Apologies to those of you who read this before it went to Blog Heaven.
Ohio State played two games on this date. This article will focus on the 1993 Holiday Bowl.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BYU | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| No. 11 Ohio State | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
BACKGROUND
The Buckeyes started the 1993 season with eight straight wins, but entered the bowl game with a 9-1-1 record and were coming off of a 0-28 defeat against Our Rivals in Ann Arbor. Ohio State entered the rivalry game ranked No. 5 in the country and a win would have sent the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl.
Instead of playing in the Rose Bowl, the Co-Big Ten Champion Buckeyes were “rewarded” with the non-New Year's Day Holiday Bowl against unranked BYU. Ohio State's tie was against No. 15 Wisconsin in Madison.
BYU was led by quarterback John Walsh. The Cougars came into this game with a 6-5 record. BYU defeated UTEP (47-16) to become bowl eligible and end the regular season. The Cougars lost four straight games between October 9th and October 30th.
Lorenzo Styles was named Defensive MVP of the 1993 Holiday Bowl.
sandiegobowlgames.com Holiday Bowl Recap
“With 11:04 left to play in the first quarter, Ohio State’s Tim Patillo blocked a punt and returned it four yards for a touchdown, igniting a high-scoring first half. Ohio State took a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter, but BYU rallied behind John Walsh, who finished the game passing for 389 yards with three touchdowns and tied the game at 21 going into halftime.
The second half was completely opposite from the first, as both teams played ferocious defense. The half’s only score came late in the third quarter when Ohio State’s Raymont Harris scored his third touchdown of the game on a one-yard run. The play capped a 66 yard drive for the Buckeyes and gave them a 28-21 lead.
BYU failed to score in the closing seconds and Ohio State hung on for the win.”
Raymont Harris ran for a Holiday Bowl record 235 yards. His 39 rushing attempts is still an Ohio State bowl record.
OHIO STATE PLAYERS
- Raymont Harris rushed for a Holiday Bowl record 235 yards (6.0 ypc) and 3 touchdowns. Harris' 39 rushing attempts are still an Ohio State bowl record.
- Bobby Hoying completed 5/11 passes for 55 yards.
- Joey Galloway had a team-high 19 yards receiving (9.5 ypr).
- Linebacker Lorenzo Styles was the Defensive MVP with 8 tackles and 4 tackles for loss.
John Walsh was named Co-Offensive MVP along with Raymont Harris.
BYU PLAYERS
- John Walsh completed 25/44 passes for 389 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception.
- Kalin Hall led the Cougars with 42 yards rushing (3.8 ypc).
- Tyler Anderson had a game-high 52 yards receiving (13.0 ypr) and 145 return yards.
KEY PLAY
Raymont Harris' game-winning one-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter.
THE REST OF THE STORY
John Cooper would win two more bowl games as the Buckeyes' head coach. The two he would win were big; the 1997 Rose Bowl and the 1999 Sugar Bowl.
After the Holiday Bowl Cooper went 60-21 (.741)in his last seven seasons at Ohio State.
| Year | Location | Score | Ohio State's Rank | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Liberty Bowl | 31-28 | No. 15 | Navy |
| 1993 | Holiday Bowl | 28-21 | No. 11 | BYU |
| Record | 1-1 (.500) | 59-49 | 30-25 |
| Opponent | Location | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | H | 34-7 |
| No. 12 Washington | H | 21-12 |
| Pitt | A | 63-28 |
| Northwestern | H | 51-3 |
| Illinois | A | 20-12 |
| No. 25 Michigan State | H | 28-21 |
| Purdue | A | 45-24 |
| No. 12 Penn State | H | 24-6 |
| No. 15 Wisconsin | A | 14-14 |
| No. 19 Indiana | H | 23-17 |
| That Team | A | 0-28 |
| BYU | Holiday Bowl | 28-21 |
| Totals | 10-1-1 | 351-193 (29-16) |
The 1993 Holiday Bowl in Ten Minutes
Sources
byucougars.com
Ohio State Media Guide
sandiegobowlgames.com
