2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 TFF First League participation
Mersin idmanyurdu participated in 2005–06 Second League Category A (the league has been played under the name of "Second League Category A" between 2001–02 and 2005–06; "TFF League A" in 2006–07; and "TFF First League" since 2007–08. Also sponsor names have been included in various seasons.). 18 teams attended in the league. Winners and runners-up were directly promoted to 2006–07 Süper Lig. The teams placed 3rd through 6th in the normal season played promotion play-offs to determine third team to be promoted. Bottom three teams were relegated to 2006–07 TFF Second League.


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 TFF First League participation
Mersin idmanyurdu participated in 2005–06 Second League Category A and finished 16th meaning that the team was relegated to 2006–07 Second League Category B, the third tier, for the second time in its history.


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 TFF First League participation, Results summary
Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) 2005–06 Second League Category A season league summary:


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 TFF First League participation, League table
Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) 2005–06 Second League Category A season place in league table.


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 TFF First League participation, Results by round
Results of games MİY played in 2005–06 Second League Category A by rounds:


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 TFF First League participation, First half
Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) 2005–06 Second League Category A season first half game reports is shown in the following table. Kick off times are in EET and EEST.


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 TFF First League participation, Second half
Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) 2005–06 Second League Category A season second half game reports is shown in the following table. Kick off times are in EET and EEST.


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 Turkish Cup participation
2005–06 Turkish Cup was played for 44th time as Fortis Türkiye Kupası for sponsorship purposes. The Cup was played with 54 teams in three stages. In the first stage two qualification rounds were played in one-leg elimination system. In the second stage (Group Stage) 20 teams played in four groups, 5 teams in each, in a one-leg round-robin system. Top two teams in each group played in knock-out stage. Beşiktaş won the cup for the 6th time. MİY played in qualification stage and was eliminated in fşrst round.


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 Turkish Cup participation, Cup track
The drawings and results Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) followed in 2005–06 Turkish Cup are shown in the following table.


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 Turkish Cup participation, Game details
Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) 2005–06 Turkish Cup game reports is shown in the following table. Kick off times are in EET and EEST.


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, Management, Club management
Hasan Ahi was club president at the start of the season. Erol Ertan, building contractor and deputy mayor of Mersin was elected president in the mid-season.


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, Management, Coaching team
MİY started the season with Levent Arıkdoğan as the head coach. After 10th round he left. Assistant coaches Ahmet Lülü (goalkeeper trainer) and Yusuf Ömür managed the team during interim period. Before 13th round Engin Korukır signed. He was replaced by Nasır Belci before 25th round.


2005–06 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 2005–06 squad
Appearances, goals and cards count for 2005–06 Second League Category A  and 2005–06 Turkish Cup games. 18 players appeared in each game roster, three to be replaced. Only the players who appeared in game rosters were included and listed in order of appearance.


2005–06 Mestis season
The 2005–06 Mestis season was the sixth season of the Mestis, the second level of ice hockey in Finland. 11 teams participated in the league, and Jukurit won the championship. The season was played with only 11 teams because KalPa got promoted to SM-liiga at the end of last season.


2005–06 Mestis season, Qualification
Hermes got relegated to Suomi-sarja. Haukat gave up their place in Mestis without relegation matches. Top three teams of the relegation series got promoted.


2005–06 Miami Heat season
The 2005–06 Miami Heat season was the 18th National Basketball Association season for the Miami Heat basketball franchise. During the offseason, the Heat acquired Jason Williams and James Posey from the Memphis Grizzlies, and All-Star forward Antoine Walker from the Boston Celtics, while signing free agent All-Star point guard Gary Payton. Early into the season, after a 15–12 start to the year, head coach Stan Van Gundy resigned, citing the desire to spend more time with his family, and Pat Riley resumed coaching the Heat. The Heat went 39–23 the rest of the way, finishing with a 52–30 record, good enough for first place in the Southeast Division and second place in the Eastern Conference overall. Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal were both selected for the 2006 NBA All-Star Game.


2005–06 Miami Heat season
In the first round of the playoffs, the Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls in six games, and the New Jersey Nets in five games in the semi-finals to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons in a rematch of last year's playoffs. After splitting the first two games of the series, the Heat defeated the Pistons in six games to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, where they faced the Dallas Mavericks. After losing the first two games of the series, the Heat recovered to win the next four games and the first ever championship in franchise history. The team was nicknamed "15 Strong".


2005–06 Miami Heat season, Offseason
On the same day, the Heat would sign Kasib Powell. He would sign with the Chicago Bulls on September 29, and the Bulls waived him on November 2. Powell may not have played on the Heat during the season, but would join the team two seasons later.


2005–06 Miami Heat season, Regular season
In Shaquille O'Neal's book, "Shaq Uncut: My Story", O'Neal responded to allegations of being a "coach killer" and that he forced Van Gundy out of Miami by stating: "Stan got fired because Pat (Riley) wanted to take over, not because I wanted him out. I had no control over it — not a smidgen of control. We all kind of knew it was coming because Pat and Stan were always arguing. Pat would come down and tell Stan how to do something and Stan would want to do it his own way, and that was a fine game plan if you wanted to get yourself fired."


2005–06 Miami Heat season, 2006 NBA Finals, Game One
Dallas' Jason Terry scored a playoff-high 32 points as the Mavericks overcame a 31–23 deficit at the end of the first quarter.


2005–06 Miami Heat season, 2006 NBA Finals, Game Two
Dirk Nowitzki had a stellar 26-point-16 rebound performance, and the Mavericks cruised past the Heat to take a 2–0 series lead.


2005–06 Miami Heat season, 2006 NBA Finals, Game Three
Led by Dwyane Wade's 42 points and 13 rebounds, the Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The momentum-changing comeback was capped by a Gary Payton field goal from just inside the three-point line with 9.3 seconds left.


2005–06 Miami Heat season, 2006 NBA Finals, Game Four
Dwyane Wade shined again for the Heat with 36 points, and Miami held Dallas to just seven points in the fourth quarter en route to a series-tying, blowout victory. The Mavericks' low-scoring fourth quarter was the lowest ever by any team during the NBA Finals. Jerry Stackhouse caught Shaquille O'Neal with a flagrant foul that resulted in him being suspended for Game 5.


2005–06 Miami Heat season, 2006 NBA Finals, Game Five
Making a strong case for NBA Finals MVP, Wade was the star yet again with 43 points shooting as many free throws as all the Mavericks combined, leading the Heat to their third straight win over Dallas after being down 0–2 in the series. After a controversial play in which Mavericks owner Mark Cuban thought Wade committed a backcourt violation, Wade hit the game-winning free throws with 1.9 seconds left, and also made the shot that sent the game into overtime. He set an NBA Finals record for most made free-throws in a game with 21. The NBA, upon further review of the play, deemed that the officials made the correct call, and that there was no backcourt violation committed.


2005–06 Miami Heat season, 2006 NBA Finals, Game Five
After the game, Dirk Nowitzki kicked a ball into the stands and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban caused many "acts of misconduct" resulting in both of them being fined $5,000 and $250,000 respectively.


2005–06 Miami Heat season, 2006 NBA Finals, Game Six
Behind Dwyane Wade's 36 points, Miami edged Dallas to win their first championship in franchise history. Averaging 34.7 points per game in the championship series, Wade was named NBA Finals MVP (Most Valuable Player).


2005–06 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team
The 2005–06 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Tom Izzo, who was in his 11th year at Michigan State. The team played its home games at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan, and competed in the Big Ten Conference. MSU finished the season with a record of 22–12, 8–8 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for sixth place. As the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, they defeated Purdue and Illinois before losing to Iowa in the semifinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 6 seed in the Washington D.C. bracket, marking the school's ninth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament under Izzo. They lost in the First Round to eventual Final Four participant, George Mason.


2005–06 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Previous season
The Spartans finished the 2004–05 season with a record of 26–7, 13–3 in Big Ten play to finish in second place. Michigan State received a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, their eighth straight trip to the Tournament, and advanced to the Final Four, their fourth trip under Tom Izzo.


2005–06 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Previous season
The Spartans lost Alan Anderson (13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game), Kelvin Torbert (9.5 points per game) and Chris Hill (8.8 points and 4.2 assists per game) to graduation following the season.


2005–06 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Season summary
The Spartans were led by seniors Paul Davis (17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game) and Maurice Ager (19.3 points per game), as well as junior Shannon Brown (17.2 points per game).


2005–06 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Season summary
The Spartans began the season ranked No. 4 in the country. They started by making a trip to Hawaii to participate in the Maui Classic. Before playing in the Classic, however, they played Hawaii and were shocked, losing 84–62. After beating host Chaminade in the Maui Classic, they played No. 8 Gonzaga led by Adam Morrison in the tournament semifinals. The game was an instant classic lasting into triple overtime where the Spartans fell 109–106. In the third place game, the Spartans defeated No. 9 Arizona. The Spartans won their remaining ten non-conference games, including a win over No. 6 Boston College in the Jimmy V Classic, to finish the non-conference schedule at 12–2 and ranked No. 7 in the country.


