5 craziest Hawaii Bowl games of all time ft. Hawaii vs. Houston
As the current edition of the Hawaii Bowl approaches, it's a good time to review the outstanding history of the game. Created in 2002, the bowl has brought a host of historic performances and epic matchups. South Florida and San Jose State have some big shoes to fill in the history of the Hawaii Bowl. Here are five of the most memorable Hawaii Bowl matchups.
5 craziest Hawaii Bowl games of all time
5. 2006, Hawaii 41, Arizona State 24
Call this one the Colt Brennan show. The Hawaii quarterback entered the game one touchdown behind the then-single season TD record of 54, held by Houston's David Klingler. Brennan busted the record easily with five touchdown throws. He completed 33 of 42 passes for 559 yards in the game. It was a performance to remember.
4. 2022, Middle Tennessee State 25, San Diego State 23
This was veteran coach Rick Stockstill's final bowl appearance at MTSU. But in a bowl game that is generally noted for massive offensive performances, this is a rare example of a standout defensive performance. The two teams combined for negative rushing yardage in this game.
MTSU QB Chase Cunningham had -91 yards rushing, leaving the victorious Blue Raiders at -66 rushing yards. Meanwhile, San Diego State did manage 55 yards on the ground, which still leaves the teams combining for -11 rushing yards. No wonder MTSU DE Jordan Ferguson was the game's MVP.
3. 2005, Nevada 49, UCF 48 (OT)
Another shootout, this game had a shocking ending. The two teams reached the end of regulation tied at 42. Nevada scored a touchdown and made the extra point. UCF answered with its touchdown. However, kicker Matt Prater missed the extra point, ending the game. Prater had a successful NFL career with the Denver Broncos but had a game to forget in the 2005 Hawaii Bowl.
2. 2007, East Carolina 41, Boise State 38
Of all the stars who have played in the Hawaii Bowl, the 2007 game was the staging area for perhaps the greatest individual performance. East Carolina won the game, but how it did so was more interesting.
East Carolina running back Chris Johnson, rushed for 223 yards on 28 carries in his final college game. He also returned six kickoffs for 153 yards and caught three passes for 32 more yards. His 408 all-purpose yards sent a new FBS record.
Johnson went on to be an NFL superstar with the Tennessee Titans, but fans of the Hawaii Bowl probably saw that outcome coming.
1. 2003, Hawaii 54, Houston 48 (3 OT)
The longest and highest-scoring game in the bowl's history also ended in a fight. The two teams traded scores to reach overtime. Each team added a touchdown and an extra point in the first two overtimes. In the third overtime, Hawaii back Michael Brewster scored a rushing touchdown. Hawaii failed on a two-point conversion, but its defense got a stop.
Oddly, the two teams got into a post-game altercation after Hawaii's big stop. Maybe they couldn't stand finishing the game either.
Do you remember those classic battles? Any others we left out? Share your take below in our comments section!