View source for 1993 Sugar Bowl

{{use mdy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox college football game
| name = 
| image = Louisiana Superdome - Unbranded - 26 July 2021.jpg
| caption = The [[Louisiana Superdome]] in [[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]], hosted the Sugar Bowl.
| year_game_played           = 1993
| title_sponsor              = USF&G Insurance
| game_name                  = Sugar Bowl
| subheader                  = Bowl Coalition national championship game<br>59th Sugar Bowl
| football_season            = 1992
| visitor_name_short         = Miami 
| visitor_nickname           = Hurricanes
| home_name_short            = Alabama 
| home_nickname              = Crimson Tide
| visitor_record             = 11–0
| visitor_conference         = [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]]
| home_record                = 12–0
| home_conference            = [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]]
| visitor_coach              = [[Dennis Erickson]]
| home_coach                 = [[Gene Stallings]]
| visitor_rank_AP            = 1
| visitor_rank_coaches       = 1
| visitor_rank_bowlcoalition = 1
| home_rank_AP               = 2
| home_rank_coaches          = 2
| home_rank_bowlcoalition    = 2
| visitor_1q                 = 3
| visitor_2q                 = 3
| visitor_3q                 = 0
| visitor_4q                 = 7
| home_1q                    = 3
| home_2q                    = 10
| home_3q                    = 14
| home_4q                    = 7
| date                       = January 1, 1993
| date_game_played           = January 1
| stadium                    = [[Louisiana Superdome]]
| city                       = [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]]
| MVP                        = Alabama RB [[Derrick Lassic]]<ref>{{cite news| url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19930102/1677874/tide-washes-away-miami-mystique| title=Tide Washes Away Miami Mystique -- Sweet Sugar Victory For Alabama| publisher=Associated Press| work=The Seattle Times| date=1993-01-02| access-date=2008-12-29}}</ref>
| odds                       = Miami by 8 points (36) <ref name=latln>{{cite news|url=https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/history/bowls/orange/|title=Orange Bowl Odds }}</ref><ref name=betln>{{cite news |url=https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/history/bowls/orange/ | work=Orange Bowl Odds |title=Betting line |page=D7}}</ref>
| referee                    = Rogers Redding ([[Southwestern Conference|SWC]])
| attendance                 = 76,789
| us_network                 = [[ESPN on ABC|ABC Sports]]
| us_announcers_link         = List of announcers of major college bowl games
| us_announcers              = [[Keith Jackson]], [[Bob Griese]] and [[Jack Arute]]
| navigation_2               = [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS#National championship games|College football championship game]]
| different_previous_2       = [[1989 Fiesta Bowl|1989 (Poll era)]]
| different_next_2           = [[1994 Orange Bowl|1994]]
}}
The '''1993 [[Sugar Bowl]]''' took place on January 1, 1993, in the [[Louisiana Superdome]] in [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]]. It was the final game of the [[1992 NCAA Division I-A football season|1992 college football season]] and served as the first [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|national championship]] game selected by the [[Bowl Coalition]], predecessor to the [[Bowl Alliance]], [[Bowl Championship Series]] (BCS), and later the [[College Football Playoff]] (CFP). The game featured two unbeaten teams in the [[1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama Crimson Tide]] and the [[1992 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami Hurricanes]]. Alabama defeated Miami, 34–13, to finish the season 13–0 and lay claim to the 12th national championship in program history. It was Alabama's first national championship since [[1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|1979]].

==Teams==
===Miami Hurricanes===
{{main|1992 Miami Hurricanes football team}}
[[1992 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami]], out of the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]] conference, was led by [[Heisman Trophy]]-winning quarterback [[Gino Torretta]], and was playing for back-to-back undefeated seasons and consecutive National Championships.

===Alabama Crimson Tide===
{{main|1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team}}
[[1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]] also entered the matchup undefeated, following their 28–21 victory over the [[Florida Gators football|Florida Gators]] in the [[1992 SEC Championship Game|inaugural SEC Championship Game]].

==Game summary==
This was the inaugural season of the [[Bowl Coalition]], which was intended to ensure that the national championship would be decided on the field. Its formula worked as intended, forcing the first bowl matchup between the consensus #1 and #2 teams in the nation since the end of the [[1987 NCAA Division I-A football season|1987 season]]. As Big East champion, #1 Miami was not contractually obligated to a bowl. The Hurricanes were thus free to face #2 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, which the Crimson Tide hosted as SEC champion.

Miami was heavily favored and came into the game on a 29-game winning streak; the Hurricanes had not lost since a 29–20 loss to [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] in 1990. Alabama's defense held the Hurricanes to just 13 points, intercepting Torretta three times, en route to a consensus national championship. Alabama rushed for 267&nbsp;yards—67 more yards than the Hurricanes had allowed all season. At one point, the Tide lined up all eleven players on the line of scrimmage. The confused Torretta was picked off by [[George Teague]], who returned it for a touchdown.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.angelfire.com/al/bamacrimsontide/livinguptoalegend.html|title=ROLL TIDE ROLL|website=[[Angelfire]]|access-date=20 April 2018}}</ref>

