1. Game summary

2. Scoring

3. Statistics

4. References

The 1981 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 18 in San Diego, California. It was part of the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, and was the fourth edition of the {{nowrap|Holiday Bowl.^[3]}} The Friday night game was the third of sixteen games in this bowl season and featured the 14th-ranked BYU Cougars, champions of the Western Athletic Conference, and the #20 Washington State Cougars of the {{nowrap|Pac-10 Conference.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}}}

It was the fourth straight year in the Holiday Bowl for BYU, but the first bowl appearance in 51 years for {{nowrap|Washington State,^[9]}} who used a two-quarterback system: junior {{nowrap|Clete Casper}} was the passer and sophomore {{nowrap|Ricky Turner}} the runner.^[10] BYU's quarterback was future Super Bowl champion {{nowrap|Jim McMahon,}} backed up by sophomore Steve Young, a future member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and also a Super Bowl champion.

Game summary

Favored BYU scored first on a 35-yard pass from McMahon to Dan Plater, the only scoring of the first quarter. McMahon threw a 7-yard pass to Gordon Hudson to increase BYU's lead {{nowrap|to 14–0.}} Washington State got on the board after quarterback Turner scored on a two-yard run. BYU's Kurt Gunther kicked a 20-yard field goal and Waymon Hamilton ran in from a yard out to give BYU a {{nowrap|24–7}} lead {{nowrap|at halftime.^[5][6][7]}}

Early in the third quarter, BYU cornerback Tom Holmoe intercepted a Casper pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown, but WSU scored three unanswered touchdowns. Running back Matt LaBonne scored on an 18-yard run, Robert Williams scored on a 5-yard run, and Turner scored again on a 13-yard run to close the BYU lead to three points (31–28) at the end of the {{nowrap|third quarter.^[5][6][7]}}

McMahon fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to Scott Pettis to take the lead back to ten points {{nowrap|at 38–28.}} WSU fullback Mike Martin scored from a yard out and Turner added a 2-point conversion to close the gap to two points {{nowrap|(38–36)}} with five minutes remaining. Late in the game, McMahon fumbled a third-down snap but picked up the ball and ran for a first down that helped to clinch the victory for BYU. ^[11][12]

The players of the game, both from BYU, were McMahon and middle linebacker {{nowrap|Kyle Whittingham,^[6]}} the future head coach at Utah. BYU evened its record in the bowl {{nowrap|at 2–2,^[3][8]}} and played in the next three.

BYU moved up one spot to thirteenth in the final AP poll, and Washington State slipped out of the {{nowrap|top twenty.^[13]}}

Scoring

• BYU – Dan Plater 35 pass from Jim McMahon (Kurt Gunther kick)

• BYU – Gordon Hudson 4 pass from McMahon (Gunther kick)
• WSU – Ricky Turner 4 run (Ward Leland kick)
• BYU – Field goal, Gunther 20
• BYU – Waymon Hamilton 1 run (Gunther kick)

• BYU – Tom Holmoe 35 interception return (Gunther kick)
• WSU – Matt LaBomme 18 run (Pat Beach pass from Clete Casper)
• WSU – Robert Williams 5 run (pass failed)
• WSU – Turner 13 run (Leland kick)

• BYU – Scott Pettis 11 pass from McMahon (Gunther kick)
• WSU – Mike Martin 1 run (Turner run)

{{small|Source:}}^[5][6][7]

Statistics

{{small|Source:}}^[5][6][7]

References

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