2005–06 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Season summary
The Spartans began the Big Ten season with back-to-back losses to No. 6 Illinois and Wisconsin. They followed those up with wins over No. 9 Indiana, No. 19 Ohio State in double overtime, and No. 23 Iowa. However, Michigan State finished the conference season losing five of their last seven games. MSU finished the Big Ten regular season with a conference record of 8–8, 20–10 overall, and slipping out of the polls. In the Big Ten Tournament, MSU defeated Purdue and No. 9 Illinois before losing to No. 20 Iowa in the semifinals.


2005–06 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Season summary
The Spartans received an at-large bid as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, their ninth consecutive trip to the Tournament. In the Tournament, they lost to eventual Final Four Cinderella, No. 11-seeded George Mason, in the First Round.


2005–06 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Season summary
Following the season, Shannon Brown declared for the NBA Draft, leaving the Spartans one year prior to graduation, just the fourth player under Izzo to declare early.


2005–06 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
The 2005-06 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 2005-06 season. The team played its home games in the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference. Under the direction of head coach Tommy Amaker, the team finished tied for sixth in the Big Ten Conference. The team earned a seventh seed and lost in the first round of the 2006 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament. The team earned an invitation to the 2006 National Invitation Tournament.


2005–06 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
The team was ranked as the 21st best team in the January 31, 2006 Associated Press Top Twenty-Five Poll but fell out of the poll two weeks later, and also ended the season unranked in the final USA Today/CNN Poll. The team had a 3–7 record against ranked opponents, with its victories coming against #25 Michigan State 72–67 on January 25, 2006 at Crisler Arena, #23 Wisconsin 85–76 on January 28, 2006 at Crisler Arena and #8 Illinois 72–64 on February 21, 2006 at Crisler Arena.


2005–06 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
Lester Abram, Graham Brown, and Sherrod Harrell served as team co-captains, and Daniel Horton earned team MVP honors. The team's leading scorers were Horton (581 points), Courtney Sims (360 points) and Dion Harris (343 points). The leading rebounders were Graham Brown (240), Courtney Sims (189) and Chris Hunter (115).


2005–06 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
Courtney Sims won the Big Ten Conference statistical championship for field goal percentage with a 63.3% mark in all of Michigan's games. Daniel Horton set the current Big Ten Conference single-season free throw percentage record of 97.8 (89 of 91) for conference games. This, of course, led the conference for the conference season as did his 90.1% mark for all games. The team set the current school single-season record with 200 blocked shots in 34 games surpassing the total of 193 set 36 games in 1993.


2005–06 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
In the 2006 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament at the Conseco Fieldhouse from March 9–12, Michigan was seeded seventh. In the first round they lost to number 10 Minnesota 59–55.


2005–06 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
On March 16, 2006, Michigan defeated nine seeded Texas-El Paso 82–67 at Crisler Arena in the first round of the 2006 National Invitation Tournament. Then, Michigan defeated five seeded Notre Dame 87–84 in double overtime and three seeded Miami 71–65 on March 20 and March 22 at Crisler Arena, respectively. At the final four in New York City at Madison Square Garden, the team defeated five seeded Old Dominion 66–43 in the semifinals on March 28 before losing to three seeded South Carolina 76–64 in the championship on March 30.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season
Middlesbrough participated in the Premier League during the 2005–06 season, where they finished in 14th place.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season
Middlesbrough had qualified for the UEFA Cup via the league the previous season, and this season saw them make a dramatic run all the way to the final where they lost 4–0 to Sevilla. Meanwhile, they were knocked out of the FA Cup in the semi final by losing finalists West Ham United and out of the League Cup in the quarter finals by Blackburn Rovers.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season
The end of the season saw the departure of manager Steve McClaren after five years and 250 games in charge as he went on to become manager of the England national football team.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Team kit and sponsors
During this season, Middlesbrough's kits were once again sponsored by 888.com and produced by Errea. The club retained the white band of the previous  season, however, this season, the white band swept down the right hand side of the kit and followed down the shorts. The away kit was plain blue with navy panels red piping. A white third kit was required for the away tie at FC Basel, to avoid a clash with their red-and-blue home kit.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Squad, Senior squad, Appearances and goals
Appearance and goalscoring records for all the players who were in the Middlesbrough F.C. first team squad during the 2005–06 season.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Squad, Senior squad, Discipline
Disciplinary records for 2005–06 league and cup matches. Players with 1 card or more included only.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Transfers, Out
For departures of players out of contract at the end of 2004-05 see 2004–05 Middlesbrough F.C. season.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Premier League
Following their 7th-place finish the previous season, Boro fans were cautiously optimistic for the upcoming season. Despite losing Bolo Zenden (who left on a free to join Liverpool), the signings of Yakubu, Abel Xavier and Emanuel Pogatetz bolstered the squad and made it appear a lot stronger. These signings, along with the promise of another season in the UEFA cup promised a season to look forward to for the fans.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Premier League
However, things didn't go as planned for Boro, and they only won 2 of their first 7 games in the league. Remarkably, one of the two games they won was against Arsenal, and this set the tone for the season.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Premier League
During the course of the season, Middlesbrough lost to all three promoted clubs, yet somehow managed to beat Manchester United 4–1, Arsenal 2–1 and Chelsea 3–0.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Premier League
The season stuttered as Boro progressed in both the FA Cup and UEFA Cup. This resulted in poor league form, and following a dismal 4–0 home defeat to Aston Villa, a fan ran onto the pitch and threw his season ticket at Steve McClaren in sheer frustration at the lack of coordination the team seemed to have. He was given a standing ovation from the crowd. No one picked up the season ticket.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Premier League
The lack of depth in the Boro squad, combined with the two cup runs took their toll on the league position and Boro eventually finished 14th – a bitter disappointment for the fans who expected the club to build on last years success. The final position was put down to the team playing 64 games in the season (a record for a Premier League club) and a lack of depth in the squad to cover the injuries and fatigue that occurred from this number of games.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Premier League
A positive for the Boro fans was the  final Premier League game of the season against Fulham, where 15 of the 16 squad members were  from the local area (the exception being Malcolm Christie). When Josh Walker replaced Malcolm Christie after 62 minutes the 11 players on the field were all born within 30 miles of Middlesbrough and all graduates of the club's academy. Lee Cattermole captained the team for the match and became Boro's youngest ever captain. It was also the first all English line up in the Premier League since Bradford City in 1999, the first all English match squad since Aston Villa in 1998 and the youngest starting line-up in Premier League history.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, Premier League, Results
Note: Results are given with Middlesbrough score listed first. Man of the Match is according to .


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, League Cup
Middlesbrough  were reasonably successful in the League Cup,  beating Everton and Crystal Palace. However, they lost 1–0 in the quarter finals after a poor performance at home to Blackburn Rovers.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, League Cup, Results
Note: Results are given with Middlesbrough score listed first. Man of the Match is according to .


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, FA Cup
One of the highlights of Boro's season was their FA Cup run. Despite making hard work of seemingly easy matches, the team reached the semi final where they lost 1–0 to West Ham.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, FA Cup
The run started in the 3rd round against non-league outfit Nuneaton Borough. Nuneaton had exceeded all expectations to even reach the 3rd round and it seemed a comfortable win on paper for Boro. However, Nuneaton had different ideas, and after Boro had scored an early goal through Gaizka Mendieta, they dominated the match. They equalised through Gez Murphy and had a penalty appeal turned down in the final minutes. The match went onto a replay at the Riverside where Middlesbrough ended up 5–2 winners, but credit went to Nuneaton for a spirited display.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, FA Cup
The 4th round drew Middlesbrough away at Coventry, were again they were held to a draw by lower league opposition, again the score was 1–1. The replay was a tense match which Boro eventually won 1–0 with a goal from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, FA Cup
The 5th round was away at Preston North End and proved to be slightly more straight forward with Boro winning 2–0.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, FA Cup
Yet another away draw came in the quarter finals, this time against fellow Premier League side Charlton Athletic. A tedious match ended in another replay. The replay at the Riverside was a total opposite to the first match, and a fantastic display of attacking football by a Boro side inspired by Mark Viduka led to a 4–2 win and a place in the semi finals.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, FA Cup
The semi finals drew Middlesbrough against West Ham United. The number of matches the team had played in the season had caught up with them by this point and this proved a match too far for the team. They lost 1–0, with Marlon Harewood scoring the winner. More bad news for Boro was that they lost Mark Schwarzer, who received a fractured cheekbone after an elbow by Dean Ashton.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, FA Cup, Results
Note: Results are given with Middlesbrough score listed first. Man of the Match is according to .


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup
The UEFA Cup campaign was a rollercoaster ride for Boro fans, which ended up with a loss in the final to Sevilla. However, to get that far in only the club's second ever season in Europe and the manner in which they did it means that the campaign will go down in the club's history.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, First knockout stage
Boro's long cup run began in September with a home game against Xanthi of Greece. A 2–0 win, followed by a 0–0 draw away from home resulted in Boro reaching the group stages for the second year in a row.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, First knockout stage, Results
Note: Results are given with Middlesbrough score listed first. Man of the Match is according to .


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, Group stage
Middlesbrough made light work of Group D, finishing top of the group by beating Grasshoppers, Dnipro and Liteks Lovech and drawing away at AZ Alkmaar. The only low point of the group campaign was the fatal stabbing of a Boro fan before the Alkmaar match.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, Group stage, Results
Note: Results are given with Middlesbrough score listed first. Man of the Match is according to .


