Bruce Binkowski, former executive director of the San Diego Bowl Game Association, has been named honorary chairman of the 2015 National Funding Holiday Bowl. The title is awarded annually to an individual who has contributed to San Diego sports and society in a meaningful way. Binkowski will also serve as grand marshal of the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade presented by U.S. Bank.
Binkowski, a South County resident, has been an integral part of the bowl tradition in San Diego since the Holiday Bowl’s inception in 1978 and was the first paid employee of the annual bowl game. After 37 years of service — the last 14 as executive director — Binkowski is retiring from the San Diego Bowl Game Association. The SDBGA is the nonprofit group that produces San Diego’s annual post-season college football bowl games — the Holiday Bowl and the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.
Binkowski was honored earlier this year with a lifetime achievement award by the San Diego Hall of Champions. His many accomplishments include overseeing and directing the launch of the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl in 2005, an event that is credited with generating more than $85 million in economic benefit for the San Diego region since its inception. During his tenure, the two bowls have combined to contribute over $730 million to the local economy.
Well-known around town for his time as the public address voice of the Chargers, Padres and Aztecs, Binkowski has been part of some of the most exciting sporting events in San Diego’s history. Before his time with the bowl games, Binkowski had his hands in nearly every sports franchise to come through San Diego: the NBA San Diego Rockets, hockey’s San Diego Gulls and Mariners, the American Basketball Association’s San Diego Conquistadors, and the NBA’s San Diego Clippers.
Add in his time as morning news sports host with KSDO and KOGO radio stations, and anyone would be hard-pressed to find a person more ingrained in the local sports community.
Binkowski is a native San Diegan, having attended University City High School, San Diego City College and the University of San Diego.
This year’s Holiday Bowl, featuring the USC Trojans (8-5) and the Wisconsin Badgers (9-3), kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 30 (ESPN) at Qualcomm Stadium. Tickets are available at sandiegobowlgames.com. The Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade presented by U.S. Bank takes place at 10 a.m. on Dec. 30.
This year’s Poinsettia Bowl, pitting Boise State (8-4) and Northern Illinois (8-5), is scheduled Dec. 23 at 1:30 p.m.
Eleventh annual Poinsettia Bowl game matches Boise State and Northern Illinois
The Boise State University Broncos and the Northern Illinois University Huskies have both accepted an invitation to play in the 11th annual San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. It marks the second appearance in the San Diego bowl game for the Broncos and the third for the Huskies. It will be the first time these two teams have met on the gridiron.
The Poinsettia Bowl kicks off at 1:30 p.m. PST on Wednesday, Dec. 23 at Qualcomm Stadium and will be televised on ESPN. This year the game will be followed by the inaugural fireworks show, Stadium Spectacular, a first-of-its-kind display featuring pyrotechnics never before seen in North America.
The Broncos finished the regular season 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West. The NIU Huskies are the MAC West Division Champions, finishing 8-5 on the year and 6-2 in conference.
“Boise State and Northern Illinois have been at the top or near the top of their conferences for many years now,” Executive Director of the San Diego Bowl Games Mark Neville announced said. “They both play a very exciting brand of football that will be fun to watch here in San Diego. Fans can expect lots of fireworks at Qualcomm Stadium on December 23rd.”
Boise State is making its 14th-consecutive bowl appearance, a streak that ranks tied for sixth nationally. Included in the streak is a previous trip to the Poinsettia Bowl, when the Broncos, ranked ninth-nationally at the time, squared off against 11th-ranked TCU in the 2008 edition of the game.
The Broncos are one of only two teams in the country to rank in the national top 25 in both total offense (488.8) and total defense (342.1), joining Clemson on the list. Boise State also ranks 16th nationally in scoring offense (37.8) and 26th nationally in scoring defense (21.3).
Boise State placed 13 individuals on All-Mountain West Teams in 2015, including six on the First Team – freshman quarterback Brett Rypien, junior wide receiver Thomas Sperbeck, redshirt senior offensive linemen Marcus Henry and Rees Odhiambo, redshirt senior safety Darian Thompson and redshirt junior kicker Tyler Rausa.
Sperbeck led the MW in both receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,334), establishing a Boise State record in the latter statistical category. Thompson set the Mountain West’s career interceptions record in 2015, hauling in five on the season to bring his career total to 19.
Sophomore running back Jeremy McNichols, a second-team All-MW selection this season, is tied with Alabama running back Derrick Henry for the national lead with 23 total touchdowns, while Rausa, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, is the nation’s fourth-highest-scoring kicker, ranking 10th-nationally overall with 10.1 points per game.
“We’ve been to some first-class bowl games throughout the years, and this is definitely one of them,” Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin explained. “The Poinsettia Bowl offers a great experience for our student-athletes and fans, and we are excited to be making the trip to San Diego.”
