2010 Alamo Bowl (January)

Last updated
2010 Valero Alamo Bowl
1234Total
Michigan State7714331
Texas Tech71371441
DateJanuary 2, 2010
Season 2009
Stadium Alamodome
Location San Antonio, Texas
MVPOffensive: Taylor Potts (QB, Texas Tech)
Defensive: Jamar Wall (Texas Tech)
Favorite Texas Tech by 9 [1]
National anthem Alamo City Brass
Referee Tom Ritter (Southeastern Conference)
Attendance64,757 [2]
Payout US$2,200,000 (As of 2006)
United States TV coverage
Network ESPN
Announcers Mike Patrick, Bob Davie
and Holly Rowe
Nielsen ratings 4.8 [3]
Alamo Bowl
 < 2008 2010 (Dec) > 

The 2010 Alamo Bowl (known via corporate sponsorship as the Valero Alamo Bowl) was a college football bowl game played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, January 2, 2010. It was the 17th edition of the Alamo Bowl. The game featured the Michigan State Spartans against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. [4] [5]

Contents

The 2010 game was the last one to feature a team from the Big Ten Conference. In the fall of 2009, it was announced that the Pacific-10 Conference's second-place team would take part in the Alamo Bowl instead of the Holiday Bowl. [6] [7]

This was the third Alamo Bowl appearance and first Alamo Bowl win for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Their previous appearance was a 19–16 loss to Iowa in the 2001 game. Michigan State played in one previous Alamo Bowl, losing the 2003 game to Nebraska, 17–3. The game also marked the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

With approximately 5,553,630 households watching it, the game was the most viewed Alamo Bowl in history. It also drew the highest rating of any bowl ever shown by ESPN. Behind the BCS bowl games and the Capital One Bowl, it was the most viewed bowl shown up to that point in the 2009–10 bowl season. [8]

Game buildup

The game featured two programs which, prior to the event, were undergoing controversies.

On December 28, 2009, Texas Tech suspended, and fired two days later, head coach Mike Leach over the alleged mistreatment of an injured player. [9] Defensive Coordinator Ruffin McNeill was named interim head coach. [10]

Meanwhile, on November 22, 2009, Michigan State had suspended 14 players for the bowl resulting from a fight at one of the school's dormitories.

Game summary

First quarter

Texas Tech won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The 67 yard kick off by the Red Raiders was returned by Keshawn Martin for 33 yards. The Spartans made it all the way to the Texas Tech 32-yard line before their opening driving ended in disappointment, when Jamar Wall intercepted a pass by quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Red Raiders opening drive ended with a 3 yard rushing touchdown by Barron Batch. Both teams went three-and-out in their next drive. Michigan State's first score came in their third drive of the game by way of an explosive run by Edwin Baker for a 46 yard rushing touchdown. The Spartan's scoring drive would be the last of the quarter, bringing the score at the end of the quarter to 77.

Second quarter

At the end of the second quarter the Red Raiders were leading with a score of 2014.

Third quarter

At the end of the third quarter the Spartans were leading with a score of 2827.

Fourth quarter

Michigan State took a four-point lead with 8:05 left in the game after a field goal, but it was all Red Raiders after that point. The game ended with Texas Tech winning the game with a final score of 4131.

Scoring summary

Scoring summary
QuarterTime Drive TeamScoring informationScore
Plays Yards TOP MSUTTU
18:009613:43TTU Baron Batch 3-yard touchdown run, Matt Williams kick good07
13:472650:36MSU Edwin Baker 46-yard touchdown run, Brett Swenson kick good77
214:1111704:17TTU21-yard field goal by Matt Williams 710
211:014532:00TTULyle Leong 2-yard touchdown reception from Taylor Potts, Matt Williams kick good717
28:066772:48MSUKeshawn Martin 48-yard touchdown reception from Kirk Cousins, Brett Swenson kick good1417
20:209372:28TTU38-yard field goal by Matt Williams 1420
312:155262:40MSU Keith Nichol 7-yard touchdown run, Brett Swenson kick good2120
36:329923:05TTUJacoby Franks 14-yard touchdown reception from Taylor Potts, Matt Williams kick good2127
31:186802:19MSU Blair White 8-yard touchdown reception from Keshawn Martin, Brett Swenson kick good2827
48:0510465:36MSU44-yard field goal by Brett Swenson 3127
45:038773:02TTU Detron Lewis 11-yard touchdown reception from Steven Sheffield, Matt Williams kick good3134
42:089352:11TTU Baron Batch 13-yard touchdown run, Matt Williams kick good3141
Final3141

Source: [11]

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References

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