1984 Holiday Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1984 Holiday Bowl was one of the games that determined the national championship in college football
for the 1984 season
. Played on December 21, 1984 at Jack Murphy Stadium
in San Diego, California
, it pitted the BYU Cougars against the Michigan Wolverines
; BYU won the game, 24-17. The attendance of 61,248 was a record for Jack Murphy Stadium at that time.
(WAC), was obligated to play in the Holiday Bowl
which was not one of the top-tier bowls. As such, the young bowl would not automatically draw a high-caliber opponent for the WAC champion. Many of the poll voters were reluctant to crown a WAC team as national champion, because of the unconventional style of football being played at that time in the WAC, relying more heavily on the pass than was prevalent among the more traditional teams in larger conferences, and the perception that the difficulty of the WAC schedule was weak compared to those of the major powers with losses to highly ranked opponents.
The Holiday Bowl attempted to match BYU with teams such as the Washington Huskies or the Oklahoma Sooners, both of whom had claimed a right to the national championship. However, both of these schools eventually decided that it was in their best interest to not challenge BYU for the title, but rather to settle for the increased money from a more prestigious bowl and a victory over a highly-regarded opponent who had played a tougher schedule. Many of the other major programs also decided to play in larger bowls to bring in more revenue for their respective programs. Eventually, the Holiday Bowl picked the Michigan Wolverines to play BYU with the national title possibly on the line for Brigham Young University. However, with only a 6-5 record, the Wolverines were not the sort of opponent that BYU had hoped to be playing in their bowl game, despite the Wolverines long, storied history. The Wolverines managed to give BYU a tough game, but BYU won the game by a score of 24-17 and would later be awarded the consensus national championship after all of the other bowl games had been completed.
threw an interception. On the second drive, Bosco was carried off the field after a roughing the passer penalty led to a knee ligament strain, this injury would plague him throughout his Pro career. He was replaced by Blaine Fowler, who came in with the game still scoreless. Fowler’s first pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage. On his second play, Fowler threw a short pass for a first down on 3rd and 2. The Cougars eventually punted.
Michigan’s next possession ended in an attempted punt. The BYU defenders however penetrated too quickly and the punter had no time to punt and tackled out of bounds on the 5 yard line. On the ensuing possession, Bosco fumbled the ball into the endzone on 3rd and goal from the 3 and Michigan recovered for a touchback.
Michigan responded by driving down for a touchdown. They were aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct call against BYU
, and later a running into the kicker
penalty after Michigan had kicked a field goal. Rodgers scored for Michigan on a 5 yard run to tie the game at 7-7. BYU took the ball deep in their own territory, ran the 2 minute drill, and kicked a field goal with 4 seconds left in the half to take a 10-7 lead into halftime.
to intercept it. After a Michigan punt, BYU committed another turnover when Bosco was stripped by Jim Scarcelli. Michigan recovered the fumble.
With 3:20 to play in the third, a field goal
attempt by Lee Johnson was blocked. After the block, Michigan drove down and scored on a TD pass from Chris Zurrburgg to Bob Perryman
, giving them a 14-10 lead. The ensuing kickoff was bobbled by Via Sikahema who was then tackled on the 5 yard line. BYU then fumbled again a few plays later and Michigan recovered with 6 seconds remaining in the third quarter. This was BYU’s fifth turnover of the game.
comebacks.
BYU drove the length of the field and scored with 10:51 remaining on a 7 yard Bosco to Glenn Kozlowski TD pass to tie the game 17-17.
After a Michigan punt
, BYU took possession but another Bosco pass was intercepted after it went off the hand of Glenn Kozlowski and into the hands of Jim Scarcelli. BYU then force yet another Michigan punt. Finally, BYU drove the length of the field and scored on a pass from an injured Bosco to Kelly Smith with 1:23 remaining. Marv Allen, who also played in the very first Holiday Bowl as a redshirt freshman in 1978, sealed the victory with an interception.
and UPI/Coaches' polls, though they had to wait nearly a week for the final results. The reason for the wait was because the 1984 Holiday Bowl marked the only time in college football history that the eventual national champion played its bowl game in December.
