ATLANTA – Running its string of bowl appearances to four straight years for the first time since the 1950’s, Georgia Tech has accepted an invitation to play in the 2000 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. at the Georgia Dome.
Tech (8-2, 6-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference), clinched second place in the ACC Saturday by virtue of its 35-22 victory at Maryland and is ranked 18th in the nation by the Associated Press. The Yellow Jackets have not played in four straight bowls since a six-year run from 1951-56 under head coach Bobby Dodd.
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, which will be nationally televised by ESPN, has the Yellow Jackets for the first time since 1978 and the third time in the 32-year history of the bowl. Tech previously played in the bowl in 1971, a 41-18 loss to Mississippi, and in 1978, a 41-21 loss to Purdue, both at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. This year’s appearance will be Tech’s first football game in the Georgia Dome.
Tech’s opponent for the bowl will be determined at a later date.
Ticket orders may be placed in person at the Georgia Tech ticket office, online at www.ramblinwreck.com, or by phone at 1-800-TECH-TIX. Prices are $60 and $50, and there is no limit on the number of tickets that can be ordered. Georgia Tech football season ticket holders will receive priority from the Tech allotment. The priority deadline for ordering tickets is Monday, Dec. 4.
Tickets will be mailed on Dec. 11. Tickets for orders received after that date will be left at will call.
Six straight victories since a Sept. 21 loss at NC State have propelled the Jackets to their current mark entering the season finale against Georgia in Athens. The Yellow Jackets have defeated North Carolina, Wake Forest, Duke, Clemson, Virginia and Maryland in succession.
Georgia Tech still owns the nation’s best winning percentage in bowl games. The Yellow Jackets are 19-9 all time in bowl games, a winning percentage of .679.
Tech’s current string of bowl appearances under head coach George O’Leary began with a 35-30 victory over West Virginia in the 1997 Carquest Bowl in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Yellow Jackets defeated Notre Dame, 35-28, in the 1999 Toyota Gator Bowl, and lost to Miami, 28-13, in last year’s Toyota Gator Bowl.
Tech had won five straight bowl games before last season’s loss to Miami, including wins over Michigan State in the 1985 All-American Bowl in Birmingham, Nebraska in the 1990 Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Stanford in the 1991 Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as the 1997 CarQuest and 1999 Toyota Gator Bowls.