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, Second knockout phase
They were drawn against Stuttgart in the next round, a tough match for this stage of the competition. Middlesbrough produced a fantastic 2–1 away win in the first leg, but had to endure a nervy second leg where they lost 1–0 to progress on away goals.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, Second knockout phase
In the next round Boro faced Roma, another difficult match. However, despite two very close matches, Middlesbrough again drew 2–2 over the two legs, and again progressed on away goals.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, Second knockout phase
Boro faced F.C. Basel in the quarter finals. The first leg didn't go to plan, seeing Boro lose 2–0 and facing a tricky task in the home leg. They made the worst possible start in the return leg, conceding an early goal, and needed four to go through to the semi finals. This sparked an amazing comeback and goals from Viduka(2) and Hasselbaink brought Boro level, but they were still losing on away goals. With time running out, Massimo Maccarone scored the winner to send a jubilant Boro team through to the semi finals.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, Second knockout phase
The semi final against Steaua Bucharest proved to be just as close and exciting as the quarter final. The first leg in Bucharest finished 1–0 to Steaua, leaving Boro with a good chance of progressing if they put in a good performance in the home leg. Things didn't go to plan though and Middlesbrough conceded 2 early goals, and go down 3–0 on aggregate. This meant that Boro again needed four goals to progress in the competition. Amazingly, Boro drew level through goals from Maccarone, Viduka and Riggott.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, Second knockout phase
Somehow Middlesbrough managed to get the goal they needed, in the last minute of added time a cross was met with a diving header from Maccarone to go 4–3 up on aggregate and seal the tie for Middlesbrough. This meant a place in the final against Sevilla waited for the team on 10 May 2006.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, Second knockout phase
The final didn't go to plan though, and a very tired performance from the Boro team gave Sevilla a 4–0 victory. Despite the loss, the cup run was an amazing experience for the fans and it will stay in their memories for a long time.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, UEFA Cup, Second knockout phase, Results
Note: Results are given with Middlesbrough score listed first. Man of the Match is according to .


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, The end of the McClaren era
The end of the season also brought about the end of Steve McClaren's spell as manager of Boro – his final match in charge being the 4–0 UEFA Cup final loss to Sevilla. After Sven-Göran Eriksson announced he would resign as England manager after the 2006 World Cup, the FA began their search for a new coach. After a prolonged and controversial search for the new manager, the FA appointed Steve McClaren as manager with Terry Venables as his number two.


2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season, The end of the McClaren era
Middlesbrough fans saw this as a blessing in disguise, as it seemed like McClaren has taken Boro as far as he could and the time was right for a change. The fans experienced highs and lows with Boro under McClaren, including their first ever trophy and a UEFA Cup final. However, their league position had suffered as a consequence. McClaren left Middlesbrough with the following record:


2005–06 Midland Football Alliance
The 2005–06 Midland Football Alliance season was the 12th in the history of Midland Football Alliance, a football competition in England.


2005–06 Midland Football Alliance, Clubs
The league featured 19 clubs from the previous season, along with three new clubs:


2005–06 Midland Football Combination
The 2005–06 Midland Football Combination season was the 69th in the history of Midland Football Combination, a football competition in England.


2005–06 Midland Football Combination, Premier Division
The Premier Division featured 19 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with three new clubs:


2005–06 Midland Football Combination, Premier Division
Also, Coventry Marconi changed name to Coventry Copsewood and Castle Vale KH changed name to Castle Vale.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season
The 2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season was the 13th season of operation (12th season of play) for the National Hockey League franchise. This would be the last season the team would be called the "Mighty Ducks of Anaheim".


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, 2005 Off-season
On June 20, the Ducks hired Brian Burke as their executive vice president and general manager. Other key hirings included Bob Murray as the club's senior vice president of hockey operations on July 14 and Randy Carlyle as the head coach on August 1.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, 2005 Off-season
In the Entry Draft, the Mighty Ducks chose Bobby Ryan as their first-round pick, second overall. As the previous season had been cancelled, the draft order was set by lottery. The Mighty Ducks, given two balls in the lottery process, were likely to go in the middle of the pack, but instead received the second pick, the first going to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who selected Sidney Crosby.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, 2005 Off-season
The Mighty Ducks signed many free agents during the summer: Enforcers Todd Fedoruk, Kip Brennan, Travis Moen and Trevor Gillies, Defensemen Joe DiPenta and Scott Niedermayer, a former James Norris Memorial Trophy winner, who signed to play with his brother, Rob Niedermayer. Two former long-time Mighty Ducks rejoined the organisation, fan favorite Teemu Selanne and Jason Marshall.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, 2005 Off-season
Rookies Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Johan Hedstrom and Ilya Bryzglaov earned roster spots.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, 2005 Off-season
Several players were traded due to the new salary cap: Martin Gerber to the Carolina Hurricanes, Niclas Havelid to the Atlanta Thrashers, Vaclav Prospal to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Captain Steve Rucchin to the New York Rangers as Scott Niedermayer was named his replacement as Captain.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, Regular season
The Ducks finished third in the Pacific Division and sixth overall in the Western Conference to qualify for the playoffs.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, Playoffs
The Ducks won a seven-game Conference Quarter-finals (4–3) against the Calgary Flames. The Ducks next took on and defeated the Colorado Avalanche in the Conference Semi-final. The Ducks then advanced to the Conference Final for the second time in franchise history, though they lost the series four games to one to the Edmonton Oilers.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, Standings, Divisional standings
Divisions: CE – Central, PA – Pacific, NW – Northwest


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, Standings, Divisional standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, Transactions, Trades
Traded Sergej Fedorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets (along with a fifth-round draft pick) in exchange for forward Tyler Wright François Beauchemin on November 15, 2005.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, Transactions, Trades
Traded Petr Sykora to the New York Rangers in exchange defenceman Maxim Kondratiev and the return of a fourth-round draft pick on January 9, 2006.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, Draft picks
The Ducks' picks at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, July 30–31, 2005 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.


2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season, Farm teams
After 9 Seasons the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks ceased operations as the Portland Pirates became the new AHL affiliate.


2005–06 Millwall F.C. season
During the 2005–06 English football season, Millwall F.C. competed in the Football League Championship.


2005–06 Millwall F.C. season, Season summary
Former Watford, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Walsall manager Colin Lee replaced Steve Claridge as manager of Millwall, but lasted only five months in charge. On 21 December, with the club bottom of the Championship, he became the club's director of football (he would leave the club altogether in February) and was replaced as manager by 32-year-old player Dave Tuttle, who had no previous experience in management, on a short-term contract until the end of the season. Millwall experienced a very difficult season and their relegation to League One was confirmed on 17 April with a 2–0 loss against Southampton. Tuttle resigned three days later. Goalkeeping coach Tony Burns and former Millwall manager Alan McLeary took charge for the two remaining games of the season.


2005–06 Millwall F.C. season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Millwall F.C. season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Millwall F.C. season, Players, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Milton Keynes Dons F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was Milton Keynes Dons' second season in their existence as a professional association football club, and their second consecutive season competing in League One.


2005–06 Milton Keynes Dons F.C. season
As well as competing in League One, the club also participated in the FA Cup, League Cup and League Trophy.


2005–06 Milton Keynes Dons F.C. season
The season covers the period from 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006.


2005–06 Milwaukee Bucks season
The 2005-06 Milwaukee Bucks season was the team's 38th in the NBA. They began the season hoping to improve upon their 30-52 output from the previous season. They bested it by ten games, finishing 40-42, qualifying for the playoffs despite finishing last place in the Central Division.


2005–06 Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team
The 2005–06 Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee during the 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by head coach Rob Jeter, played their home games at the U.S. Cellular Arena and Klotsche Center and were members of the Horizon League. They finished the season 22–9, 12–4 in Horizon League play to finish in first place. They were champions of the Horizon League Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where they received a #11 seed and defeated #6 seed Oklahoma before losing to the eventual National Champion #3 seed Florida in the second round.


2005–06 Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team, 2006 Horizon League Tournament
First round games at campus sites of higher seedsSecond round and semifinals hosted by the top seed. Championship hosted by best remaining seed


2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team
The 2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represented the University of Minnesota in the college basketball season of 2005–2006. The team's head coach, Dan Monson, was in his seventh season with the Gophers and the team played their home games at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota and are members of the Big Ten Conference.


2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team, Season
After making the NCAA Tournament the previous year, the Gophers had mixed results throughout the season. The team was able to win only two games on the road, but defeated three top 20 teams at home in conference play. After losing to eventual conference tournament winner Iowa, the Gophers accepted an invitation to the NIT where they would give their home fans one final win before being defeated on the road by Cincinnati in the second round.


2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team, Rankings
The 2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team was not ranked during the season.


2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey season
The 2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers women's hockey team represented the University of Minnesota in the 2005–06 NCAA Division I women's hockey season. The Golden Gophers were coached by Laura Halldorson and play their home games at Ridder Arena.


2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey season, Regular season
In her freshman year, Gigi Marvin ranked second on the team in points and first in assists with 30. She tied for fourth in the WCHA in overall scoring and second in assists. She had seven power-play goals, three game-winning goals and one short-handed goal. In addition, she was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week five times. On October 7, 2005, she earned her first career goal on her first career shot in a 3-0 win over Connecticut. She had a four-game scoring streak from October 14–22.


