FREEDOM BOWL : Charting Freedom’s Trail : 1984

Final score: Iowa 55, Texas 17.

Attendance: 24,093.

MVPs: Chuck Long, Iowa quarterback (29 of 39, 461 yards, six touchdowns); William Harris, Texas tight end (six catches, 37 yards, one touchdown).

What Happened: Long ignored a driving rain to complete a record six touchdown passes, each to a different receiver. Iowa took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but Texas rallied and trailed, 24-17 at halftime. The Hawkeyes scored 31 consecutive points in the third quarter to blow the game open. Iowa limited the Texas offense to 112 yards and five first downs in the second half.

1985

Final score: Washington 20, Colorado 17.

Attendance: 30,961.

MVPs: Chris Chandler, Washington quarterback (15 of 26, 141 yards); Barry Helton, Colorado punter (one for one passing, 31 yards, one touchdown; 39.0-yard punting average, one punt for 54 yards).

What Happened: Colorado drove to the Washington five in the fourth quarter but lost the ball on a fumble as the Huskies held on. Tony Covington’s one-yard scoring run in the third quarter and Jeff Jaeger’s 18-yard field goal in the fourth provided the winning points for Washington. Colorado pulled to within 20-17 on Helton’s pass to Jon Embree off a fake field-goal attempt early in the fourth quarter.

1986

Final score: UCLA 31, BYU 10.

Attendance: 51,422.

MVPs: Gaston Green, UCLA tailback (33 carries, 266 yards, three touchdowns; one for one passing, 13 yards, one touchdown); Shane Shumway, BYU defensive back (five unassisted tackles, one interception, two passes broken up).

What Happened: Gaston Green was the story, rushing for three touchdowns and throwing for another. The Bruins broke open a close game with 17 consecutive points in the third quarter, scoring on runs of one and 79 yards by Green (the former set up by a 70-yard run by Marcus Greenwood) and a 49-yard field goal by Dave Franey. Green closed his impressive day with a 13-yard halfback option pass to Karl Dorrell.

1987

Final score: Arizona State 33, Air Force 28.

Attendance: 33,261.

MVPs: Daniel Ford, Arizona State quarterback (16 of 30, 272 yards, one touchdown); Chad Hennings, Air Force defensive tackle (12 unassisted tackles (three for 12 yards in losses), two sacks).

What Happened: Arizona State took a 24-14 halftime lead with 24 second-quarter points, then held on as the Falcons rallied behind third-string quarterback Lance McDowell. Arizona State’s second quarter included the longest pass in Freedom Bowl history, 61 yards from Daniel Ford to Aaron Cox, now with the Rams. Air Force played without star quarterback Dee Dowis, who was out with a fractured wrist. Steve Letnich started and drove the Falcons to the game’s first touchdown but was eventually relieved by McDowell, who directed two long scoring drives in the fourth quarter, each ending with a touchdown pass to Steve Senn.

1988

Final score: BYU 20, Colorado 17.

Attendance: 35,941.

MVPs: Ty Detmer, BYU quarterback (11 of 17, 129 yards, one touchdown); Eric Bieniemy, Colorado halfback (33 carries, 144 yards, two touchdowns; two catches, 30 yards).

What Happened: The game provided a preview of things to come for Detmer, 1990’s Heisman Trophy winner, and Bieniemy, who finished third in the balloting. Detmer, then a freshman, came off the bench in relief of Sean Covey and led the Cougars on a 65-yard drive that ended with a 14-yard pass to Chuck Cutler, tying the score at 14-14. Two fourth-quarter field goals by Jason Chaffetz provided the winning margin for BYU. The second, from 35 yards, came with less than three minutes to play.

1989

Final score: Washington 34, Florida 7.

Attendance: 33,858.

MVPs: Cary Conklin, Washington quarterback (21 of 39, 217 yards, two touchdowns); Huey Richardson, Florida linebacker (nine unassisted tackles (two for losses), one sack, three passes broken up).

What Happened: The Gators didn’t put up much of a fight, perhaps distracted by speculation concerning their next head coach (Duke’s Steve Spurrier, a former Florida Heisman Trophy winner, was named to take over the program the next day). Junior running back Emmitt Smith, playing his final college game before jumping to the NFL, was held to just 17 yards on seven carries by the Huskies defense. Washington scored four times in the first half, including one touchdown off a blocked punt, to take a 27-7 lead. Greg Lewis provided rushing support for Conklin, gaining 97 yards on 27 carries.

1990

Final score: Colorado State 32, Oregon 31.

Attendance: 41,450.

MVPs: Todd Yert, Colorado State fullback (12 carries, 94 yards, one touchdown; two catches, 18 yards); Bill Musgrave, Oregon quarterback (29 of 47, 392 yards, three touchdowns).

What Happened: The teams combined for 27 points in the fourth quarter as the Rams upset the heavily favored Ducks in one of the better Freedom Bowls. Three of the scoring plays in the fourth were long ones: a 44-yard Musgrave pass to Michael McClellan, a 49-yard pass from Colorado State quarterback Gimenez to Greg Primus and a 52-yard run by fullback Todd Yert to seal the Rams’ victory. Yert was a fitting hero, a graduate of Mission Viejo High.

1991

Final score: Tulsa 28, San Diego State 17.

Attendance: 34,217.

MVPs: Ron Jackson, Tulsa tailback (46 carries, 211 yards, four touchdowns; one catch, 14 yards); Marshall Faulk, San Diego State tailback (30 carries, 157 yards, one touchdown; nine catches, 42 yards).

What Happened: The game featured two standout running backs, but one was a complete surprise. Jackson was filling in for starter Chris Hughley (suspended for academic reasons) and wound up setting Freedom Bowl records for rushing touchdowns and carries. The score was tied at 7-7 and 14-14 and was still in doubt until San Diego State’s T.C. Wright fumbled a punt that the Golden Hurricane recovered at the Aztec four with about four minutes to play. Jackson’s touchdown from there clinched it. San Diego State quarterback David Lowery, a Trabuco Hills graduate, completed 17 of 26 passes for 169 yards in the first half but only two of nine for minus five yards in the second.