1981 Holiday Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1981 Holiday Bowl was a college football
bowl game
played December 30, 1981 in San Diego, California
. It was part of the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season
. It featured the 14th ranked BYU Cougars, and the 20th ranked Washington State Cougars
.
BYU took a 7-0 lead following a 35 yard touchdown pass from Jim McMahon
to Dan Plater, to cap the only scoring of the 1st quarter. He threw a 7 yard pass to Gordon Hudson
to increase BYU's lead to 14-0. Washington State got on the board after Ricky Turner scored on a 2 yard touchdown run. BYU's Kurt Gunther kicked a 20 yard field goal before halftime to put BYU on top 17-7. Hamilton scored on a 1 yard touchdown run, and BYU took a 24-7 halftime lead.
BYU cornerback Tom Holmoe
intercepted a Washington State pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown, as BYU made it 31-7, early in the third quarter. Washington State running back Matt LaBonne scored on an 18 yard touchdown run pulling WSU to within 31-14. Williams scored on a 5 yard run making it a 31-21 game. Ricky Turner scored on a 13 yard touchdown run making it 31-28 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Jim McMahon fired an 11 yard touchdown pass to Scott Pettis to make it 38-28. Mike Martin
scored on a 1 yard touchdown run, and Ricky Turner added a 2 point conversion to make it 38-36. BYU recovered the ensuing onside kick to win the game.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
played December 30, 1981 in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. It was part of the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season
1981 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Clemson Tigers, unbeaten and untied, taking the national championship after a victory over traditional power Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This was also the first year of the California Bowl, played in Fresno, California; this game fancied...
. It featured the 14th ranked BYU Cougars, and the 20th ranked Washington State Cougars
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
.
BYU took a 7-0 lead following a 35 yard touchdown pass from Jim McMahon
Jim McMahon
James Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
to Dan Plater, to cap the only scoring of the 1st quarter. He threw a 7 yard pass to Gordon Hudson
Gordon Hudson
Gordon Lynn Hudson is an American football tight end born in Everett, Washington, on June 22, 1962. He attended Brighton High School in Salt Lake City, UT. He was a Two-time consensus All-America pick in 1982 and 1983 He led BYU to four WAC titles and four Holiday Bowl berths. He also set the NCAA...
to increase BYU's lead to 14-0. Washington State got on the board after Ricky Turner scored on a 2 yard touchdown run. BYU's Kurt Gunther kicked a 20 yard field goal before halftime to put BYU on top 17-7. Hamilton scored on a 1 yard touchdown run, and BYU took a 24-7 halftime lead.
BYU cornerback Tom Holmoe
Tom Holmoe
Thomas Allen Holmoe is the current athletic director at Brigham Young University. He is a former college and professional American football defensive back and coach.-College:...
intercepted a Washington State pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown, as BYU made it 31-7, early in the third quarter. Washington State running back Matt LaBonne scored on an 18 yard touchdown run pulling WSU to within 31-14. Williams scored on a 5 yard run making it a 31-21 game. Ricky Turner scored on a 13 yard touchdown run making it 31-28 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Jim McMahon fired an 11 yard touchdown pass to Scott Pettis to make it 38-28. Mike Martin
Mike Martin
Mike Martin may refer to:*Mike Martin , minor league baseball player and current head coach for the Florida State University*Mike Martin , former baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs...
scored on a 1 yard touchdown run, and Ricky Turner added a 2 point conversion to make it 38-36. BYU recovered the ensuing onside kick to win the game.