I remember listening to the first Holiday Bowl game on radio in 1978. It was a big deal back then for a major bowl game to be launched in America’s Finest City. That one of the opponents represented the U. S. Naval Academy added a definite “local” touch.
As history would record it, Navy defeated BYU, the representative from the Western Athletic Conference, by a score of 23-16 in front of 52,500 fans at San Diego Stadium.
The game earned its moniker as “America’s Most Exciting Bowl Game” from the very start as Navy rallied from a 16-3 deficit with 20 unanswered points, including a 65-yard touchdown catch by Midshipmen MVP Phil McConkey. It was a big event with a crowd that could likely only topped in a Chargers NFL game.
I watched SDSU play in the 1986 bowl against Iowa on TV. The game once again featured a nail-biting finish with the Aztecs coming up on the short end of a 39-38 final score. SDSU had taken a 38-36 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Kevin Rahill with 47 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. But the 19th-ranked Hawkeyes stormed back on a 48-yard kickoff return to position Iowa’s Rob Houghtlin for a game-winning 41-yard field goal in the waning seconds.
It was only a few more years before I started covering the bowl game from a media perspective; I have seen quite a few seemingly miraculous comebacks over that time span.
I’ve also seen the University of Southern California Trojans play in four Holiday Bowl games, the latest in Wednesday’s DirectTV match-up against the Louisville Cardinals. The Trojans are no longer the power they were in recent decades but still possess a large following, especially when playing close to home.
Call it a mystique. It’s the same with UCLA.
I’ve covered SDSU football for more than 30 years. There is no equivalent mystique there as much as the Aztecs would wish it, though they remain the region’s most watched team after the Padres.
There is no equivalent to “Conquest,” the USC band’s processional march and fight song. There is no equivalent to Tommy Trojan nor Traveler, the hero’s white Andalusian horse and official mascot of the university.
Planting a sword in the grass? That’s got to be worth a lot more “no equivalent” points.
USC celebrates with the 2023 Holiday Bowl championship trophy. Photos by Phillip Brents
The multitude of USC fans among the announced crowd of 35,317 had plenty to cheer for following an early touchdown by the No. 16 Cardinals, a one-yard run by Isaac Guerendo. A missed field goal by the Trojans was followed by a fumble recovery by USC at the Louisville 19-yard line.
It took three plays before Tahj Washington flew into the end zone on the strength of a 17-yard pass reception from quarterback Miller Moss.
The extra-point conversion tied the 44th annual game 7-all.
USC (8-5) added a five-play, 80-yard scoring drive to take the lead on a 29-yard TD pass from Moss to Washington, the latter’s eighth touchdown of the season and second of the game.
14-7 Trojans.
USC later blocked a punt. Three plays later, the Trojans added to their lead on a nine-yard pass from Moss to Kyron Hudson to make it 21-7 and USC fans were just starting to get into party mode in the second quarter.
Louisville (10-4) gave its fans something to get excited about when Evan Conley scored on a nine-yard run to help trim the USC lead to 21-14.
There was a lot more coming from both teams — 35 points, to be exact.
Seemingly about to be sacked, Moss launched a 31-yard aerial that Ja’Kobi Lane reeled in just inside the goal line. 28-14 Trojans.
It was Moss’ fourth touchdown in the first half to tie a bowl game record.
More boisterous USC cheering.
A bowl game record 61-yard interception return by Louisville’s Quincy Riley prevented USC from adding another apparent touchdown early in the third quarter. Guerendo duplicated his earlier one-yard plunge as the Cardinals reduced the Trojan lead to 28-20.
But the spirit was with Troy. Lane scored on a 12-yard pass – his second touchdown of the game – as Moss tossed his fifth TD of the contest, a new bowl game record and new team record for a QB making his first start.
35-21 USC.
The Trojan band, at this point, was electrifying.
But the Kentucky visitors had some magic of their own to spread on the field as Guerendo scored on a two-yard to start the fourth quarter to further reduce the USC lead to 35-28. Guerendo was chasing bowl game records himself with his third rushing touchdown in the game and his 11th of the season.
USC’s Jaylin Smith (19) received the defensive MVP award. Photo by Phillip Brents
The typical Holiday Bowl fantastic finish was on order whether or not it was to the liking of massive Trojan faithful.
Moss connected on his record-setting sixth touchdown of the game on a 44-yard scoring pass to Duce Robinson. The extra-point conversion upped the USC advantage to 42-28.
