This Week In College Football History, Dec. 20-Dec. 26
Courtesy of The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Inc.
FEATURED MOMENT:
December 25, 1978: In a match-up of College Football Hall of Fame coaches, No. 8 Arkansas (led by Lou Holtz) and No. 15 UCLA (led by Terry Donahue) played to a 10-10 tie in the Fiesta Bowl. The game marked the only tie in Fiesta Bowl history.
OTHER NOTABLE DATES:
December 20, 2002: Carroll (Mont.) defeated Georgetown (Ky.), 28-7, to win the NAIA Championship.
December 20, 2002: Western Kentucky beat McNeese State, 34-14 to win the NCAA Division I-AA Championship.
December 21, 1979: Lee Corso’s Indiana Hoosiers earned their first bowl victory, spoiling No. 9 BYU’s perfect season beating the Cougars 38-37 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Indiana scored the go-ahead touchdown on a punt return by cornerback Tim Wilbur midway through the fourth quarter. BYU kicker Brent Johnson missed a 27-yard field goal with eleven seconds left to seal the Cougars’ fate.
December 22, 1984: No. 12 Maryland mounted its second 20-plus point second half comeback of the season, beating Tennessee 28-27 in the Sun Bowl in El Paso. Down 21-0 at the half, Maryland reeled off 22-straight points in the third to take the lead before giving up a 100-yard kick-off return to Vols running back Pete Paunuska. Terps fullback Rick Badanjek scored the winning touchdown on a one-yard dive in the fourth quarter.
December 23, 2003: No. 18 Boise State beat No. 19 TCU 34-31 in the first-ever PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl (now the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl) at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. The win marked the Broncos first bowl victory away from their home stadium.
December 24, 2000: In his final game as head coach, College Football Hall of Famer Jim Donnan led Georgia over Virginia, 37-14, to win a school record fourth-straight bowl game at the Oahu Bowl in Honolulu. The game marked the last time the bowl would be played in Oahu, the following year the game moved to Seattle.
December 26, 1997: Ole Miss beat Marshall 34-31 at the first-ever Motor City Bowl in Pontiac. Marshall quarterback and William V. Campbell Trophy winner Chad Pennington threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns, one of which was an 80-yard bomb to All-American wide receiver Randy Moss. |