Holiday Bowl Recap

(17) TEXAS 52, (12) ARIZONA ST 34 ---------------------------------
SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Colt McCoy and Jamaal Charles led a quick-strike offense as No. 17 Texas posted a 52-34 over 12th-ranked Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl on Thursday. McCoy passed for 174 yards and a touchdown and ran for 89 yards and another score while Charles rushed for 162 yards and two TDs.

A record-setting 21-point first quarter set the stage for what was a mostly dominant performance for Texas in its fourth Holiday Bowl appearance - and second victory - in seven years. The prolific Longhorns offense started off the contest by scoring the fastest touchdown in the game's 30-year history, marching 51 yards in 1:21 to build a 7-0 advantage.

They followed that scoring drive with an even faster one when John Chiles ran four yards for a touchdown to cap a two-play drive that took 20 seconds that was highlighted by a 48-yard scamper by Charles to increase the lead to 14-0. Charles followed with a 15-yard touchdown to make the score 21-0 with 1:30 remaining in the first. The three scoring drives by the Texas took a combined 2:18.

Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter hit Chris McGaha with a 7-yard strike to pull within 21-7 with 11:06 remaining in the second and later hooked up with Michael Jones on a 22-yard strike to cut the lead to 35-20.

But Texas' Vondrell McGee's 22-yard touchdown run with 11:03 left padded the advantage to 45-20. Carpenter completed 18-of-36 passes for 187 yards with two interceptions, but did throw a pair of touchdowns to keep the game within reach.

Danny Sullivan relieved Carpenter and completed half of his 14 passes for 117 yards with a TD and interception. Dimitri Nance managed just 48 yards on 18 carries in his first start for the Sun Devils, who struggled badly running the ball, finishing with 22 yards on 27 carries.

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Prediction

By Mike King
Associated Content

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
San Diego, CA, Qualcomm Stadium, Dec. 27, 5 p.m., ESPN HD

Arizona State (10-2), Pac-10 No. 2

vs.

Texas (9-3), Big-12 No. 4

Arizona State had a great season under new head coach Dennis Erickson. If that name sounds familiar, it is because he has had a lot of success at many college programs. Arizona State was snubbed a BCS birth in their hometown when the Fiesta bowl passed on them. This was not that shocking since the Pac-10 conference notoriously is snubbed by the BCS. The two things Texas and ASU lack is a real quality win against a top tier team. Both have great records but lost the big games they needed to win throughout the year. That will have to give in this great match-up.

Winner: Arizona State 31, Texas 26

7Things You Do Not Know About...

7 Things You Do Not Know About the Holiday Bowl & Bowl Games
By Toni Herrera
Holiday Bowl

1) Each player receives a gift package.
Last year each player from the participating universities received a gift package conssiting of a Sony Mylo personal communicator, Sony Style gift card, Tommy Hilfiger watch, Hooded sweatshirt, and a baseball cap.
2) The Holiday Bowl is proud owner of the "Big Flag."
It is one of the largest ceremonial American Flags in the United States and is 100 by 50 yards (45,000 sq. feet) and covers one entire football field when fully deployed. The Big Flag has been presented at the Super Bowl, World Series and numerous NFL, NCAA and MLB events. The Big Flag weighs 850 pounds and a minimum of 250 people is required to unfurl it.

3) The Bowls are a production of a full-time staff of 10 and over 700 dedicated volunteers.
Staff and volunteers produce a year round festival of over 40 events: an Outrigger Challenge, 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament, Golf Tournament, Hole-In-One Shootout, and the Big Bay Balloon Parade and more.

4) Holiday/Poinsettia Bowl Executive Director is a familiar voice to San Diego.
Bruce Binkowski, Executive Director of the Holiday and Poinsettia Bowls has been the Public Address Announcer for the Sea World Dolphin Show, San Diego Padres, San Diego Chargers, SDSU Aztecs, San Diego Clippers, San Diego Sockers, World Team Tennis, World Series', All-Star game, Japan Bowl and Super Bowls. Bruce Binkowski was the first employee of the Bowl in 1978.
5) Bowl games are everywhere.
Last season twenty-seven communities throughout the U.S. and Canada hosted thirty-two post-season college football bowl games where some 6,400 student-athletes, 12,900 college band members, 1,200 cheerleaders, up to 100,000 additional performers and about 1.6 million fans took part in the “college bowl experience.”

