2005 SEC Championship Game

For the SEC men's basketball championship, see 2005 SEC men's basketball tournament.

2005 SEC Championship Game
Conference Championship
2005 SEC Championship logo.
Georgia Bulldogs LSU Tigers (9–2) (10–1) 34 14 Head coach:  Mark Richt Head coach:  Les Miles AP Coaches BCS 13 13 13 AP Coaches BCS 3 3 4
1 2 3 4 Total Georgia 14 7 3 10 34 LSU 0 7 0 7 14
Date	December 3, 2005
Season	2005
Stadium	Georgia Dome
Location	Atlanta, Georgia
MVP	QB D.J Shockley, Georgia
Favorite	LSU by 2½
National anthem	Georgia Redcoat Marching Band Tiger Marching Band
Referee	Rocky Goode
Halftime show	Georgia Redcoat Marching Band Tiger Marching Band
Attendance	73,717
United States TV coverage
Network	CBS
Announcers	Verne Lundquist & Todd Blackledge

2005 Southeastern Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 10 Georgia x$		6	–	2					10	–	3
South Carolina		5	–	3					7	–	5
No. 12 Florida		5	–	3					9	–	3
Vanderbilt		3	–	5					5	–	6
Tennessee		3	–	5					5	–	6
Kentucky		2	–	6					3	–	8
Western Division
No. 5 LSU xy		7	–	1					11	–	2
No. 14 Auburn x		7	–	1					9	–	3
No. 8 Alabama		6	–	2					10	–	2
Arkansas		2	–	6					4	–	7
Mississippi State		1	–	7					3	–	8
Ole Miss		1	–	7					3	–	8
Championship: Georgia 34, LSU 14
$ – BCS representative as conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Alabama had all victories vacated by the NCAA in 2010. As such, the official record for Alabama is 0–2 (0–2). Rankings from AP Poll

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 six seconds remaining, 31-30. On the third attempt to punch their ticket to Atlanta, the Bulldogs defeated 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.

Scoring summary

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP UGA LSU 1 10:19 1 45 0:08 UGA Sean Bailey 45-yard touchdown reception from D. J. Shockley, Brandon Coutu kick good 7 0 1 6:12 6 51 2:34 UGA Sean Bailey 29-yard touchdown reception from D. J. Shockley, Brandon Coutu kick good 14 0 2 13:53 14 80 7:19 LSU JaMarcus Russell 1-yard touchdown run, Colt David kick good 14 7 2 8:23 3 15 1:21 UGA D. J. Shockley 7-yard touchdown run, Brandon Coutu kick good 21 7 3 9:53 9 62 3:49 UGA 21-yard field goal by Brandon Coutu 24 7 4 14:40 11 40 5:35 UGA 51-yard field goal by Brandon Coutu 27 7 4 14:18 UGA Interception returned 19 yards for touchdown by Tim Jennings, Brandon Coutu kick good 34 7 4 5:38 9 79 3:59 LSU Dwayne Bowe 19-yard touchdown reception from Matt Flynn, Colt David kick good 34 14 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 34 14

Game statistics

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 13 Bulldogs	14	7	3	10	34
No. 3 Tigers	0	7	0	7	14

Statistics	Georgia	LSU
First downs	16	18
Plays–yards	54–250	66–230
Rushes–yards	42–138	36–74
Passing yards	112	156
Passing: comp–att–int	6–12–0	14–30–2
Time of possession	19:11	17:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia	Passing	D. J. Shockley	6/12, 112 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Thomas Brown	14 car, 62 yds
	Receiving	Sean Bailey	2 rec, 74 yds, 2 TD
LSU	Passing	JaMarcus Russell	11/19, 120 yds, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shyrone Carey	10 car, 43 yds
	Receiving	Dwayne Bowe	5 rec, 74 yds, 1 TD

External links

• 2005 SEC Championship Game at SECSports.com