View source for 2004 Champs Sports Bowl

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college football game
| name = 
| year_game_played           = 2004
| game_name                  = Champs Sports Bowl
| football_season            = 2004
| visitor_name_short         = Syracuse 
| visitor_nickname           = Orange
| visitor_school             = Syracuse University
| home_name_short            = Georgia Tech 
| home_nickname              = Yellow Jackets
| home_school                = Georgia Tech
| visitor_record             = 6–5
| visitor_conference         = [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]]
| home_record                = 6–5
| home_conference            = [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]]
| visitor_coach              = [[Paul Pasqualoni]]
| home_coach                 = [[Chan Gailey]]
| visitor_1q                 = 6
| visitor_2q                 = 0
| visitor_3q                 = 0
| visitor_4q                 = 8
| home_1q                    = 21
| home_2q                    = 14
| home_3q                    = 14
| home_4q                    = 2
| date_game_played           = December 21
| stadium                    = [[Florida Citrus Bowl]]
| city                       = [[Orlando, Florida]]
| MVP                        = QB [[Reggie Ball]] (Georgia Tech)
| referee                    = Randy Smith ([[Conference USA|C-USA]])
| attendance                 = 28,237
| us_network                 = [[ESPN]]
| us_announcers_link         = List of announcers of major college bowl games
| us_announcers              = [[Mike Tirico]] (Play-by-Play)<br> [[Lee Corso]] (Analyst)<br> [[Kirk Herbstreit]] (Analyst)<br> [[Jill Arrington]] (Sidelines)
| different_previous         = [[2003 Tangerine Bowl|2003]]
}}

'''The 2004 [[Champs Sports Bowl]]''' was the 15th edition of the [[college football]] [[bowl game]] and was played on December 21, 2004, featuring the [[2004 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team|Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets]], and the [[2004 Syracuse Orange football team|Syracuse Orange]]. This was the first version of the bowl played under the [[Champs Sports]] moniker and 15th overall. Syracuse of the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]] was chosen because the [[Big 12 Conference|Big 12]] did not have enough bowl eligible teams.

==Game summary==
Georgia Tech started the scoring with a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown, on the second play of scrimmage, giving Georgia Tech the early 7–0 lead. Syracuse quarterback [[Perry Patterson]] scored on a 21-yard touchdown run cutting the lead to 7–6. Tech answered with a 10-yard touchdown pass from [[Reggie Ball]] to wide receiver [[Calvin Johnson]], increasing Tech's lead to 14–6. Still in the first quarter, Reggie Ball threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to [[Nate Curry]] increasing the lead to 21–6.

In the second quarter [[PJ Daniels]] scored on a 5-yard touchdown run, increasing the lead to 28–6. Later in the quarter, Calvin Johnson scored on a 5 yard wide receiver reverse, increasing the lead to 35–6. That was the half-time score.

In the third quarter, Reggie Ball rushed for an 11-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 42–6. PJ Daniels 1-yard touchdown run increased the lead to 49–6. Perry Patterson found Steve Gregory for a 25-yard touchdown pass. The 2-point conversion was successful making the score 49–14. A Georgia Tech safety made the final margin 51–14.

==Aftermath==
Syracuse did not reach another bowl game again until [[2010 Pinstripe Bowl|2010]]. Georgia Tech reached five more in that time span, though they lost all of them. They did not win a bowl game again until [[2012 Sun Bowl|2012]]. Syracuse announced in 2011 that they would join Georgia Tech in the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]], no earlier than 2014. They joined the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] in 2013.

==External links==
*http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores104/104356/20041221NCAAFGATECH----0nr.htm

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[[Category:2004–05 NCAA football bowl games|Champs Sports Bowl]]
[[Category:Pop-Tarts Bowl]]
[[Category:Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football bowl games]]
[[Category:Syracuse Orange football bowl games]]
[[Category:American football competitions in Orlando, Florida]]
[[Category:December 2004 sports events in the United States]]
[[Category:2004 in sports in Florida|Champs Sports Bowl]]
[[Category:2004 in Orlando, Florida]]