2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey season, Regular season
On November 4, she had a career-high five point game in the 9-5 win over Ohio State, including four assists. For her efforts, she was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week. She added three assists in a 5-1 win over Brown on November 12. In the Gophers’ 5-0 win over St. Cloud State on January 14, she scored two goals and two assists for four points. She assisted on the game-winning goal in the 1-0 win over Mercyhurst  College on January 21.


2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey season, Regular season
In early February, Marvin notched two goals and an assist in Minnesota’s 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota State and later earned rookie of the week honor. She contributed on all three goals in the Gophers’ 3-2 win over St. Cloud State on February 17. The week later, she would get five points in the sweep against North Dakota and receive the WCHA Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week.


2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey season, Postseason
In the 2006 WCHA playoffs, Marvin made several contributions. She notched three goals and two assists in the WCHA first round against Minnesota State. On March 11, Marvin set up Jenelle Philipczyk for the game-winning goal in the 2-1 win over Minnesota Duluth. She would assist on Allie Sanchez’ power-play goal in the WCHA Championship game against Wisconsin.


2005–06 Minnesota Timberwolves season
The 2005-06 Minnesota Timberwolves season was the team's 17th in the NBA. They began the season hoping to improve upon their 44-38 output from the previous season. However, they came eleven wins shy of tying it, finishing 33-49 and missing the playoffs for the second straight season.


2005–06 Minnesota Wild season
The 2005–06 Minnesota Wild season was the team's sixth season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wild failed to qualify for the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs.


2005–06 Minnesota Wild season, Regular season
The Wild allowed the fewest power-play goals in the NHL with 55 and had the highest penalty-kill percentage at 87.39%.


2005–06 Minnesota Wild season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2005–06 Minnesota Wild season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: CE – Central, PA – Pacific, NW – Northwest


2005–06 Minnesota Wild season, Regular season, Final standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2005–06 Minnesota Wild season, Playoffs
The Wild failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second year in a row.


2005–06 Minnesota Wild season, Draft picks
Minnesota's picks at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, Ontario.


2005–06 Modena F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was the 94th season in the existence of Modena F.C. and the club's second consecutive season in the second division of Italian football. In addition to the domestic league, Modena participated in this season's edition of the Coppa Italia.


2005–06 Moldovan "A" Division
The 2005–06 Moldovan "A" Division season is the 15th since its establishment. A total of 16 teams are contesting the league.


2005–06 Moldovan "B" Division
The 2005–06 Moldovan "B" Division (Romanian: Divizia B) was the 15th season of Moldovan football's third-tier league. There are 24 teams in the competition, in two groups, 12 in the North and 12 in the South.


2005–06 Moldovan National Division
The 2005–06 Moldovan National Division (Romanian: Divizia Națională) was the 15th season of top-tier football in Moldova.


2005–06 Moldovan National Division, League standings
NB: no relegation due to extension of the league to 10 clubs


2005–06 Mongolia Hockey League season
The 2005–06 Mongolia Hockey League season was the fifteenth season of the Mongolia Hockey League. Baganuur won the championship by defeating Erdenet-Hangardi in the playoff final.


2005–06 Montenegrin First League
The 2005–06 Montenegrin First League was the last edition of the tournament as the second-highest division. Due to the dissolution of the state union between Serbia and Montenegro in June 2006, the Montenegrin First League became the top division of Montenegro from then on.


2005–06 Montenegrin First League, Relegation play-offs
The 8th placed team were played against the 2nd placed team of the Montenegrin Republic League in two-legged relegation play-offs after the end of the season.


2005–06 Montenegrin First League, Relegation play-offs, Second leg
Mladost gained promotion to 2006–07 Montenegrin First League, while Zora relegated to 2006–07 Montenegrin Second League.


2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season
The 2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 97th season, 89th in the National Hockey League. The Canadiens would qualify for the playoffs, eventually being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Quarter-finals by the Carolina Hurricanes 4 games to 2.


2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season, Regular season
Claude Julien started the season as coach but was fired and replaced on an interim basis by manager Bob Gainey. The Canadiens's number one goaltender Jose Theodore was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. His place was taken by Cristobal Huet. Huet would lead the league in save percentage of 92.9% and placed fourth overall in goals against average of 2.20.


2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime/Shootout loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season, Regular season, Final standings
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season, Playoffs
The Canadiens placed 3rd in the Northeast division, and seventh in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens played the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the first round and lost four games to two. The Canadiens were winning 2–0 in the series when Saku Koivu sustained a serious injury to his left eye. Hurricanes forward Justin Williams attempted to lift Koivu's stick but instead struck him in the eye. Koivu was rushed to the hospital, where he would remain overnight and for the remainder of the playoffs. Koivu remained out of the lineup for the rest of the series and underwent surgery to repair a detached retina during the off-season.


2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season, Draft picks
Montreal's draft picks at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario.


2005–06 Motherwell F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was Motherwell's 8th season in the Scottish Premier League, and their 21st consecutive season in the top division of Scottish football.


2005–06 Motherwell F.C. season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Munster Rugby season
The 2005–06 Munster Rugby season was Munster's fifth season competing in the Celtic League, alongside which they also competed in the Heineken Cup. It was Declan Kidney's first season as head coach, in his second spell at the province.


2005–06 Munster Rugby season, 2005–06 squad
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.


2005–06 Munster Rugby season, 2005–06 Celtic League
Under the standard bonus point system, points are awarded as follows:


2005–06 Munster Rugby season, 2005–06 Celtic League
Due to the uneven number of participating teams, each team had two free weekends and were awarded 4 match points each time.


2005–06 Munster Rugby season, 2005–06 Heineken Cup, Pool 1
Note: Munster took first place over Sale Sharks on competition points in head-to-head matches, 5–4.


2005–06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. The Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, four games to two to win their first NBA championship.


2005–06 NBA season, Playoffs
Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics.


2005–06 NBA season, Awards, Players of the month
The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month.


2005–06 NBA season, Awards, Rookies of the month
The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month.


2005–06 NBL All-Star Game
The 2005/06 NBL All-Star Game was held at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, New South Wales on 27 December 2005. The attendance for this All-Star game was 4783 spectators.


2005–06 NBL All-Star Game
The Aussie All-Stars defeated the World All-Stars 151–116. Veteran Darryl McDonald from the Melbourne Tigers won the All-Star MVP award, registering 19 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and 6 steals. Game high scorers included Chris Anstey (22), Glen Saville (20) and McDonald for the Aussie All-Stars, and Cortez Groves (19), Mike Helms (16) and Dusty Rychart (14) for the World All-Stars.


2005–06 NBL All-Star Game
While named in the World All-Stars squad, Rolan Roberts did not play in the All-Star game due to suffering a season-ending shoulder injury during the Dunk Competition.


2005–06 NBL All-Star Game, Dunk Competition
The Dunk Competition was won by Everard Bartlett of the New Zealand Breakers.


2005–06 NBL season
The 2005–06 NBL season was the 28th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 11 teams contested the league.


2005–06 NBL season, Regular Season
The 2005–06 Regular Season took place over 23 Rounds between 2 September 2005 to 5 February 2006.


2005–06 NBL season, Ladder
The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win-loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.


2005–06 NBL season, Awards
The MVP was awarded to Chris Anstey of the Melbourne Tigers.


2005–06 NBL season, Awards
The Grand Final MVP was also awarded to Chris Anstey.


2005–06 NBL season, Awards
The Coach of the Year went to Alan Westover of the Melbourne Tigers who coached the team to the title.


2005–06 NBL season, Awards
The Rookie of the Year went to Mark Worthington of the Sydney Kings.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
The 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings was made up of two human polls, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various other preseason polls.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2005, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 3, 2006, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Florida Gators won their first NCAA national championship with a 73–56 victory over the UCLA Bruins. This was the final Final Four site at the RCA Dome. The Final Four will return to the city of Indianapolis, but will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Season outlook, Pre-season polls
The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls November 7, 2005.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Regular season, Conference winners and tournaments
Thirty conference seasons conclude with a single-elimination tournament. Traditionally, all conference schools are eligible, regardless of record. However, some conferences, most notably the Big East, do not invite the teams with the worst records. The conference tournament winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. A school that wins the conference regular season title is guaranteed an NIT bid; however, it may receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Post-Season Tournaments, NCAA Tournament
The NCAA Tournament tipped off on March 14, 2006 with the opening round game in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded on April 3 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. A total of 65 teams entered the tournament. Thirty of the teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments. The automatic bid of the Ivy League, which does not conduct a post-season tournament, went to its regular season champion. The remaining 34 teams were granted "at-large" bids, which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. The Big East Conference led the way with eight bids. Florida won their first NCAA title, beating UCLA 73–56 in the final. Florida forward Joakim Noah was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Post-Season Tournaments, National Invitation Tournament
After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the National Invitation Tournament invited 32 teams to participate, reducing the field's size from 40. Eight teams were given automatic bids for winning their conference regular seasons, and 24 other teams were also invited. Dave Odom's South Carolina Gamecocks won their second consecutive title, defeating the Tommy Amaker-coached Michigan Wolverines 76–64 in the championship game. Gamecock forward Renaldo Balkman was named tournament MVP.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey rankings
Two human polls made up the 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey rankings, the USCHO.com/CSTV Division I Men's Poll and the USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine Poll. As the 2005–06 season progressed, rankings were updated weekly. There were a total of 34 voters in the USA Today poll and 40 voters in the USCHO.com poll. Each first place vote in the USA Today poll is worth 15 points in the rankings while a first place vote in the USCHO.com poll is worth 20 points with every subsequent vote worth 1 fewer point in either poll.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season
The 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 7, 2005 and concluded with the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on April 8, 2006 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was the 59th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 111th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Pre-season polls
The top 20 from USCHO.com/CSTV and the top 15 from USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the season.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Scoring leaders
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Leading goaltenders
The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the end of the regular season while playing at least 33% of their team's total minutes.