A legendary play in Alabama football lore, known as "The Strip",<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/highschools/content/sports/epaper/2008/08/13/a1c_thomas_0814.html| title=Lamar Thomas brings fiery spirit to job as Boynton Beach football assistant| author=Lieser, Jason| work=Palm Beach Post| date=2008-08-13| access-date=2008-12-29}}</ref> occurred when Miami wide receiver [[Lamar Thomas]] caught a deep pass from Torretta and was sprinting for what seemed like  an 89-yard touchdown. However, Teague caught Thomas from behind, stripped the ball from him, and started running the other way before being tackled.<ref name="SB-1993">{{cite web| url=http://www.mmbolding.com/bowls/Sugar_1993.htm| title=The Sugar Bowl 1993| access-date=2008-09-09| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908044115/http://www.mmbolding.com/bowls/Sugar_1993.htm| archive-date=2008-09-08| url-status=dead}}</ref> The play became famous following Thomas's pre-game comments regarding the SEC, the superiority of the Miami receiving corps, and the manhood of the Alabama defensive backs.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1137538/index.htm| title=The End Of The Run| magazine=Sports Illustrated| last=Murphy| first=Austin| date=1993-01-11| access-date=2008-09-09| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080905013326/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1137538/index.htm| archive-date= 5 September 2008 | url-status= dead}}</ref> While the play was negated by an Alabama [[offside (sport)|offside]] penalty, it still ultimately prevented a Miami touchdown, as Miami would have simply declined the penalty had the strip not taken place.<ref name="SB-1993" />

Torretta threw three interceptions after only throwing four in the entire season. It drew parallels to [[Vinny Testaverde]]'s five-interception performance in the [[1987 Fiesta Bowl]].<ref name="SB-1993" />  Following the poor performance, some reporters began to question whether Torretta deserved the Heisman.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/49840004.html?dids=49840004:49840004&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+02%2C+1993&author=HUBERT+MIZELL&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&desc=Alabama+speaks+loudest&pqatl=google| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201072626/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/49840004.html?dids=49840004:49840004&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+02,+1993&author=HUBERT+MIZELL&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&desc=Alabama+speaks+loudest&pqatl=google| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 1, 2013| title=Alabama Speaks Loudest| work=St. Petersburg Times| author=Mizell, Hubert| page=C1| quote=... I thought it correct to label Gino "good, and successful" but not "great, and best player in the land."| date=1993-01-02| access-date=2008-12-29}}</ref>

The Crimson Tide's victory meant not only their 12th national championship but also the first since legendary coach [[Bear Bryant|Paul "Bear" Bryant]] died in 1983 less than five weeks after coaching his last game. Alabama's coach [[Gene Stallings]] was one of the [[Junction Boys]], the group of [[Texas A&M Aggies football|Texas A&M]] players who endured Bryant's punishing 1954 summer camp. It would be the school's last national football championship until [[Nick Saban]]'s first as Alabama head coach in [[2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|2009]].

=== Scoring summary ===
{| class="wikitable"
 ! rowspan=2|Quarter
 ! rowspan=2|Time
 ! rowspan=2|Team
 ! rowspan=2|Scoring Information<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.allstatesugarbowl.org/site99.php| title=1993 Game Recap / Allstate Sugar Bowl| access-date=2012-04-07}}</ref>
 ! colspan=2|Score
|-
 ! Alabama !! Miami
|-
 ! rowspan=2|1 !! 10:56
 | Alabama
 | 19–yard field goal by Michael Proctor
 ! 3 !! 0
|-
 ! 7:49
 | Miami
 | 49–yard field goal by Dane Prewitt
 ! 3 !! 3
|-
 ! rowspan=3|2 !! 10:48
 | Alabama
 | 23–yard field goal by Michael Proctor
 ! 6 !! 3
|-
 ! 6:09
 | Alabama
 | [[Sherman Williams (American football)|Sherman Williams]] 2–yard touchdown run, Michael Proctor kick good
 ! 13 !! 3
|-
 ! 0:00
 | Miami
 | 42–yard field goal by Dane Prewitt
 ! 13 !! 6
|-
 ! rowspan=2|3 !! 10:12
 | Alabama
 | [[Derrick Lassic]] 1–yard touchdown run, Michael Proctor kick good
 ! 20 !! 6
|-
 ! 9:56
 | Alabama
 | [[George Teague]] 31–yard interception return for touchdown, Michael Proctor kick good
 ! 27 !! 6
|-
 ! rowspan=2|4 !! 12:08
 | Miami
 | [[Kevin Williams (wide receiver, born 1971)|Kevin Williams]] 78–yard punt return for touchdown, Dane Prewitt kick good
 ! 27 !! 13
|-
 ! 6:46
 | Alabama
 | [[Derrick Lassic]] 4–yard touchdown run, Michael Proctor kick good
 ! 34 !! 13
|-
 ! colspan=4|Final Score
 ! 34 !! 13
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx1AZSeCkkM Alabama vs. Miami George Teague's rundown of Lamar Thomas] via [[YouTube]]

{{NCAA football national championship finals}}
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[[Category:1992–93 NCAA football bowl games|Sugar Bowl]]
[[Category:Sugar Bowl]]
[[Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football bowl games]]
[[Category:Miami Hurricanes football bowl games]]
[[Category:Bowl Coalition]]
[[Category:January 1993 sports events in the United States|Sugar Bowl]]
[[Category:1993 in sports in Louisiana|Sugar Bowl]]