The game kicked off shortly after 7:30 p.m.
CST, following the
Rose Bowl on
ABC, and shortly after the start of the
Orange Bowl on
NBC, which matched top-ranked
Miami and #11
Nebraska. The Florida Gators built an early 7–0 lead when their
Heisman Trophy candidate, quarterback
Shane Matthews, found All-SEC wide receiver
Willie Jackson on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Florida led 10–0 at the end of the first quarter, after Arden Czyzewski added a 26-yard field goal to cap the quarter. Czyzewski added a 24-yard field goal, early in the second quarter, allowing the Gators to take a 13–0 lead. Notre Dame quarterback
Rick Mirer capped a methodical drive with a perfect 40-yard touchdown pass to wideout
Lake Dawson, making it 13–7 Gators. The Gators led 16–7 at half, after Czyzewski's third field goal of the game. In the third quarter, Notre Dame got a 23-yard field goal from Kevin Pendergast, and a 4-yard touchdown pass from Rick Mirer to
Irv Smith to take a 17–16 lead into the 4th quarter. In the fourth quarter, Czyzewski's 37-yard field goal made it 19–17, and his fifth field goal of the game gave the Gators a 22–17 lead with under twelve minutes remaining. Notre Dame's
Jerome Bettis then took over the game, as he rushed for touchdowns of 3 and 49 yards, and the Irish led 32–22. Florida quickly responded with a 36-yard score from Matthews to Harrison Houston with 2:28 left to reduce the lead to four points at 32–28. Notre Dame put the game out of reach following Bettis' third rushing touchdown of the quarter, a 39-yarder, to push the score to 39–28, which was the final. Bettis finished with 150 yards rushing and was the
game's MVP, scoring his three touchdowns in less than three minutes. Florida quarterback Shane Matthews set Sugar Bowl records for passing yards (370), and completions (28). Florida lost despite outgaining Notre Dame 511–433, and committing only two turnovers to Notre Dame's four.
Scoring ;First quarter: • Florida –
Willie Jackson 15-yard pass from
Shane Matthews (Arden Czyzewski kick) • Florida – Czyzewski 26-yard field goal ;Second quarter: • Florida – Czyzewski 24-yard field goal • Notre Dame –
Lake Dawson 40-yard pass from
Rick Mirer (
Craig Hentrich kick) • Florida – Czyzewski 36-yard field goal ;Third quarter: • Notre Dame – Kevin Pendergast 23-yard field goal • Notre Dame –
Irv Smith 4-yard pass from Mirer (Hentrich kick) ;Fourth quarter: • Florida – Czyzewski 37-yard field goal • Florida – Czyzewski 24-yard field goal • Notre Dame –
Jerome Bettis 3-yard run (Brooks pass from Mirer) • Notre Dame – Bettis 49-yard run (Pendergast kick) • Florida – Harrison Houston 36-yard pass from Matthews (pass failed) • Notre Dame – Bettis 39-yard run (Pendergast kick) : ==Statistics==