2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Leading goaltenders
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average


2005–06 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings
Two human polls comprise the 2005–06 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. The AP poll is currently a poll of sportswriters, while the USA Today Coaches' Poll is a poll of college coaches. The AP conducts polls weekly through the end of the regular season and conference play, while the Coaches poll conducts a final, post-NCAA tournament poll as well.


2005–06 NCAA Division III men's ice hockey season
The 2005–06 NCAA Division III men's ice hockey season began on October 15, 2005 and concluded on March 19 of the following year. This was the 33rd season of Division III college ice hockey.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games
The 2005–06 NCAA football bowl games were a series of 28 post-season games (including the Bowl Championship Series) that was played in December 2005 and January 2006 for Division I-A football teams and all-stars from Divisions I-AA, II, and III, as well as from the NAIA. The post-season began with the New Orleans Bowl on December 20, 2005, and concluded with the Senior Bowl, played on January 28, 2006.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games
For the second consecutive year, the 28 team-competitive bowl games were played by 56 teams with winning records, as no teams with non-winning seasons (6–6, or .500) were invited to participate in bowl games.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls
With 64 teams having winning records, and 56 slots in bowl games, there were more teams than slots available for teams to get a bowl bid. Again, as in 2004, two conferences — the Pac 10 and the SEC — did not have enough teams to fill the required number of slots for their non-BCS bowls. A third conference — the Big Ten — had two teams in the BCS (Penn State as the conference champion, and Ohio State meeting Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl January 2).


