1989 Holiday Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1989 Holiday Bowl was a college football
bowl game
played December 30, 1989 at Qualcomm Stadium
in San Diego, California
. It was part of the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season
. It featured the Penn State Nittany Lions, and the .
was marching the Cougars toward a game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds when he had the ball stripped by Penn State's Gary Brown
, who returned it 53 yards for a touchdown to seal the Nittany Lion's victory.
Stealing the ball before Detmer could throw it was the only way he could be stopped by the Penn State defense. Detmer completed 42 of 59 passes for 576 yards, all Holiday Bowl records, and shared Offensive MVP honors with Penn State running back Blair Thomas
, who rushed for a Holiday Bowl record 35 times for 186 yards.
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, 1989 at Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
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 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season
1989 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its third National Championship during the 80s, cementing its claim as the decade's top team, winning more titles than any other program....
. It featured the Penn State Nittany Lions, and the .
Game summary
BYU quarterback Ty DetmerTy Detmer
Ty Hubert Detmer is a former National Football League and NCAA quarterback. He starred at Brigham Young University, where he set many records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1990...
was marching the Cougars toward a game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds when he had the ball stripped by Penn State's Gary Brown
Gary Brown
Gary Leroy Brown is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the eighth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He is currently the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns. A 5'11", 230-lb...
, who returned it 53 yards for a touchdown to seal the Nittany Lion's victory.
Stealing the ball before Detmer could throw it was the only way he could be stopped by the Penn State defense. Detmer completed 42 of 59 passes for 576 yards, all Holiday Bowl records, and shared Offensive MVP honors with Penn State running back Blair Thomas
Blair Thomas
Blair Lamar Thomas is a former professional American football player and coach. He played running back for six seasons in the National Football League. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.-High school:Thomas was an all-state football player at Frankford High School...
, who rushed for a Holiday Bowl record 35 times for 186 yards.