More was coming – this time from the Trojan defense as USC thwarted a Louisville drive on fourth down in the shadow of the goalposts. The SC team quickly moved the ball to midfield with the clock ticking under three minutes.
A punt and a fumble recovery with 1:25 left sealed the Trojan victory amid a combined 70 points between the teams.
MVPs named included Moss (offensive) with six touchdowns and 372 passing yards and Jaylin Smith (defensive) with 12 solo tackles.
Photos by Andy Bartotto
“Incredibly proud of this football team,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said. “Honestly, all the years and wins and stuff, this was as fun a win as I can remember as a head coach, just with all the changes, all the back and forth, six weeks, 20 plus guys that didn’t play in this game for different reasons.
“We could have come into this game not caring about it. This team could have easily — this team could have gone a lot of different ways with it, and to see us come play as well as we did on all three sides, big plays on all three sides. That’s a good football team that we just beat up on. It’s a really good football team, and a team that had a lot more of their guys throughout the season than we certainly did.
“For us to not use that as an excuse and to use it as something that really motivated us, motivated our team, motivated our coaches, was really, really special, and to see — I thought the team leadership in this game was as strong as it was the entire year. I thought that was a big reason why the guys played the way we did.
“I was especially proud because one of the things I told the coaches today was I thought it would be really important for us to get off to a good start, and we did completely the opposite. We went three-and-out, they go down and score, and it’s like, all right, where are you at now?
“Then we went on a great run and guys made big plays, and it was just a lot of fun. Kind of didn’t want the game to be over in a lot of ways.
“We’re really proud of this group, proud of the leadership. This is significant for the guys that have been here in the beginning of this journey, and there’s been a lot of great moments in the first two years. Now, they’re going to get a lot better and it’s going to get a lot more fun as we go, but it had to start somewhere, and a lot of the guys in the locker room were a part of that.
“A special thanks to the guys that stayed around, because it was important to them because the team was important to them, because USC was important to them. A special thanks to the coaches that did that. It was not an easy situation, especially for some of the coaches on our staff, and our coaches — especially our defensive guys did a hell of a job tonight.
“They got our guys ready to play. A lot of really good coaches and a lot of really good people on the staff, where they could have turned and tried to go on to the next thing, and they stayed because it was important.
“Honestly, a bunch of guys in the locker room and the coaching staff felt that way, and that’s the reason we won the game. If we wouldn’t have had that, we would already be on the bus ride home and it would be somebody else, another coach sitting up here at this podium right now.
“Very appreciative to all those guys. Great, great win, great way to end the season.”
Fight On
While the Holiday Bowl does have its traditions, most of those were set during its long stay in Mission Valley. Petco Park is not ideally configured for a football game – it was built for baseball — but concessions were made, mainly on the part of the Padres, to help keep the bowl game going … and local.
Fans seem distantly removed from the center of the field, much more so than at the former (and now demolished) Qualcomm Stadium. Good viewing areas seem to be in the end zone as far as nearness to the field is concerned, but only half the field is visible
But score points, put on an entertaining halftime show, add marching bands and some fireworks, and most alumni would be happy they’re simply there. They are out to cheer on their team, soak up the atmosphere, regardless where the game is played.
If that’s how it has to be with future editions of the Holiday Bowl, then so be it.
San Diego has been a good host city for the game. Where else can it be 49 degrees at midnight and 76 degrees at noon?
The bowl game has generated much revenue and goodwill in the community, and that’s been a good thing over the years.
Extra points
The Navy Leap Frog Team delivered the game ball on the center of the playing field by parachute to cap pregame festivities.
This year’s Holiday Bowl was preceded by a big balloon parade and 5K people’s run in the morning. The 46th KGB Sky Show topped off the night.
With the potential breakup of the Pac-12 (USC and UCLA are already headed to the Big Ten Conference along with Oregon and Washington), the Holiday Bowl’s tie-ins may be changing from its current Pac-12-Atlantic Coast Conference alignment.
SDSU men’s basketball legendary coach Steve Fisher served as this year’s honorary bowl game chairman.
SeaWorld provided one-day park admission tickets to the first 10,000 fans at Wednesday’s game.
Kearny High School’s Gabriel Valadez received this year’s Dr. Pepper Most Inspirational Player Award. Valadez has been taking care of his mother through her treatment for breast cancer.