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls
The biggest beneficiary this year was the ACC, which replaced the SEC at the Music City Bowl (Virginia) and the Pac-10 (Georgia Tech) at the Emerald Bowl; Conference USA also gained a slot, sending Memphis to the Motor City Bowl. Unlike last year, where a fighting incident during the game between Clemson and South Carolina led each team to impose a post-season ban, no school forfeited post-season play this year.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls
The eight teams with winning records that did not get bowl bids were Louisiana Tech (7–4) from the WAC, MAC teams Miami (Ohio) (7–4), Bowling Green (6–5), Western Michigan (7–4), NIU (7–5) and Central Michigan (6–5), Mountain West representative New Mexico (6–5) and the Sun Belt's Louisiana–Lafayette (6–5). Four teams made their Division I-A bowl debuts — Arkansas State (Sun Belt, New Orleans Bowl at Lafayette), South Florida (Big East, Meineke Car Care Bowl), Central Florida (C-USA, Hawaii Bowl) and Akron (MAC, Motor City Bowl). Akron, notably, had been the only bowl-eligible team willing to accept an invitation to be left out of the 2004 bowl games. However, none of the teams benefitted from "beginner's luck", as each lost its game.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls
Participants in non-BCS bowls are selected on the basis of conference tie-ins. All bowl payouts are given in US dollars. All records shown are pre-bowl game.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, New Orleans Bowl at Lafayette
The New Orleans Bowl is usually one of two bowls that are played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Due to Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 game was played on December 20 in Lafayette, Louisiana at Cajun Field on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. C-USA's Southern Mississippi returned and defended their title as they defeated the Sun Belt Conference champion Arkansas State, 31–19.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, New Orleans Bowl at Lafayette
The Golden Eagles were led by quarterback Dustin Almond, who threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Cody Hull, who added 161 yards rushing and one touchdown on 37 carries. Special teams play helped the Indians to stay close, with kicker Eric Neihouse kicking a 44-yard field goal and two extra points, and with the team forcing a safety on an attempted Southern Miss punt.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, GMAC Bowl
The GMAC Bowl at Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama took place on December 21, 2005. Toledo, representing the Mid-American Conference, defeated C-USA's UTEP Miners 45–13. In his last game for the Rockets, quarterback Bruce Gradkowski threw for five touchdowns and 298 yards. Seven of the Miners' 13 points came off the leg of kicker Reagan Schneider, with Johnnie Lee Higgins' catching the only touchdown of the day for UTEP to account for the rest of the scoring.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Las Vegas Bowl
The Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium, located about eight miles from the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Whitney, Nevada, was the first game of two to be played on December 22, 2005. In the first matchup of the bowl season to pit a BCS AQ conference team against a BCS non-AQ conference team, California, from the Pac-10, beat Mountain West representative BYU, 35–28.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Las Vegas Bowl
Golden Bears running back Marshawn Lynch, voted the game's most valuable player, ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns on just 24 carries, as California took a 35–14 lead into the fourth quarter before the Cougars recorded two late touchdowns off the arm of quarterback John Beck to make the final victory less decisive.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Emerald Bowl
The Emerald Bowl at SBC Park (now known as AT&T Park), usually the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, California was played on December 29, 2005. The MWC's Utah, which last year became the first school from a BCS non-automatic qualifying conference to appear in a BCS bowl, jumped out to a 20–0 lead and played well throughout to defeat the ACC's Georgia Tech, 38–10.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Emerald Bowl
Utes junior transfer quarterback Brett Ratliff, filling in for Brian Johnson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury November 12, played superbly, completing 30 of 41 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns and a two-point conversion, compiling a pass efficiency rating of 112.9, bringing to mind the performance of Utah quarterback Alex Smith in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. All of Ratliff's scoring throws went to senior wide receiver Travis LaTendresse, who finished with 16 catches for 214 yards after averaging fewer than five catches per game during the regular season.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Emerald Bowl
Running back Quinton Ganther added 120 yards, many as the Utes ran out the clock in the fourth quarter, and a back-breaking 41-yard touchdown with 8:34 to play. Yellow Jackets running back P.J. Daniels exploited the Utah defense for 108 yards on 20 carries, but quarterback Reggie Ball played an uneven game, completing only 47 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions, one of which came at the Utah 21-yard-line and was returned 45 yards to end a Georgia Tech scoring chance, to just one touchdown.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Emerald Bowl
After the Utes recorded three touchdowns in the first 16:02 of the game, Ball brought the Yellow Jackets to within ten at the half, but was unable to make consistent progress the rest of the game, finding star wide receiver Calvin Johnson only twice for 19 yards. Georgia Tech took a slot normally reserved for the Pac-10, which failed to qualify enough teams for bowl eligibility. Utah became the first BCS non-AQ school to defeat a BCS AQ conference team this bowl season. The Emerald Bowl is now known as the Fight Hunger Bowl.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Poinsettia Bowl
The inaugural Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California was also played on December 22 when independent Navy beat the Mountain West's Colorado State, 51–30. Bringing the nation's number one-ranked rushing offense against the nation's 105th ranked rushing defense, the Midshipmen broke the game open in the second quarter, when running back Reggie Campbell scored two of his NCAA bowl record-tying five touchdowns; he finished with 116 yards rushing, 89 yards receiving, and 85 yards returning. Quarterback Justin Holland led the Rams in a losing effort, throwing for 381 yards and three touchdowns in completing 79% of his passes.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Fort Worth Bowl
The Fort Worth Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas was contested December 23, 2005. Kansas, from the Big 12, who qualified on the last Saturday in November for a bowl game, defeated Houston from C-USA, 42–13, thanks to Jason Swanson's four touchdown passes. Running back Jon Cornish paced the Jayhawks with 101 rushing yards on just 16 carries, while the defense pressured Cougars quarterback Kevin Kolb into three interceptions, also sacking him twice. After this season, the Bowl got a new sponsor in Bell Helicopters as well as a new name in the "Armed Forces Bowl", and started to invite a MWC teams to challenge the C-USA team as part of a rotation with the Pac 10.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Hawaii Bowl
The Hawaii Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii was played on December 24, 2005. For the first time since the game was first contested in 2002, the Hawaii Warriors did not play in this game, as they had a losing record in 2005, disqualifying them from bowl eligibility. Nevada, the WAC co-champion, beat C-USA's Central Florida, 49–48, as Golden Knights kicker Matt Prater missed an extra point in overtime, sealing a defeat for UCF, who was playing in its first ever bowl game, having gone winless as recently as 2004.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Hawaii Bowl
Each team gained over 550 yards, and each had three players average better than five yards per carry; freshman running back Kevin Smith led the Golden Knights with 202 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries, while running backs B.J. Mitchell and Robert Hubbard combined to gain 304 yards on 38 carries, also adding five touchdowns.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Motor City Bowl
The Motor City Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan was played on December 26, 2005. C-USA member Memphis, behind the running of DeAngelo Williams, who set an NCAA Division I-A record with his 34th career 100-yard game, defeated MAC champion Akron, 38–31, preventing the Zips from winning in their first-ever Division I-A Bowl Game. Akron quarterback Luke Getsy starred in his team's loss to the Tigers, setting a bowl record with 455 yards passing and tying another with four touchdowns.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Champs Sports Bowl
The Champs Sports Bowl, the first of two games played at Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida, was contested on December 27, 2005. ACC representative Clemson scored with less than two minutes remaining to ensure a 19–10 win against Big 12 representative Colorado, which was trying to a win after having lost its previous two games by a combined score of 100–6 and after having seen coach Gary Barnett fired just weeks before the bowl game.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Champs Sports Bowl
Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, playing with a sore shoulder, completed 22 of 30 passes for 210 yards and running back James Davis added 149 yards on 28 carries as the Tigers outgained the Buffaloes by 239 yards, surrendering only one touchdown, a Brian White pass to Quinn Sypniewski. Starting in 2006, a Big Ten team was invited to take the place of the Big 12.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Insight Bowl
The Insight Bowl at Chase Field, home to Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, in Phoenix, Arizona, was played as well on December 27. Pac-10 representative Arizona State, in what was a de facto home game, finally broke open a back-and-forth, sloppy affair (the teams combined for nineteen penalties) in the fourth quarter and then held off a comeback attempt, defeating Big East representative Rutgers, 45–40.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Insight Bowl
In the final Insight Bowl to be played at the stadium formerly known as Bank One Ballpark, Sun Devils quarterback Rudy Carpenter threw for 467 yards and four touchdowns, two to senior wide receiver Matt Miller, who finished with five catches for 135 yards. The Scarlet Knights, playing in their first bowl since 1978, when they appeared in the Garden State Bowl against Arizona State, were paced by quarterback Ryan Hart's three touchdowns and 376 passing yards, and by kicker Jeremy Ito, who recorded four field goals, two from beyond 48 yards, and four extra points. The two teams combined for 1,211 yards of offense, a record for any bowl game at the time. Beginning next season, the Big Ten and Big 12 would send teams to the contest, which will be played on the ASU campus at Sun Devil Stadium.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, MPC Computers Bowl
The MPC Computers Bowl at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho was the first game of two that were played on December 28, 2005. Though playing at home on its blue "Smurf Turf", where it held a 31-game winning streak, WAC co-champion Boise State was unable to get its usually potent offense untracked early, falling behind ACC rep Boston College by 24 at halftime before losing, 27–21.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, MPC Computers Bowl
Sophomore quarterback Matt Ryan led the way for the Eagles, throwing for 262 yards and three touchdowns, two to junior wide receiver Tony Gonzalez and one to senior Will Blackmon, who led all receivers with 144 yards on just five catches. The Broncos were held scoreless by the Boston College defense for the first 43:46 of the game and hindered their own efforts with three turnovers and eight penalties.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, MPC Computers Bowl
Playing their final game under coach Dan Hawkins, who would coach Colorado next season, Boise State essayed a late comeback, with junior quarterback Jared Zabransky throwing for one touchdown (a 53-yarder to Drisan James) and running for another. Junior Quinton Jones brought Boise State to within six when he took a Johnny Ayers punt 92 yards for a touchdown with less than four minutes to play in the game, but Boise State's last drive from midfield with less than two minutes stalled and Zabransky threw an end-zone interception to seal the Eagles' win. Boston College thus extended its NCAA-best bowl winning streak to six games, and also ran the BCS AQ conferences' record to 3–0 against BCS non-AQ conference teams this bowl season.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas was the second game played on December 28. In a battle of perennial powerhouses, Nebraska, returning to post-season play after a one-year absence, overcame an 11-point Michigan lead in the final 8:09 of the game to win, 32–28. The Big 12's Cornhuskers were buoyed by the play of senior running back Cory Ross, who carried 28 times for 161 yards and a touchdown. Though he was intercepted twice, quarterback Zac Taylor managed an efficient game, completing only 14 passes but for 167 yards and three touchdowns.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Alamo Bowl
In defeat for the Big Ten's Wolverines, quarterback Chad Henne used his arm (230 yards passing, three touchdowns) and legs (fourth-quarter rushing touchdown) to give Michigan a 28–17 lead, taking advantage of excellent field position provided by kickoff returners Steve Breaston and Carl Tabb II, who averaged 35 yards per return. Nebraska rallied, though, scoring two touchdowns and adding a two-point conversion on two three-play drives each of under 40 yards.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Alamo Bowl
The game's final play was a Henne pass to wide receiver Jason Avant, which the Wolverines followed by eight laterals, eventually reaching the Nebraska 17-yard-line; the play brought to mind the 1982 Stanford-California game in which, similarly, players from each team streamed onto the field during the last play, thinking the game to be over, and much of the blame for the confusion was later assessed to the officials, who were provided by the Sun Belt Conference.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Alamo Bowl