Controversy continued after the bowl season among supporters of the Washington Huskies who believed that they had been deprived of a national championship, despite having turned down the opportunity to play in the Holiday Bowl for monetary reasons and because if they defeated BYU and Oklahoma went on to win the Orange Bowl, pollsters could have selected Oklahoma as the National Champion. As a result BYU would be pitted against a formidable opponent in the Kickoff Classic
to open the 1985 season. They would face the Boston College Eagles
, who had finished the previous season ranked 4th and 5th in the UPI and AP polls, respectively. Brigham Young won the Kickoff Classic over Boston College, who had lost their QB Doug Flutie and finished with a 5-8 record that season, by a score of 28-14. Two weeks later they would also face the Washington Huskies, who had finished the previous season ranked immediately behind Brigham Young at #2 in both major polls, and had been one of the more vocal detractors of the previous years official outcome. Brigham Young would also go on to win that match-up by a lop-sided score of 31-3. The Brigham Young Cougars 25-game winning streak which had begun on September 17, 1983 came to an end against UCLA on September 7, 1985, when they lost by a margin of 3 points, 27-24 to the Bruins.
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...
for the 1984 season
1984 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Brigham Young University winning their first national championship by beating an unranked Michigan team in the Holiday Bowl...
. Played on December 21, 1984 at Jack Murphy 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 pitted the BYU Cougars against the Michigan Wolverines
1984 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1984 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1984 college football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler...
; BYU won the game, 24-17. The attendance of 61,248 was a record for Jack Murphy Stadium at that time.
National championship
At the conclusion of the 1984 college football season, BYU was the only undefeated team in Division I-A. As such, BYU was the leading candidate to win the national championship if it were to win its bowl game. However, BYU, as champion of the Western Athletic ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
(WAC), was obligated to play in the Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
which was not one of the top-tier bowls. As such, the young bowl would not automatically draw a high-caliber opponent for the WAC champion. Many of the poll voters were reluctant to crown a WAC team as national champion, because of the unconventional style of football being played at that time in the WAC, relying more heavily on the pass than was prevalent among the more traditional teams in larger conferences, and the perception that the difficulty of the WAC schedule was weak compared to those of the major powers with losses to highly ranked opponents.
The Holiday Bowl attempted to match BYU with teams such as the Washington Huskies or the Oklahoma Sooners, both of whom had claimed a right to the national championship. However, both of these schools eventually decided that it was in their best interest to not challenge BYU for the title, but rather to settle for the increased money from a more prestigious bowl and a victory over a highly-regarded opponent who had played a tougher schedule. Many of the other major programs also decided to play in larger bowls to bring in more revenue for their respective programs. Eventually, the Holiday Bowl picked the Michigan Wolverines to play BYU with the national title possibly on the line for Brigham Young University. However, with only a 6-5 record, the Wolverines were not the sort of opponent that BYU had hoped to be playing in their bowl game, despite the Wolverines long, storied history. The Wolverines managed to give BYU a tough game, but BYU won the game by a score of 24-17 and would later be awarded the consensus national championship after all of the other bowl games had been completed.
First quarter
BYU’s first drive ended when Robbie BoscoRobbie Bosco
Robbie Bosco is most widely known as an American football quarterback at Brigham Young University. Bosco is a native of Roseville, California....
threw an interception. On the second drive, Bosco was carried off the field after a roughing the passer penalty led to a knee ligament strain, this injury would plague him throughout his Pro career. He was replaced by Blaine Fowler, who came in with the game still scoreless. Fowler’s first pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage. On his second play, Fowler threw a short pass for a first down on 3rd and 2. The Cougars eventually punted.
Second quarter
Robbie Bosco returned on BYU’s next possession. Bosco led the Cougars to their first touchdown of the game, a TD run by Kelly Smith with 8:33 remaining in the second quarter. Besides throwing several passes, Bosco also made a gutsy scramble for a first down.Michigan’s next possession ended in an attempted punt. The BYU defenders however penetrated too quickly and the punter had no time to punt and tackled out of bounds on the 5 yard line. On the ensuing possession, Bosco fumbled the ball into the endzone on 3rd and goal from the 3 and Michigan recovered for a touchback.
Michigan responded by driving down for a touchdown. They were aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct call against BYU
BYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
, and later a running into the kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
penalty after Michigan had kicked a field goal. Rodgers scored for Michigan on a 5 yard run to tie the game at 7-7. BYU took the ball deep in their own territory, ran the 2 minute drill, and kicked a field goal with 4 seconds left in the half to take a 10-7 lead into halftime.
Third quarter
On BYU’s Opening Possession of the second half. Bosco’s pass went off the fingertips of Lakei Hemilu and caused Michigan’s Mike MalloryMike Mallory
Mike Mallory is a former American football linebacker who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1982 to 1985. He was the Most Valuable Player for the 1984 Wolverines team and was a finalist for the Butkus Award in 1985...
to intercept it. After a Michigan punt, BYU committed another turnover when Bosco was stripped by Jim Scarcelli. Michigan recovered the fumble.
