The weeks of waiting and speculating over the LSU Football team’s post-season destination ended Sunday afternoon when Tiger Athletic Director Joe Dean and Coach Nick Saban accepted an invitation to play in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Ga. Dec. 29 in the Georgia Dome.
The game will mark the third appearance by LSU in the Peach Bowl, most recently a 10-7 win over Clemson in 1997. It will be LSU’s 31st overall bowl appearance.
Saban’s Tigers will represent the Southeastern Conference against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Yellow Jackets, led by fifth-year head coach George O’Leary will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference after finishing second in that league behind Florida State.
Georgia Tech finished the regular season with a 9-2 overall record, ranked 15th in the latest Associated Press Poll. The Yellow Jackets’ only two losses of the year came against second-ranked Florida State, 26-21 and in overtime to North Carolina State 30-23 Sept. 30. LSU finished 7-4, winning four of its last five games.
LSU and Georgia Tech have met 17 previous times, with the Yellow Jackets holding a 12-5 advantage in the series.
“I think this game is a perfect fit for our team,” Saban said. “Offensively we played well this year when we had decent weather. The fact that we’re going to be indoors and guaranteed climate control can only help our team.”
Saban said he has not had a chance to study Georgia Tech’s game plan but he knows the Yellow Jackets will be a formidable opponent. Tech averaged 33.8 points and 435 yards per game during the regular season.
“I think this is going to be a very challenging game for us,” Saban said. “They(Georgia Tech) have good receivers, they can throw the ball, run some option. And they play well on defense, giving up less than 20 points per game. Hopefully our players will approach this game with maturity they need to go out and play a good game.”
Peach Bowl President Gary Stokan said LSU was chosen over SEC rivals Ole Miss and Mississippi State because of head-to-head victories by the Tigers. LSU defeated Mississippi State 45-38 Oct. 21 and Ole Miss 20-9 Nov. 11. The University of Georgia was denied the Peach Bowl bid because of a 27-15 loss to Georgia Tech to end the regular season.
“We’re very excited to have LSU back in Atlanta,” Stokan said. “Selecting LSU gives us the number two ACC team against a Tigers team that has gone from 3-8 last year to 7-4 this year and a second-place finish in the SEC West.”
Stokan said the fact that LSU has not made a bowl appearance since defeating Notre Dame in the 1997 Independence Bowl influenced the decision as well because he believes Tiger fans are eager to see their team in a post-season game.
The LSU Athletic Dept. will be responsible for selling the remaining 21,000 tickets for the game. Tickets go on sale to season ticket holders Tuesday, Dec. 5 at the LSU Ticket Office or can be purchased on-line at www.lsusports.net. Students can purchase tickets beginning Dec. 7 at the Athletic Ticket Office with their student ID’s and the general public can begin purchasing tickets Dec. 12.
“We’re playing a great opponent with a 9-2 record that’s highly ranked,” Saban said. “There’s a lot for us to be excited about and show the rest of the country what kind of football team we have, what kind of program we have and what kind of institution we are in supporting this team.”