It also brought to mind the 2002 Kentucky-LSU game as Nebraska players gave their coach the Gatorade dunk before the final play had ended. Though the two offenses combined to score 60 points, neither was superb; Michigan averaged only 4.1 yards per play, committed three turnovers, and allowed five sacks, while Nebraska was only marginally better, gaining an average of 4.6 yards per play, committing two turnovers, and also allowing five sacks. The loss meant that the Michigan, who began the season ranked fourth in Associated Press writers' and USA Today coaches’ polls, would finish the year with a record of 7–5 and unranked in both polls. The Cornhuskers finished 24th in the writer's and coach's polls with a record of 8–4.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Music City Bowl
The Music City Bowl at The Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee was the first of four games played on December 30, 2005. Virginia, representing the ACC in a slot forfeited by the SEC, which failed to qualify enough teams for bowl eligibility, came back from a second-quarter 14-point deficit to drive for a game-winning field goal with 1:08 to play, ultimately defeating the Big Ten's Minnesota, 34–31.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Music City Bowl
The Cavaliers were paced by quarterback Marques Hagans, who threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Wali Lundy, who ran for only 60 yards but added two touchdowns, including a game-tying score on a 72-yard drive with less than 10 minutes to go in the game. Golden Gophers quarterback Bryan Cupito shined in defeat, completing 65 percent of his passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns (including two to wide receiver Jared Ellerson), as Minnesota took a 21–7 lead with less than seven minutes to go in the second quarter.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Music City Bowl
Virginia kicker Connor Hughes added a field goal as the half ended to bring the Cavaliers within 11, and he came through again with a 39-yarder to give Virginia the lead for good; Hughes finished with ten points.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Music City Bowl
Although Minnesota finished with a nearly seven-minute edge in time of possession, thanks in part to the running of Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell, who combined for 190 yards on 49 carries, and to forcing two Virginia turnovers in the fourth quarter, the Golden Gopher defense allowed the Wahoos to drive from their own three-yard line to record the final field goal and break the tie. Cupito led a last-minute drive for Minnesota, crossing midfield with 37 seconds to go before throwing an end-zone interception that allowed Virginia to run out the clock.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl at the eponymous stadium in El Paso, Texas was the second game of four that were played on December 30, and matched Big Ten (Northwestern) and Pac-10 (UCLA) teams for the only time this bowl season; the Bruins upended the Wildcats, 50–38, to finish the season with a 10–2 record. While the game was the scoring showcase expected, especially in the first half, when the teams combined for a Sun Bowl-record 51 points, each team departed in several areas from its typical play, making for a game of surprises.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Sun Bowl
UCLA quarterback Drew Olson, who had finished eighth in the voting for the 2005 Heisman Trophy, threw three interceptions (two of which were returned by the Wildcats for touchdowns), matching his total for the entire regular season, when he threw 31 touchdowns. Northwestern kicker Joel Howells, who had made 44 of 45 extra points in the regular season, missed two, as well a field goal, before giving way to back up Amado Villarreal.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Sun Bowl
The Bruins had two rushers top 100 yards, and neither was Maurice Jones-Drew, who had had more than double the rushing yards of any teammate during the regular season; freshman Kahlil Bell and sophomore Chris Markey, neither of whom had topped 100 yards in any regular season game, though, shined, running for 293 yards on 42 carries. Finally, Wildcats freshman running back Tyrell Sutton, the 2005 Sporting News NCAA freshman of the year, was held to 82 yards rushing by a UCLA defense that ranked 110th in the country.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Sun Bowl
The first half was one of streaks, as Northwestern saw a 22–0 lead, two touchdowns of which were returns of Olson interceptions, equaled and then eclipsed as Bell rushed for two scores and Olson threw a touchdown with just 29 seconds in the half to give UCLA a seven-point lead midway through the game.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Sun Bowl
UCLA continued its offensive progress in the third quarter, as Olson threw a third touchdown just six minutes in, putting UCLA up by fourteen; the Bruins had again taken advantage of good field position off a Wildcats punt, with Northwestern's Ryan Pederson's averaging but 30.8 yards per punt on the day. Northwestern slowly cut into the Bruins lead as quarterback Brett Basanez led his team on two scoring drives, finishing the game with 437 yards passing and one touchdown on 71 passing attempts; Basanez, though, did throw two interceptions.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Sun Bowl
After a Mark Philmore touchdown reception cut the UCLA lead to four with 2:29 remaining in the game, UCLA kick returner Brandon Breazell returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards for a touchdown. Basanez led a final drive deep into UCLA territory, connecting twice with Ross Lane, who finished the game as the Wildcats’ top receiver, with 135 yards on seven catches, and finally throwing a touchdown to Shaun Herbert with 23 seconds remaining; Breazell delivered a knockout blow, however, again returning an onside kick for a touchdown, and the Bruins held on for the 12-point win.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Independence Bowl
The third of the four games on December 30, 2005 was the Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. South Carolina, representing the SEC, took an early 21-point lead but was unable to hold off a late charge from Missouri, representing the Big 12, which notched a 38–31 win, denying South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier a bowl win in his first season back in college football. The Gamecocks scored on their first possession and recovered a Missouri fumble on the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage, setting up a five-yard touchdown scamper by running back Mike Davis.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Independence Bowl
A second touchdown pass by quarterback Blake Mitchell gave South Carolina a 21–0 lead just six minutes into the game, and after a series of punts, the Gamecocks took the ball on a short field and reached the Missouri 16-yard-line when a Mitchell pass was intercepted by senior Marcus King, who returned his pick 98 yards for Missouri's first score of the game.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Independence Bowl
Davis, who finished the day with 124 yards on 19 carries, added his second touchdown on the ensuing drive, but Missouri option quarterback Brad Smith, who was his team's leading passer (21 completions for 283 yards) and rusher (16 carries for 138 yards), drove the Tigers 74 yards in 1:33 before hitting freshman tight end Chase Coffman, his leading receiver, who finished with eight catches for 99 yards, on a five-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Tigers’ halftime deficit to 14.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Independence Bowl
Smith took the Tigers down the field once more to open the third quarter, and, even after Missouri wasted a 76-yard drive when kicker Adam Crossett missed a 22-yard field goal, the Missouri defense forced a punt and Smith engineered an 85-yard drive capped by his 31-yard rushing touchdown. A Derrick Ming interception of a Mitchell pass in Gamecocks territory led to another Smith rushing score, and Crossett atoned for his earlier miss by hitting a 50-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to give the Tigers their first lead of the game.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Independence Bowl
Mitchell responded with a long drive of his own, hitting freshman wide receiver Sidney Rice, his top target in the game (catching 13 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown), three times en route to a 30-yard Josh Brown field goal. Working against a fatigued Gamecocks defense, which faced a total of 76 Missouri plays on the day, Smith shined on the ground once more, recording a 59-yard run and capping his day with a third rushing touchdown, this from one yard out. Although freshman kick returner Carlos Thomas once more gave the Gamecocks good field position, returning the Missouri kick 43 yards to bring his return average on the day to 31 yards, Mitchell threw his third interception of the day, allowing Mizzou to run out the clock.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Meineke Car Care Bowl
The Meineke Car Care Bowl at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina was the first of three scheduled games played on December 31, 2005. North Carolina State, representing the ACC, defeated South Florida, which was making its first bowl appearance in its first year as a member of the Big East, 14–0.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Meineke Car Care Bowl
A scoreless first quarter set the tone for a game in which neither team played well offensively; each team punted twice and neither team could take advantage of a scoring chance, as the Bulls missed a 47-yard field goal on their first possession of the game and the Wolfpack failed to put points on the board after taking over the ball at midfield on a Marcus Hudson blocked punt.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Meineke Car Care Bowl
The NC State offense came alive in the second quarter as sophomore quarterback Marcus Stone, assuming the starting role from senior Jay Davis, hit wide receiver Brian Clark, who was his team's leading receiver with two catches for 50 yards, for a 9-yard touchdown and ran for another, giving the Wolfpack a 14–0 halftime lead.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Meineke Car Care Bowl
The teams reprised their offensive ineptitude in the third quarter, however, as Bulls backup quarterback Carlton Hill fumbled the ball to NC State, only to see Hudson lose a fumble on the next play; Hill fumbled once more two plays later as possession changed hands three times in four plays.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Meineke Car Care Bowl
Only South Florida managed sustained drives in the fourth quarter, as running back Andre Hall keyed an attack that reached the NC State 17-yard line before quarterback Pat Julmiste threw an interception, ending the Bulls’ scoring chance—a fake punt netted South Florida a first-down in Wolfpack territory with less than five minutes to play, but they turned the ball over on downs and failed to threaten again until the waning seconds of the game.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Meineke Car Care Bowl
Even as he completed only nine of 19 passes for 127 yards, Wolfpack quarterback Marcus Stone outshone his South Florida counterpart, and Julmiste completed just eight of 25 passes for 94 yards—with two-thirds of his total coming with less than two minutes to play—as he was outplayed by the freshman Hill, who completed one of two passes for 37 yards but was nevertheless pulled from the game after the second of his fumbles.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Meineke Car Care Bowl
The running of Hall, the Big East's leading rusher during the regular season, kept South Florida within striking distance, as he overcame a slow start to finish with 130 yards on 21 carries. In general, though, each defense played well, not only forcing fumbles but pressuring the passer; NC State totaled seven sacks, including three by linebacker Stephen Tulloch, and South Florida notched three, all by defensive end Terrence Royal.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Meineke Car Care Bowl
Running back Toney Baker helped the Wolfpack to run time off the clock in the fourth quarter and win the time-of-possession battle by nearly four minutes; he finished the day with 90 yards on 23 carries as NC State's two second-quarter scores proved to be enough for the win. The Bulls were shut out for the first time since the program started in 1997.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl at the Memorial Stadium which bears its name in Memphis, Tennessee was the second game played on December 31. Fresno State, out of the WAC, failed to end a three-game losing streak that began when the Bulldogs fell by only eight to the top-ranked team in the nation, Southern California, losing to C-USA champion (and former WAC rival) Tulsa, 31–24.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Liberty Bowl
Although better known for their passing offenses, each team recorded its first two scores on the ground, as the Bulldogs took a 7–0 first quarter lead on the strength of a seven-yard run carry by senior running back Wendell Mathis, who finished the day with 31 carries for 117 yards. The Golden Hurricane answered quickly and then took the lead in the second quarter as Uril Parrish and Tarrion Adams each recorded a touchdown; Adams finished as Tulsa's leading rusher, accumulating 103 yards on 11 carries.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Liberty Bowl
Fresno State tied the game on a Bryson Sumlin touchdown scamper with 1:14 to play—Sumlin would finish the game with 66 yards on 10 carries—in the first half before a 40-yard Brad DeVault field goal gave Tulsa a three-point halftime lead, even as the Golden Hurricane had possessed the ball for fewer than ten minutes in game's first half. Behind the play of senior quarterback Paul Pinegar, who threw efficiently if unremarkably (19 completions in 30 attempts for 215 yards), the Bulldogs tied the game early in the third quarter with a Kyle Zimmerman 27-yard field goal.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Liberty Bowl
Adams was tackled for a loss on a fourth-down attempt to give Fresno State the ball at the Tulsa 37-yard line, but Mathis was held for short gains by a stout Tulsa defense and Zimmerman eventually missed a field goal from 27 yards out.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Liberty Bowl
