2003 Tangerine Bowl Explained

Year Game Played:2003
Title Sponsor:Mazda
Game Name:Tangerine Bowl
Football Season:2003
Visitor Name Short:NC State
Visitor Nickname:Wolfpack
Visitor School:North Carolina State University
Home Name Short:Kansas
Home Nickname:Jayhawks
Home School:University of Kansas
Visitor Record:7–5
Visitor Conference:ACC
Home Record:6–6
Home Conference:Big 12
Visitor Coach:Chuck Amato
Home Coach:Mark Mangino
Visitor 1Q:21
Visitor 2Q:7
Visitor 3Q:14
Visitor 4Q:14
Home 1Q:7
Home 2Q:3
Home 3Q:10
Home 4Q:6
Date Game Played:December 22
Stadium:Florida Citrus Bowl
City:Orlando, Florida
Mvp:QB Philip Rivers (NC State)
Referee:Paul Labenne (WAC)
Attendance:26,482
Us Network:ESPN
Us Announcers Link:List of announcers of major college bowl games
Us Announcers:Mike Tirico (Play by Play)
Lee Corso (Analyst)
Kirk Herbstreit (Analyst)
Dr. Jerry Punch (Sideline)
Game Link:Tangerine Bowl (2001–2003)
Different Next:2004

The 2003 Tangerine Bowl was the 14th edition of the college football bowl game and was played on December 22, 2003, featuring the NC State Wolfpack, and the Kansas Jayhawks. This was the third and last under the Tangerine Bowl name as Champs Sports took over naming rights starting in 2004.

Background

The Jayhawks were making their first bowl game appearance since 1995. NC State was making their seventh bowl game in nine years.

Game summary

NC State started the scoring with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Richard Washington, to give NC State a 7-0 lead. Bill Whittemore threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Charles Gordon to tie the game at 7. Later in the first quarter, Philip Rivers threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Washington, and NC State reclaimed the lead at 14-7. T.A. McLendon scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to increase NC State's lead to 21-7.

In the second quarter, John Beck hit a 28-yard field goal to get Kansas to within 21-10. Philip Rivers threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to T.A. McLendon, to give NC State a 28-10 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Whittemore hit Gordon on an 11-yard touchdown pass making it 28-17. NC State answered with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to Brian Clark, making the lead 35-17.

Reggie Davis scored on a 10-yard touchdown run increasing State's lead to 42-17. John Beck kicked a 39-yard field goal for Kansas making the score 35-20. Bill Whittemore then scored on a 9-yard touchdown run, making the score 42-26. NC State scored the final two touchdowns of the game making the final margin 56-26.

Quarterback Philip Rivers went 37-of-45 for 475 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Wolfpack to a swift win, with a 28-10 halftime lead that exploded in the second half.

External links