The Michigan Wolverines overcame a fourth-quarter comeback from the Virginia Tech Hokies for a 23-20 overtime win in the 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson completed just nine of 21 pass attempts for 117 yards, but two of those completions were touchdown passes to Junior Hemingway, who was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
The second touchdown from Robinson-to-Hemingway gave the Wolverines an 11-point lead early in the third quarter. Virginia Tech would respond with a field goal and one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Logan Thomas, who hit Marcus Davis for the two-point conversion that tied the game at 17 with 10:22 to play.
The Wolverines moved ahead on a 39-yard field goal from Brendan Gibbons with four minutes to play, but Hokies kicker Justin Myers matched him with a 25-yard field with two seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. Myers tied a BCS record with his four field goals in regulation, but would miss a 37-yard attempt on the Hokies' first possession in overtime that opened the door for Gibbons' game-winner, also from 37 yards out.
"We talked about playing 60 minutes of Michigan football. We played about 63 and a half, I think," Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke said. "So I'm just real proud, real proud of our seniors, real proud of how they took this football team last January and molded it and did a tremendous job."
Following the game, Hokies head coach Frank Beamer was torn up over some close calls, including his own decision to call for a fake punt inside his own territory, an uncharacteristic gamble that failed, setting up Gibbons' 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
"I'm about half sick right now," Beamer said according to David Teel of the Daily Press. "But I'm proud as can be of our players. I'm proud of how we battled back. I'm proud of what we are as a football team. It wasn't lack of effort here at all. It wasn't, again, lack of preparation. … Our guys played their heart out."
For more on the 2012 Sugar Bowl, visit Virginia Tech blog Gobbler Country and Michigan blog Maize 'n' Brew, plus SB Nation Detroit and Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire.