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“Holiday Bowl-A Jewel of a Game”

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This has always been special…dating back to the first couple of years it was staged.

I remember sitting around the Christmas Tree, while it snowed volumes on Lang Island, seeing the first ever Holiday Bowl, played in the sunshine, with the palm trees, in San Diego.

And as the cold weather howled those first couple of years back East, I was fascinated by the great shootout games.

Yes it may have been BYU almost every year, but who could ever forget the excitement that a Steve Young, a Jim McMahon, a Ty Detmer or Robbie Bosco could bring with the Cougars passing attack.

Equally explosive was the one year wonder of an offense we saw in the SMU ‘Pony Express’ offense, paced by Eric Dickerson and Craig James.

Big names have always dotted the Holiday Bowl headlines.

Barry Sanders and Oklahoma State back in the day.

The Joe Paterno led Penn State Nittany Lions and his RB-Blair Thomas.

Iowa’s explosive offense in outgunning San Diego State.

All things in Ohio State history and their RB-Tim Spencer.

Texas A&M when it was an anchor of the old Big 12.

Michigan and Bo Schembechler.

Oregon QB-Joey Harrington.

Even USC and UCLA came here.

And now tonight, the sledgehammer Michigan State Spartans against the high octane Washington State Cougars, in what should be a doozy of a war.

The matchups and conference affiliations have changed, but the one certainty is good weather, lots of offense, and a nationwide TV viewership that gets a ‘Chamber of Commerce Postcard’ day selling all the things that are great about San Diego.

The Holiday Bowl, a crown jewel of an event on the San Diego sports landscape.

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