2003 Motor City Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Motor City Bowl was a post-season college football
bowl game
between the and the on December 26, 2003, at Ford Field
in Detroit, Michigan
. Northwestern led early after shutting down Bowling Green's running game but Bowling Green made a comeback in the second half led by a strong passing game under quarterback Josh Harris
and won 28–24. It was the seventh time the Motor City Bowl had been played and the final game of the 2003 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams.
The game between the Mid-American Conference
(MAC) team Bowling Green and Big Ten Conference
Northwestern was played at neutral-site Ford Field. As then organized the Motor City Bowl matched a MAC team and a team from either the Big Ten, the Big East Conference
, or an at-large team. Bowling Green accepted a bid for the Motor City Bowl after losing to Miami (OH)
in the MAC Championship Game
. It was Bowling Green's first appearance in a bowl game since the 1992 Las Vegas Bowl
. Northwestern was the first Big Ten team to play in the Motor City Bowl and had not appeared an a bowl game since the 2000 Alamo Bowl
. Bowling Green and Northwestern last played each other on November 17, 2001, a meeting that Bowling Green won 42–43.
The Motor City Bowl was one of two bowl appearances by the MAC; the other was by Miami in the 2003 GMAC Bowl
. Miami defeated 49–28, making the MAC 2–0 in bowl games that year. Unusually for the Motor City Bowl there were two MVPs: Bowling Green quarterback Josh Harris and Northwestern running back Jason Wright. Harris passed for 386 yards, including three touchdown passes, and rushed for Bowling Green's fourth touchdown. Harris' completion record of 38/50 and total offense of 454 yards set Motor City Bowl records. Wright had 21 carries for 237 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown run which was the second-longest in Motor City Bowl history.
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...
between the and the on December 26, 2003, at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. Northwestern led early after shutting down Bowling Green's running game but Bowling Green made a comeback in the second half led by a strong passing game under quarterback Josh Harris
Josh Harris (American football)
Joshua Harris is an American football player who currently plays for the Marion Blue Racers of the Ultimate Indoor Football League.-College career:...
and won 28–24. It was the seventh time the Motor City Bowl had been played and the final game of the 2003 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams.
The game between the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
(MAC) team Bowling Green and Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
Northwestern was played at neutral-site Ford Field. As then organized the Motor City Bowl matched a MAC team and a team from either the Big Ten, the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
, or an at-large team. Bowling Green accepted a bid for the Motor City Bowl after losing to Miami (OH)
2003 Miami RedHawks football team
The 2003 Miami RedHawks football team represented Miami University in the college football season of 2003. They competed in the Mid-American Conference East Division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the football season...
in the MAC Championship Game
MAC Championship Game
The Marathon MAC Football Championship is a football game between the winners of the East and West divisions of the Mid-American Conference to determine the conference champion. The game has been played since 1997, when the conference was first divided into divisions and since 2003 has been...
. It was Bowling Green's first appearance in a bowl game since the 1992 Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas Bowl
The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. since 1992. From 1992 to 1996, matchups featured the champion teams from the Big West and Mid-American...
. Northwestern was the first Big Ten team to play in the Motor City Bowl and had not appeared an a bowl game since the 2000 Alamo Bowl
2000 Alamo Bowl
The 2000 edition to the Alamo Bowl featured the , and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Despite both teams being ranked, it was the biggest blowout in the game's history...
. Bowling Green and Northwestern last played each other on November 17, 2001, a meeting that Bowling Green won 42–43.
The Motor City Bowl was one of two bowl appearances by the MAC; the other was by Miami in the 2003 GMAC Bowl
2003 GMAC Bowl
The 2003 GMAC Bowl was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season, and was the 6th edition. The game took place in December 2003, and featured the , and the Miami RedHawks....
. Miami defeated 49–28, making the MAC 2–0 in bowl games that year. Unusually for the Motor City Bowl there were two MVPs: Bowling Green quarterback Josh Harris and Northwestern running back Jason Wright. Harris passed for 386 yards, including three touchdown passes, and rushed for Bowling Green's fourth touchdown. Harris' completion record of 38/50 and total offense of 454 yards set Motor City Bowl records. Wright had 21 carries for 237 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown run which was the second-longest in Motor City Bowl history.