Golden Hurricane quarterback Paul Smith, who finished the game completing 18 of 27 passes for 236 yards, finally found senior tight end Garrett Mills, who this season broke the career receiving yards mark for a tight end in Division I-A, for productive yards in the third quarter, though Mills nevertheless finished with only four catches on the day, as Tulsa reached midfield before wide receiver Ashlan Davis fumbled the ball, committing Tulsa's only turnover; in a drive that ran more than five minutes off the clock and took the game into the fourth quarter, Fresno State capitalized, as Pinegar drove the Bulldogs 72 yards and hit wide receiver Joe Fernandez for a 21-yard touchdown, giving Fresno State a 7-point lead.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Liberty Bowl
Tulsa's inability to possess the ball for long stretches bade well for Fresno State, but Davis atoned for his fumble midway through the fourth quarter as he caught a Smith pass and scored from 55 yards to tie the game; Davis finished the day as the leading Tulsa receiver, catching eight passes for 129 yards.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Liberty Bowl
Pinegar led another Bulldogs drive but was intercepted near midfield by Golden Hurricane sophomore defensive back Anthony Germany, as Tulsa, despite having run only 55 plays (to Fresno State's 77) and having possessed the ball for only 20:44, took the lead for good on a four-yard touchdown run by Smith, as a second Pinegar interception with 2:03 to play clinched the win for the Golden Hurricane. Though they ran few plays, Tulsa made them count, averaging 7.0 yards per carry on their running plays as they ran their record to 9–4, defeating the Bulldogs for the first time in five tries.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Houston Bowl
The last of three December 31 games that were contested on New Year's Eve was the Houston Bowl at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. Mountain West champion Texas Christian, filling a slot reserved for the SEC, which failed to qualify enough teams for bowl eligibility, tallied a 27–24 win over Iowa State, representing the Big 12.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Houston Bowl
The Horned Frogs, bidding to finish the year as the only team from a BCS non-AQ conference to be ranked in the top 25 in the USA Today coaches’ and AP writers’ polls, took a 14-point lead over the Cyclones just 6:36 into the game, as junior tailback Robert Merrill scored on a 20-yard run on TCU's first possession; Merrill finished the day as his team's top rusher, gaining 109 yards on just 11 carries.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Houston Bowl
Setting the tone for a game in which each defense would make several key plays, cornerback Drew Coleman recovered an Iowa State fumble on the second play of the ensuing possession, and TCU capitalized in 56 seconds as freshman running back Aaron Brown took one of his 12 carries for a touchdown.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Houston Bowl
Soon after Iowa State defensive back LaMarcus Hicks evened the turnover battle, intercepting TCU quarterback Ballard at midfield to set up the first of two touchdown receptions by wide receiver Todd Blythe, who finished as the leading Cyclones receiver with 105 yards on only five receptions, Cyclones defensive end Brent Curvey sacked Ballard and then halted a running play in the end zone, giving Iowa State a safety.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Houston Bowl
Two minutes and twenty seconds later, Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer, who totaled 20 completions on 33 attempts for 254 yards, threw the second of his three touchdowns, hitting receiver Jon Davis from six yards; a successful two-point conversion, a pass from Meyer to tight end Ben Barkema, gave the Cyclones a three-point lead.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Houston Bowl
After the teams exchanged punts, Meyer turned the ball over again, fumbling to David Roach, and Ballard, who completed 21 of his 33 passes for 275 yards, playing similarly to Meyer and foreshadowing the game's close end, hit junior wide receiver Michael DePriest for an 84-yard touchdown. Though each defense tightened at the end of the first half, TCU took advantage of good field position conferred by a 39-yard punt return as kicker Chris Manfredini made a 29-yard field goal to give the Horned Frogs a seven-point halftime lead.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Houston Bowl
Each defense held the opposing offense for most of the third quarter, as the teams combined in the game for 12 sacks (defensive end Chase Ortiz led TCU with two; defensive end Jason Berryman had four for Iowa State), before Meyer again hit Blythe for a touchdown, this time from 22 yards, as the Cyclones tied the game late in the third quarter.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Houston Bowl
Even as each team lost a fumble in the fourth quarter, neither was able to mount a substantial drive, but the inability of Iowa State to run the ball on TCU (eayer was his team's leading rusher, gaining 27 of the Cyclones’ 35 yards on 12 carries) allowed the Horned Frogs to win the time-of-possession battle by seven minutes, and the Cyclones defense tired late in the game, allowing TCU to drive 49 yards in 3:42 as kicker Peter LoCoco made his first field goal since October 8, a 49-yarder that gave TCU its winning margin; the Horned Frogs defense held Iowa State scoreless the rest of the way.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS bowls, Houston Bowl
In winning a poorly executed game in which the teams totaled 20 penalties and seven turnovers, TCU cut the record of BCS AQ conference teams against BCS non-AQ conference teams to 3–2 in what was the last game to be played between BCS AQ and non-AQ teams of the 2005 bowl season. The game was also the last under the "Houston Bowl" banner; after the season, the marketing arm of the Houston Texans, Lone Star Sports and Entertainment, took over the game and renamed it the Texas Bowl.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls
Because New Year's Day 2006 fell on a Sunday, a day when the NFL plays most of its games, the league played all but two of its final regular season games that day, and all college football bowl games traditionally held that day were moved to January 2, which fell on a Monday.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls
These games are generally considered to be the more important of the non-BCS bowls, with half — the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, the Toyota Gator Bowl and the Capital One Bowl — broadcast on over-the-air television rather than cable (namely ESPN), and with these six games' having larger-than-average purses; in 2005, for example, the Toyota Gator Bowl paid the lowest purse of the sextet, which, at $1.6 million still more than doubled the $750,000 purse standard for most non-New Year's Day bowls, while the Capital One Bowl handed out the largest non-BCS purse at roughly $5,312,000.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl, which as of 2005 became the second post-season college football game played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, is considered to be part of this group in spite of the fact that the game is not played on New Year's Day, given the bowl's payout of $2,000,000 and the frequency with which highly ranked teams participate. The 2005 edition was the second of two games played on December 29, 2005, with the Big 12's Oklahoma Sooners defeating the Pac-10's Oregon Ducks, 17–14, in a matchup of teams each with something to prove.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Holiday Bowl
The Ducks were playing to show that they deserved a BCS bowl bid, having gone 10–1 during the regular season (the only loss coming to the nation's top-ranked team, Southern California), while the Sooners, who had lost in the BCS championship game each of the past two years, were trying to show that they really were the team that came into the season ranked fifth in the USA Today coaches' poll and seventh in the AP writers' poll than the team that lost to Texas by 33.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Holiday Bowl
Although Oregon got off to an early 7–3 lead and held that lead for nearly half the game, 22:38, the offense was unable to muster much against an Oklahoma defense that recorded four sacks (two by junior defensive end C.J. Ah You), held the Ducks to 2.6 yards per carry, and allowed only six third-down conversions in 18 attempts.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Holiday Bowl
Rotating between Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf (whose brother, Ryan, was once the quarterback for the San Diego Chargers and played in said stadium) at quarterback, as they had done since losing starter Kellen Clemens earlier in the year, the Ducks gained 244 passing yards on 44 attempts, but much of that came in the fourth quarter as the Sooners defense tired during two extended drives. Oregon managed little success on the ground, with their top rusher, senior Terrence Whitehead, going for only 42 yards.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Holiday Bowl
Oklahoma's offense played largely efficiently, gaining 365 yards, with redshirt freshman quarterback Rhett Bomar completing 59 percent of his passes for 229 yards and one touchdown (freshman Malcolm Kelly was the team's top receiver, hauling in seven Bomar throws for 78 yards). Sophomore Adrian Peterson led the way on the ground, accumulating 79 yards on 23 carries. In spite of their general success, Bomar and Peterson each provided Oregon hope, with Bomar's throwing an interception and Peterson's fumbling within a yard of the goal line.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Holiday Bowl
The Ducks, trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter, were unable to convert a first-down in the shadow of their own goal posts against the aggressive Sooners defense and thus failed to capitalize on the Peterson turnover. Their defense, though, stymied every Oklahoma drive in the fourth quarter, getting two more possessions for the offense, and Oregon drove 81 yards in 14 plays, with Brady Leaf's hitting Tim Day for a three-yard touchdown. Once more the Sooners offense failed to convert a third-down on their ensuing possession as the Ducks defense tightened, and, behind a resurgent Leaf, Oregon drove to the Oklahoma 19-yard-line before Sooners senior linebacker Clint Ingram intercepted a Leaf pass to seal the victory for the Sooners.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Holiday Bowl
On July 11, 2007, following an investigation into the use of two players being used in a fake job scandal by Sooner boosters, the NCAA announced that the game, along with eight victories from the 2005 regular season would be stricken from the record books. However, the NCAA reversed its field on February 22, 2008, and restored all eight forfeited wins to the record books, including the Holiday Bowl. Since bowl games are not sanctioned by the NCAA, Oklahoma was allowed to keep their payout.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Peach Bowl
The Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, like the Holiday Bowl, is not played on New Year's Day but is considered part of this group, given shared characteristics: a large payout and the participation of highly ranked teams. This year's game was the nightcap of four contests played on December 30, 2005, the first game of three in the span of four days at the facility, and matched the ACC's Miami (Florida), who were the defending champions of this game, and the SEC's LSU. The game was expected to be competitive and low-scoring, given that each team was ranked in top ten in the AP writers’ and USA Today coaches’ polls and that each ranked amongst the top six in Division I-A in total defense.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Peach Bowl
The outcome, though, was anything but close as the Hurricanes struck first with a field goal six-plus minutes into the game and then watched as the Tigers, led by sophomore quarterback Matt Flynn, who replaced the injured JaMarcus Russell after having thrown only 15 passes all year, scored 40 points on eight straight possessions to claim a 40–3 win.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Peach Bowl
Flynn played efficiently for LSU, which was coming of an upset by Georgia in the SEC championship game, played four weeks earlier in that same stadium, completing 13 of 22 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns, including a 51-yard strike to wide receiver Craig Davis, who was the leading Tigers receiver with five catches for 100 yards.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Peach Bowl
The ground game, however, was LSU's best weapon, as the Tigers possessed the ball for 39:08 and accumulated 282 rushing yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry against a Hurricanes defense that came into the game having allowed more than 17 points only once during the regular season. Running back Joseph Addai led the way with 24 carries for 128 yards and one touchdown; fullback Jacob Hester and added 66 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries. The Tigers kicking game also added in the scoring, as Colt David made four extra points and Chris Jackson connected on four field goals, including a 50-yarder to end LSU scoring, and participated in a fake field goal the Tigers used to convert a first down already up 31.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Peach Bowl
The Hurricanes turned the ball over only once, as freshman quarterback Kirby Freeman entered the game with Miami down 37 and promptly threw an interception, but they allowed LSU to sack quarterback Kyle Wright four times; pressure and tight coverage led to Wright's making only 10 of 21 passes for just 99 yards. Neither was the running game able to get any traction for Miami, as the Hurricanes averaged just 2.0 yards per carry, with leading rusher sophomore Charlie Jones recording only 49 yards on eight carries, 42 of that on one run.


2005–06 NCAA football bowl games, Non-BCS New Year's Day Bowls, Peach Bowl
The loss was the worst in post-season history for the Hurricanes. The contest, the last to be termed the "Peach Bowl" (the game was renamed the "Chick-fil-A Bowl" after the season), was marred by a postgame scuffle in which an ersatz fight between Tigers and Hurricanes players was ostensibly misunderstood by several Hurricanes, who initiated actual physical contact, necessitating the intervention of Georgia State Patrol officers and medical treatment for Miami offensive lineman Andrew Bain, who was reported to have been briefly unconscious, but was instead dazed after being hit in the head by a helmet.