2005 SEC Championship Game The 2005 Dr . Pepper SEC Championship Game was played on December 3 , 2005 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta , Georgia . The game determined the 2005 football champion of the Southeastern Conference . The Georgia Bulldogs , winners of the Eastern division of the SEC , defeated the LSU Tigers , who won the Western division , by a score of 34 - 14 . This was the second time the two teams have met in the conference championship game . The first time was in 2003 when LSU defeated Georgia by the score 34 - 13 . Selection process . The SEC Championship Game matches up the winner of the " Eastern " and " Western " divisions of the Southeastern Conference . The game was first played in 1992 , when the conference expanded from 10 to 12 teams with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina . The SEC was the first conference in college football to have a conference championship game . By 2005 , four other conferences had conference championship games ( Big 12 , ACC , CUSA & MAC ) . Regular season . SEC East . The battle for the SEC East was a three - way battle for the entire conference season among the Georgia Bulldogs , Florida Gators , and South Carolina Gamecocks . The Georgia Bulldogs entered the season with high hopes and rattled off a 5 - 0 conference record ( South Carolina , Mississippi State , Tennessee , Vanderbilt , and Arkansas ) before heading to Jacksonville for the annual battle with the Florida Gators . Georgia was ranked # 4 in both polls , and a win would have sealed the SEC East crown . But , with starting quarterback D . J . Shockley sidelined with an injury suffered in the Homecoming victory against Arkansas , Joe Tereshinski , III the Gators prevailed , 14 - 10 and dealt the Bulldogs their first loss of the season . Brandon Coutu missed two field goals late in the game which proved the difference in the game . Again with the SEC East crown on the line , the Bulldogs played the Auburn Tigers at home in a series which traditionally favors the road - team . Auburn won the game on a John Vaughn 20 yard field goal with 0 : 06 on the clock , 30 - 31 . On the third attempt to punch their ticket to Atlanta , the Bulldogs defeated unranked Kentucky 45 - 13 on Senior Day . A loss to the Wildcats would have created a three - way tie ( Florida and South Carolina ) for the SEC East Crown . Georgia ' s win clinched their 5th SEC East crown , and 3rd trip to the title game . SEC West . The SEC West race was decided in Baton Rouge on October 22 when the LSU Tigers defeated the Auburn Tigers 20 - 17 in overtime . LSU had one conference loss coming into the game ( an overtime loss against Tennessee ) and Auburn was unblemished . Both teams remained tied with one conference loss through the rest of the season . Auburn was awarded its 5th Divisional Title , LSU its 5th as well , and LSU represented the SEC West in the title game for the 3rd time . Game summary . The Bulldogs senior quarterback D . J Shockley threw for 112 yards and two touchdowns while also running for a score . After LSU QB Jamarcus Russell left the game in the third quarter with an injury , backup Matt Flynn threw an interception returned for the touchdown by Tim Jennings to seal Georgia ' s 34 - 14 victory . Statistical leaders . Passing - DJ Shockley ( UGA ) - 6 / 12 , 112 yards , 2 TDs Jamarcus Russell ( LSU ) - 11 / 19 , 120 yards , 1 INT Matt Flynn ( LSU ) - 3 / 11 , 36 yards , 1 TD , 1 INT Rushing - Thomas Brown ( UGA ) - 14 carries , 62 yards Shyrone Carey ( LSU ) - 10 rushes , 43 yards Receiving - Sean Bailey ( UGA ) - 2 receptions , 74 yards , 2 TDs Dwayne Bowe ( LSU ) - 5 receptions , 74 yards , 1 TD Interceptions : Tim Jennings ( UGA ) - 1 for 15 yards , 1 TD Demario Minter ( UGA ) - 1 for 0 yards