1993 Gator Bowl
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college football game
| name =
| year_game_played = 1993
| title_sponsor = Outback
| game_name = Gator Bowl
| football_season = 1993
| visitor_name_short = Alabama
| visitor_nickname = Crimson Tide
| home_name_short = North Carolina
| home_nickname = Tar Heels
| visitor_record = 0–12
| visitor_conference = SEC
| home_record = 10–2
| home_conference = ACC
| visitor_coach = Gene Stallings
| home_coach = Mack Brown
| visitor_rank_AP = 18
| visitor_rank_coaches = 18
| visitor_rank_bowlcoalition = 18
| home_rank_AP = 12
| home_rank_coaches = 11
| home_rank_bowlcoalition = 12
| visitor_1q = 0
| visitor_2q = 10
| visitor_3q = 7
| visitor_4q = 7
| home_1q = 0
| home_2q = 10
| home_3q = 0
| home_4q = 0
| date = December 31, 1993
| date_game_played = December 31
| stadium = Gator Bowl Stadium
| city = Jacksonville, Florida
| MVP = Alabama QB - Brian Burgdorf
North Carolina WR - Corey Holliday
| referee = Doyle Jackson (SWC)
| attendance = 67,205
| us_network = TBS
| us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games
| us_announcers = Gary Bender, Pat Haden and Craig Sager
}}
The 1993 Gator Bowl, a bowl game during the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season, took place on December 31, 1993, at the Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and the North Carolina Tar Heels, representing the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Alabama won the game 24–10. With sponsorship by Outback Steakhouse, the game was officially known as the Outback Gator Bowl.
This was the last football game contested at the original Gator Bowl Stadium. The structure was demolished shortly after the bowl to build a new facility on the same site for the National Football League's Jacksonville Jaguars, who played their first season in 1995.
Teams
=Alabama=
{{see also|1993 Alabama Crimson Tide football team}}
The 1993 Alabama squad opened the season ranked No. 2 only to tie with Tennessee in week six. The Crimson Tide went on to lose to both LSU and Auburn to finish the regular season with a record of 8–2–1. Although finishing second behind Auburn in the Western Division, as the Tigers were ineligible to play in the SEC Championship Game due to NCAA violations, Alabama played in the game for the second consecutive year.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bkkgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wqUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6286%2C6281530 |title=Auburn stifles Tide with aggressive plays |first=Tommy |last=Deas |newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News |page=1C |date=November 21, 1993 |access-date=January 20, 2010}} After losing to Florida for the SEC Championship, Alabama announced it accepted a bit to play in the Gator Bowl against North Carolina.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TDEdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cKUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6325%2C1204214 |title=High flying Gators off to the Sugar Bowl |first=Tommy |last=Deas |newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News |page=1C |date=December 5, 1993 |access-date=January 20, 2010}} The appearance marked the second for Alabama in the Gator Bowl.
In the week following the Iron Bowl, cornerback Antonio Langham was declared ineligible for both the SEC Championship Game and the Gator Bowl.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dUkgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wqUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5565%2C11314537 |title=Langham declared ineligible, UA appeals |first=Tommy |last=Deas |newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News |page=1A |date=November 30, 1993 |access-date=January 20, 2010}} In August 1995, the NCAA ruled that Langham was ineligible to participate with the Alabama squad retroactive to him signing with a sports agent following the 1992 season.{{cite news |title=Forfeitures will revise UA history |first=Tommy |last=Deas |newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News |page=1C |date=August 1, 1995}} As part of the NCAA sanctioned penalty, all games that Langham played in were officially forfeited changing their season record from 9–3–1 to 1–12 with the lone victory being over North Carolina in the Gator Bowl.
=North Carolina=
{{see also|1993 North Carolina Tar Heels football team}}
The 1993 North Carolina squad lost to both Florida State and Virginia to finish the regular season with a record of 10–2.
Game summary
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryStart|VisitorName=Alabama|HomeName=North Carolina|state=expand}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=2
| Time=11:01
| Team=Alabama
| DriveLength=10 plays, 64 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=FG
| yards=22
| Kicker=Michael Proctor
| Visitor=3
| Home=0
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=2
| Time=9:25
| Team=North Carolina
| DriveLength=7 plays, 80 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=RushTD
| Runner=William Henderson
| yards=1
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=Tripp Pignetti
| Visitor=3
| Home=7
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=2
| Time=6:49
| Team=Alabama
| DriveLength=7 plays, 75 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=RushTD
| Runner=Brian Burgdorf
| yards=33
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=Michael Proctor
| Visitor=10
| Home=7
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=2
| Time=00:02
| Team=North Carolina
| DriveLength=7 plays, 44 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=FG
| yards=23
| Kicker=Tripp Pignetti
| Visitor=10
| Home=10
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=3
| Time=9:05
| Team=Alabama
| DriveLength=12 plays, 65 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=RecTD
| Receiver=Tarrant Lynch
| QB=Brian Burgdorf
| yards=8
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=Michael Proctor
| Visitor=17
| Home=10
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=4
| Time=6:34
| Team=Alabama
| DriveLength=12 plays, 66 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=RecTD
| Receiver=Chad Key
| QB=Brian Burgdorf
| yards=10
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=Michael Proctor
| Visitor=24
| Home=10
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEnd|Visitor=24|Home=10}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{1993 bowl game navbox}}
{{Gator Bowl navbox}}
{{Alabama Crimson Tide bowl game navbox}}
{{North Carolina Tar Heels bowl game navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gator Bowl, 1993}}
Category:1993–94 NCAA football bowl games
Category:1990s in Jacksonville, Florida