NIU made its sixth straight appearance in the Marathon Mid-American Conference Championship game at Ford Field in Detroit last Friday night, dropping a 34-14 decision to Bowling Green. The Huskies have played more games over the last six seasons than any team in the nation with three MAC championships and a pair of bowl wins during that time.
The 2015 Huskies overcame a loss in its first league game of the season with six straight victories, including wins over No. 20 Toledo (32-27) and Western Michigan (27-19), to earn the MAC West title.
Offensively, NIU has been led by first team All-MAC tailback Joel Bouagnon, who has rushed for 1,269 yards on 275 carries with 18 touchdowns this season. With three different quarterbacks starting games after junior Drew Hare went down in the Toledo game and back-up Ryan Graham was injured in the regular season finale versus Ohio, NIU has relied on its senior leaders on the offensive line where center Andrew Ness and guard Aidan Conlon, both first team All-MAC selections, have started a school record and nation-leading 55 consecutive games. Wide receiver Kenny Golladay leads the receiving corps with 71 catches for 1,122 yards and 10 touchdowns, while kickoff return man Aregeros Turner was named the league’s Special Teams Player of the Year.
The Huskie defense features sophomore cornerback Shawun Lurry, the national leader in interceptions with nine, and in interception return yards (273). Lurry and leading tackler Boomer Mays (108 tackles), who made a career-high 16 stops in the MAC Championship game, as well as defensive end Perez Ford (five sacks) were all first team all-league choices. NIU led the MAC with eight first team all-conference selections.
The NIU defense has 21 interceptions as a team on defense. On offense, the team has scored 56 touchdowns to their opponents’ 38.
“The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl is a first-class bowl and we’re very excited to go back out to San Diego and play a quality opponent in Boise State,” NIU head coach Rod Carey noted. “We look forward to having the opportunity to send our seniors out the right way. This group of seniors has played in four straight MAC Championships, with two victories, and now in four straight bowl games. I know they will be focused on ending their careers on a high note.”
Tickets for the 2015 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl can be purchased by calling TicketMaster at 1-800-745-3000, or by visiting SanDiegoBowlGames.com. Fans can also purchase tickets at Qualcomm Stadium, Window B.
Wisconsin Badgers to face reigning Holiday Bowl champion USC Trojans
The University of Southern California Trojans and the University of Wisconsin Badgers have accepted invitations to play in the 38th annual Holiday Bowl. It marks the first trip to the Holiday Bowl for the Badgers who will face the reigning 2014 Holiday Bowl champion Trojans, who will be making their second appearance in the bowl game.
The Holiday Bowl kicks off at 7:30 pm PST, Wednesday, Dec. 30 at Qualcomm Stadium and will be televised on ESPN.
This is the 18th consecutive appearance by a Pac-12 school in the Holiday Bowl. A Big Ten Conference team returns for the second time since 1994. In last year’s Holiday Bowl, the Nebraska Cornhuskers staged a valiant comeback effort against the USC Trojans, but were edged out 45-42.
Wisconsin finished the regular season 9-3, with a 6-2 conference record that was good for third in the Big Ten West Division. The Badgers are making their 14th-consecutive bowl appearance, the longest active streak in the Big Ten and tied for the sixth-longest streak in the country.
On offense, UW is led by senior quarterback Joel Stave, who has been at the helm for 30 wins during his career, which ties the school record. He ranks second in Wisconsin history in career passing yards, touchdowns, completions and attempts. Stave’s main target this year has been senior wide receiver Alex Erickson, a first-team All-Big Ten choice. Erickson’s 72 catches is second-best in the Big Ten and he needs 76 more yards to become just the fourth player in UW history with 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
The Badgers enter the Holiday Bowl with the top-ranked scoring defense in the country, allowing just 13.1 points per game. Wisconsin also ranks among the top five nationally in pass efficiency defense (second), first downs allowed (second), total defense (third) and rushing defense (fourth). Senior Joe Schobert was named the Big Ten’s Linebacker of the Year and is tied for seventh nationally with 18.5 tackles for loss this year.
“The Holiday Bowl and San Diego are a great destination for our team and fans,” Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst said. “I know first-hand what San Diego has to offer from my days with the Chargers and know that our team will have a wonderful experience. It’s a new experience for our fans and one I am confident they will enjoy.”
Pac-12 South Division champion USC, 8-5 overall, has won five of its last eight games since Clay Helton was named interim head coach on Oct. 12 and then permanent head coach two weeks ago.
Unitas and Senior CLASS Award finalist QB Cody Kessler, who is in USC’s all-time top four in touchdowon passes, completions, passing yards and total offense (above Matt Leinart’s school career records for completion percentage and interception rate), guides an offense that is averaging nearly 450 total yards and 35 points a game. His main target is WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, who is in the Top 15 nationally in receiving yards and receiving TDs. Steady TB Justin Davis and Freshman All-American candidate TB Ronald Jones II, who owns the USC freshman season rushing record formerly held by Heisman winner Charles White, are both within range of the season 1,000-yard rushing mark. Jones is among 15 USC true freshmen to have played in 2015 (6 have started).
