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.

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
APCoachesBCS
131313
APCoachesBCS
334
1234 Total
Georgia 147310 34
LSU 0707 14
DateDecember 3, 2005
Season2005
StadiumGeorgia Dome
LocationAtlanta, Georgia
MVPQB D.J Shockley, Georgia
FavoriteLSU by 2½[1]
National anthemGeorgia Redcoat Marching Band
Tiger Marching Band
RefereeRocky Goode
Halftime showGeorgia Redcoat Marching Band
Tiger Marching Band
Attendance73,717
United States TV coverage
NetworkCBS
AnnouncersVerne 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

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
StatisticsGeorgiaLSU
First downs1618
Plays–yards54–25066–230
Rushes–yards42–13836–74
Passing yards112156
Passing: Comp–Att–Int6–12–014–30–2
Time of possession19:1117:29
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
GeorgiaPassingD. J. Shockley6/12, 112 yds, 2 TD
RushingThomas Brown14 car, 62 yds
ReceivingSean Bailey2 rec, 74 yds, 2 TD
LSUPassingJaMarcus Russell11/19, 120 yds, 1 INT
RushingShyrone Carey10 car, 43 yds
ReceivingDwayne Bowe5 rec, 74 yds, 1 TD

References
  1. "SEC Championship History". Retrieved 27 November 2012.
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