Colorado University Athletics
Buff Bowl No. 10: '96 Holiday
To get Buff fans geared up for the 2002 Alamo Bowl, we will take you back in time and recap the Top 10 Bowls in CU history, as ranked by the CU Sports Information office. Coming in at No. 10 is the 1996 Holiday Bowl, when CU came from a 14 point deficit to top Washington 33-21.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Koy Detmer and Rae Carruth completed their careers in style, rallying No. 8 Colorado from an early two touchdown deficit to defeat No. 13 Washington, 33-21, in the 19th annual Holiday Bowl.
Detmer, who was named the game's offensive most valuable player, hooked up with Carruth on a 76-yard touchdown pass with 2:25 left in the first quarter to get the Buffaloes on the scoreboard. Until that play, the Huskies used a pair of Corey Dillon touchdown runs to build a 14-0 lead, threatening CU's three-game bowl winning streak and a chance at a third straight 10-win season.
Colorado pulled even four minutes into the second quarter, when defensive MVP Nick Ziegler intercepted a Brock Huard pass and returned it 31 yards for the first touchdown of his collegiate career. Washington answered with a Jerome Pathon 86-yard kickoff return for a 21-14 lead, but those would be the last points CU would allow on the night. Darrin Chiaverini tied the score at 21 with a seven-yard TD pass from Detmer, and Jeremy Aldrich's 42-yard field goal gave CU its first lead at 24-21 with 1:50 left in the first half.
CU added nine second half points on a 36-yard Aldrich field goal and a four-yard touchdown pass from Detmer to Carruth. The Buff defense held the Huskies to just 129 yards and seven first downs in the second half, and Washington's only scoring chance resulted in a blocked field goal attempt by Mike Phillips.
Detmer and Carruth respectively set CU bowl records for passing yards (371) and receiving yards (162). The Buffs had a 414-341 edge in total offense in the game, but a 373-204 edge after UW took its 14-0 lead. It was the largest deficit in CU bowl game history in which the Buffs rallied to win, and the fifth largest comeback in NCAA bowl annals.
CU finished 10-2 for second straight season, and earned a final ranking of No. 8 in the nation.
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