offensive lineman to be drafted since 1996 . Elvis Dumervil was selected with the 126th selection , linebacker Brandon Johnson was selected 142nd , and defensive tackle Montavious Stanley was selected 182nd .