With 3:20 to play in the third, a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
attempt by Lee Johnson was blocked. After the block, Michigan drove down and scored on a TD pass from Chris Zurrburgg to Bob Perryman
Bob Perryman
Robert Lewis Perryman, Jr. is a former professional American football running back who played six seasons in the National Football League, four for the New England Patriots and two for the Denver Broncos, from 1987 to 1992. He played college football at the University of Michigan and was drafted...
, giving them a 14-10 lead. The ensuing kickoff was bobbled by Via Sikahema who was then tackled on the 5 yard line. BYU then fumbled again a few plays later and Michigan recovered with 6 seconds remaining in the third quarter. This was BYU’s fifth turnover of the game.
Fourth quarter
BYU’s Defense held, forcing Michigan to settle for a field goal despite advancing the ball to the 10 yard line. This gave the Wolverines a 17-10 lead and thus setting up another BYU epic Holiday Bowl comeback as in the 1980 and 19831983 Holiday Bowl
The 1983 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 23, 1983 in San Diego, California. It was part of the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the ninth ranked BYU Cougars, and the unranked Missouri Tigers....
comebacks.
BYU drove the length of the field and scored with 10:51 remaining on a 7 yard Bosco to Glenn Kozlowski TD pass to tie the game 17-17.
After a Michigan punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
, BYU took possession but another Bosco pass was intercepted after it went off the hand of Glenn Kozlowski and into the hands of Jim Scarcelli. BYU then force yet another Michigan punt. Finally, BYU drove the length of the field and scored on a pass from an injured Bosco to Kelly Smith with 1:23 remaining. Marv Allen, who also played in the very first Holiday Bowl as a redshirt freshman in 1978, sealed the victory with an interception.
Questionable calls
- In the first quarter the play was blown dead as BYU’s Leon WhiteLeon White (football player)-College career:He played college football for four years at Brigham Young University and was on the unbeaten 1984 National Championship team.-References:...
stripped Michigan’s running back and returned it for a would-have-been touchdownTouchdownA touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. - In the second quarter, the referees ruled that a Michigan fumbleFumbleA fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
recovered by Kyle Morrell was out of bounds. TV cameras showed that the ball was still in bounds when it was recovered. Upset BYU players were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and Michigan went on to score a touchdown. - In the third quarter, Bosco threw a twenty yard pass to David MillsDavid MillsDavid Mills is an American atheist author who argues that science and religion are inherently opposed to each other and cannot be successfully reconciled . He is best known for his book Atheist Universe which was published in 2004...
that was ruled incomplete for touching the ground. However, replay clearly showed it was a catch. BYU was forced to attempt a long field goal which was then blocked.
Aftermath
Michigan finished the 1984 season with a mediocre 6-6 overall record following their Holiday Bowl loss. However, Brigham Young's 2-year spanning win-streak, their position as the lone undefeated team in the nation that year, and their ability to defeat a traditional powerhouse in a bowl game was enough to sway the voters. The Cougars were at the top of both the APAP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and UPI/Coaches' polls, though they had to wait nearly a week for the final results. The reason for the wait was because the 1984 Holiday Bowl marked the only time in college football history that the eventual national champion played its bowl game in December.
Controversy continued after the bowl season among supporters of the Washington Huskies who believed that they had been deprived of a national championship, despite having turned down the opportunity to play in the Holiday Bowl for monetary reasons and because if they defeated BYU and Oklahoma went on to win the Orange Bowl, pollsters could have selected Oklahoma as the National Champion. As a result BYU would be pitted against a formidable opponent in the Kickoff Classic
Kickoff Classic
The Kickoff Classic was a season-opening college football game played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey from 1983 to 2002.-History:...
to open the 1985 season. They would face the Boston College Eagles
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
, who had finished the previous season ranked 4th and 5th in the UPI and AP polls, respectively. Brigham Young won the Kickoff Classic over Boston College, who had lost their QB Doug Flutie and finished with a 5-8 record that season, by a score of 28-14. Two weeks later they would also face the Washington Huskies, who had finished the previous season ranked immediately behind Brigham Young at #2 in both major polls, and had been one of the more vocal detractors of the previous years official outcome. Brigham Young would also go on to win that match-up by a lop-sided score of 31-3. The Brigham Young Cougars 25-game winning streak which had begun on September 17, 1983 came to an end against UCLA on September 7, 1985, when they lost by a margin of 3 points, 27-24 to the Bruins.