6) A typical day for a player during bowl week.
6:15 Wake Up Call
7:00 Breakfast
7:45 Begin taping
8:30 Special Teams Meetings
10:00 Practice
2:00 Arrive at Sea World
4:30 Ronald McDonald House Visit
6:30 Dinner
8:00 Training Room Treatments
12:00 Curfew

7) Division IA universities and host cities benefit the most from bowls.
Most of the bowls are non-profit 501(c) (3) organizations setup by the host communities to manage and promote the bowls, which of course benefit these communities through economic impact and exposure. However, financially the bowls are setup to primarily benefit the universities that participate in the game and their conference partners.

7 Things You Do Not Know About...

7 Things You Do Not Know About the Holiday Bowl & Bowl Games
By Toni Herrera
Holiday Bowl

1) Each player receives a gift package.

Last year each player from the participating universities received a gift package conssiting of a Sony Mylo personal communicator, Sony Style gift card, Tommy Hilfiger watch, Hooded sweatshirt, and a baseball cap.

2) The Holiday Bowl is proud owner of the "Big Flag."
It is one of the largest ceremonial American Flags in the United States and is 100 by 50 yards (45,000 sq. feet) and covers one entire football field when fully deployed. The Big Flag has been presented at the Super Bowl, World Series and numerous NFL, NCAA and MLB events. The Big Flag weighs 850 pounds and a minimum of 250 people is required to unfurl it.

3) The Bowls are a production of a full-time staff of 10 and over 700 dedicated volunteers.

Staff and volunteers produce a year round festival of over 40 events: an Outrigger Challenge, 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament, Golf Tournament, Hole-In-One Shootout, and the Big Bay Balloon Parade and more.

4) Holiday/Poinsettia Bowl Executive Director is a familiar voice to San Diego.

Bruce Binkowski, Executive Director of the Holiday and Poinsettia Bowls has been the Public Address Announcer for the Sea World Dolphin Show, San Diego Padres, San Diego Chargers, SDSU Aztecs, San Diego Clippers, San Diego Sockers, World Team Tennis, World Series', All-Star game, Japan Bowl and Super Bowls. Bruce Binkowski was the first employee of the Bowl in 1978.

5) Bowl games are everywhere.

Last season twenty-seven communities throughout the U.S. and Canada hosted thirty-two post-season college football bowl games where some 6,400 student-athletes, 12,900 college band members, 1,200 cheerleaders, up to 100,000 additional performers and about 1.6 million fans took part in the “college bowl experience.”

6) A typical day for a player during bowl week.

6:15 Wake Up Call

7:00 Breakfast

7:45 Begin taping

8:30 Special Teams Meetings

10:00 Practice

2:00 Arrive at Sea World

4:30 Ronald McDonald House Visit

6:30 Dinner

8:00 Training Room Treatments

12:00 Curfew

7) Division IA universities and host cities benefit the most from bowls.

Most of the bowls are non-profit 501(c) (3) organizations setup by the host communities to manage and promote the bowls, which of course benefit these communities through economic impact and exposure. However, financially the bowls are setup to primarily benefit the universities that participate in the game and their conference partners.

For tickets to the 2007 Holiday Bowl on December 27, visit holidaybowl.com.

Pacific Life Holiday Features ASU & Texas

SAN DIEGO - The Arizona State Sun Devils (No. 11 BCS, No. 12 AP) will play the Texas Longhorns (No. 19 BCS, No. 17 AP) in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on December 27, 5 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium. It will be the first meeting between ASU and Texas.

The Sun Devils (10-2) had hoped to play in the Bowl Championship Series' Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., but they will travel to San Diego for the third time to participate in the the Holiday Bowl. Texas (9-3) comes to the Holiday Bowl for the fourth time in eight years.

First-year Arizona State Coach Dennis Erickson has made the Sun Devils a BCS-caliber team. With USC heading to the Rose Bowl as the Pacific-10 Conference champion, the Holiday Bowl was obligated by contract to take the runner-up Sun Devils.