USC’s defense has been winning the turnover battle (plus-0.9, including 14 takeaways since Helton took over), is 15th in the nation in sacks (27 under Helton) and has 5 defensive scores this year. The defense is led by OLB Su’a Cravens and 3-way star CB-WR-RET Adoree’ Jackson (the only player in the country with 300 yards receiving, 500 yards in kick runbacks, 200 punt return yards and 20 tackles), a Hornung Award finalist who has scored TDs via a reception, an interception, a kick return and a punt return.
The Trojans are among the nation’s premier bowl teams, with an overall post-season record of 33-16 (not including one win and one loss later vacated due to NCAA penalty). USC has lost just twice in its past 11 bowl games.
“We are thrilled to be able to go back to the Holiday Bowl and play an outstanding Big Ten team like Wisconsin. All of us at USC had such a wonderful experience last year in San Diego and we thank the Holiday Bowl committee for inviting us back,” said Head Coach Clay Helton.
“We will bring a motivated Trojan team that is anxious to finish the 2015 season on a high note, and they especially want to do so for our seniors and our fans,” Helton said “We know we’ll have a challenging opponent in Wisconsin, a team USC last played nearly 50 years ago. The Badgers have an unbelievable defense, leading the nation in points allowed and ranking third in total defense, so we will have to be on our game.
“Last year, we had an overwhelming turnout of Trojan fans at the Holiday Bowl and they were a key factor in our victory, and we expect a similar turnout this year. It’s a chance for our fans to spend the week after Christmas with us in the great city of San Diego, participate in all the fun activities the bowl puts on, and cap it off by watching their Trojans play in what should be a very exciting game.”
Tickets for the 2015 Holiday Bowl can be purchased by calling TicketMaster at 1-800-745-3000, or by visiting SanDiegoBowlGames.com. Fans can also purchase tickets at Qualcomm Stadium, Window B, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SDSU Football continues bowl preparation in Hawaii
Aztecs conduct first practice of bowl week
The San Diego State football team battled the elements at its first practice of Sheraton Hawaii Bowl week and got a taste of Hawaiian culture at a Royal Hawaiian Luau in its first full day in Honolulu on Sunday.
Intermittent rain and wind with gusts up to 45 miles per hour were featured at the Aztecs’ practice, which was held at the University of Hawaii.
“We got all the way through practice and it’s probably good that we’re practicing in the alternating wind, rain and sunshine,” head coach Rocky Long said. “(The weather) might be like that on game day. (The team) seemed like they had enough energy and I thought practice went well, so that’s encouraging.”
“(Practice) was good,” junior Aztec (safety) Malik Smith said. “We started off kind of slow because of the weather, but guys had to adapt to it.”
Despite the vacillating weather, Smith liked what he saw in practice. “It was a serious practice,” he said. “We want to win this (bowl game). Overall, I think it was a good day.”
“It feels great to be out here,” senior running back Chase Price said. “We’re going at full speed in practice, trying to get everything in order as far as the game and just really trying to grind out here. We want to get our offense back in full rhythm to get everything back to the way it was at our championship level. It’s exciting.”
The Aztecs then had a chance to explore Honolulu and enjoy all that Waikiki Beach has to offer.
“Just to be out here, the energy out here, it’s beautiful,” Price said. “We’re blessed to be here.”
San Diego State’s evening featured a visit to Waikiki’s only oceanfront luau and dinner show at The Royal Hawaiian, which commemorated Hawaiian culture with entertainment alongside a delicious and traditional Hawaiian meal.
On Monday, the Aztecs were scheduled to practice at the University of Hawaii, then attend a tour of Pearl Harbor.
San Diego State (10-3) plays Cincinnati (7-5) on Thursday (Dec. 24). The Aztecs have won their last nine games, the third-longest active streak in the nation. SDSU finished a perfect 8-0 record in the Mountain West regular season and defeated Air Force, 27-24, in the 2015 Sports Authority MW Championship for the school’s 20th conference title.
San Diego State is one of just 25 schools to advance to six straight bowl games and one of just three “Group of 5” programs.
Tickets for the Hawaii Bowl are on sale now and available for $45 with no limit on the amount of tickets allowed to be purchased. Season-ticket holders will be given priority seat placement (by points). Additionally, a special ticket and tailgate combo is available for $70. Fans also have the opportunity to sponsor a spirit squad member, a member of the military or a youth for $45.
Tickets are available through GoAztecs.com, Qualcomm Window E or by calling (619) 283-7378.
