The game was the final contest of the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 28–10 victory for Virginia Tech.

The University of Miami, which tied the Hokies, was ineligible for post-season play due to sanctions imposed as a result of recruiting rules violations.

The Hokies played the University of Texas, which finished 10–1–1 during the regular season en route to becoming Southwest Conference champions.

The Southwest Conference was scheduled to disband after the football season, but its champion was guaranteed one of the at-large spots in the Bowl Alliance.

In 1995, one of these at-large spots was reserved for the champion of the Southwest Conference, which had been a member of the Bowl Coalition but was scheduled to dissolve after the 1995 season.

The 1995 edition of that competition ended in frustration, however, as the two teams battled to a 24–24 tie after Texas failed to convert a fourth down deep in Oklahoma territory late in the game.

[26] Those who tempered their expectations of the Hokies appeared to be vindicated in Tech's first game of the season, which took place on September 7, a week later than most teams started regular-season play.

[30] At the time, the one-week turnaround from embarrassing defeat to unexpected triumph caused some commentators to declare the win the biggest in Virginia Tech football history.

Thanks to revenue-sharing agreements with Big East conference members, Virginia Tech received $3.5 million, minus expenses, for playing in the Sugar Bowl.

So many Virginia Tech fans traveled to the game that the Montgomery County school district extended its winter break one day to avoid a shortage of teachers and students.

[51] Virginia Tech moved a December 31 men's basketball game from Blacksburg to the University of New Orleans' Lakefront Arena.

[53] In terms of chartered flights and the number of fans spending money at New Orleans businesses, Texas also trailed Virginia Tech.

[54] Three Virginia Tech players were charged with crimes before the Sugar Bowl: Linebacker Tony Morrison and receiver James Crawford were suspended indefinitely from the team and did not travel to the game.

Morrison was arrested for public intoxication, petty larceny and destruction of property, while Crawford was charged with defrauding a garage keeper and felony hit and run.

[55] On December 12, cornerback Antonio Banks was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, but was not suspended from the team and played in the Sugar Bowl.

[58] Beamer himself was the object of some off-field controversy when Georgia considered offering him its head football coaching job during the days prior to the Sugar Bowl.

[59] Beamer, a Virginia Tech alum, denied any interest in the position,[60] and the controversy abated when Georgia hired Kansas' Glen Mason as its head coach on December 18.

[61] Mason changed his mind hours before the Jayhawks faced UCLA in the Aloha Bowl, and Georgia hired Jim Donnan instead.

Weaver disappeared prior to the Sugar Bowl, but stated that he had used the assumed name in order to gather information for a book about the inner workings of Texas football.

[43][63] Weaver later pleaded guilty to a felony charge of misusing Social Security numbers, but he avoided jail and paid no fine.

[68] Brown's favorite receiver was Mike Adams, who led the Southwest Conference by catching 53 passes for 876 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season.

[78] Druckenmiller's favorite receiver was Bryan Still, who caught 32 passes for 628 yards and three touchdowns despite missing 2½ games due to an injured shoulder.

[84] The Hokie defense was led by Cornell Brown, a first-team All-America selection who also won the Dudley Award, which is given to the top Division I college football player in Virginia.

The second play resulted in the initial first down of the game as Brown completed a 19-yard pass to wide receiver Mike Adams.

[96] After the turnover, Texas attempted a trick play, but the pass by a wide receiver was knocked down by the Virginia Tech defense.

Virginia Tech recovered it at their 19-yard line, and Druckenmiller started a hurry-up offensive drive for the Hokies, who had 56 seconds to move into scoring possession.

During the third-down play, wide receiver Bryan Still broke free of the Texas defense and caught a 55-yard pass from Druckenmiller for Tech's second offensive touchdown of the game.

Virginia Tech quarterback Jim Druckenmiller finished the game having completed 18 of his 34 pass attempts for 266 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

[107] A large portion of Virginia Tech's bowl-game proceeds were devoted toward improving athletic facilities at the school,[108] and more money was generated by a boom in merchandise sales that followed the game.

[112] To prevent Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer from likewise seeking a different position, the school signed him to a new five-year contract at a salary of more than $148,000 per year.