2007 Las Vegas Bowl History & More

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl Profiles, History, Best Bowl Moments & More

UCLA (6-6) vs. BYU (10-2)

Dec. 22, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Las Vegas Bowl History

2007	BYU 38, Oregon 8
2005	California 35, BYU 28
2004	Wyoming 24, UCLA 21
2003	Oregon St 44, New Mexico 14
2002	UCLA 27, New Mexico 13
2001	Utah 10, USC 6
2000	UNLV 31, Arkansas 14
1999	Utah 17, Fresno State 16
1998	N Carolina 20, S. Diego St 13
1997	Oregon 41, Air Force 13
1996	Nevada 18, Ball State 15
1995	Toledo 40, Nevada 37 (OT)
1994	UNLV 52, Central Mich 24
1993	Utah State 42, Ball State 33
1992	Bowling Green 35, Nevada 34
1990	Florida St 24, Penn State 17

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Scroll Down For Each Team's Bowl History

By Richard Cirminiello

Best Bruin Bowl Moment: UCLA was almost unbeatable in the 1980s, winning seven of eight bowl games, including three Rose Bowls.  However, the 1960s were home to its most unforgettable postseason victory.  Before 1964, the Bruins had played in five Rose Bowls, losing each one.  The 1965 squad mercifully ended that futility in a thriller with No. 1 Michigan State that ended when three Bruin defenders stopped a game-tying two-point conversion with under a minute left in the game.

Best Cougar Bowl Moment: Best Cougar Bowl Moment – From 1978 to 1984, BYU and the Holiday Bowl were synonymous with the magic and excitement of the postseason.  That was never truer than in 1980, when Jim McMahon and the high-voltage Cougars engineered an incredible comeback for the school’s first bowl triumph.  Trailing SMU 38-19 at the start of the fourth quarter, BYU stormed back, pulling out a miraculous win when McMahon connected with TE Clay Brown from 41 yards out as time expired.

BYU's best win ... BYU 17 ... Utah 10
Down 10-9, BYU needed a 49-yard catch by Austin Collie on fourth-and-18, a few pass interference calls and a personal foul, and an 11-yard touchdown run from Harvey Unga with 38 seconds to play to break Utah's heart for a second straight season. Utah had taken the lead with 1:34 to play on a one-yard Darrell Mack run and got a 35-yard Louie Sakoda field goal in the third quarter, but couldn't move the ball on a last gasp drive. Mitch Payne nailed three field goals for the Cougars before their final drive.
Player of the game: BYU RB Harvey Unga ran 23 times for 141 yards and a touchdown and caught a 27-yard pass.
Stat Leaders: Utah - Passing: Brian Johnson, 17-29, 129 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Darrell Mack, 14-56, 1 TD. Receiving: Bradon Godfrey, 7-73
BYU - Passing: Max Hall, 17-40, 269 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Harvey Unga, 23-141, 1 TD. Receiving: Austin Collie, 5-126

BYU's worst loss ... Tulsa 55 ... BYU 47
In a wild shootout with the two teams combining for 1,027 passing yards, it was two false start penalties to ruin a final BYU chance, and Tulsa's defense snuffing out long drives with four takeaways. Paul Smith threw five touchdown passes with three to Charles Clay, but BYU always had an answer in the see-saw game. Max Hall threw for 547 yards and four touchdowns, and Manase Tonga ran for two touchdowns. Tulsa's defense got in the big play act with a 49-yard interception return for a score from Ray Roberts, but this was all about the haymakers. In one tremendous second quarter sequence, Hall his Austin Collie for a 45-yard touchdown, and Smith answered ten second later by connecting with Brennan Marion for a 75-yard touchdown pass. BYU responded in four plays with a 13-yard Dennis Pitta scoring grab, and the scoring went on and one, with the two teams combining for 44 points in the quarter. In all the two teams cranked out 1,289 yards of total offense and 59 first downs.
Player of the game: Tulsa QB Paul Smith completed 21 of 35 passes for 454 yards and five touchdowns
Stat Leaders: BYU - Passing: Max Hall, 35-57, 537 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Harvey Unga, 21-100, 1 TD. Receiving: Michael Reed, 8-132, 1 TD
Tulsa - Passing: Paul Smith, 21-35, 454 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tarrion Adams, 18-79, 1 TD. Receiving: Trae Johnson, 5-95, 1 TD

UCLA's best win ... UCLA 40 ... Oregon State 14
Oregon State appeared to be on its way to an easy win, taking a 14-0 first quarter lead on an Al Afalavia 33-yard fumble return for a score, and a one-yard Yvenson Bernard touchdown run. The then came the self-destruction. UCLA managed two Kai Forbath field goals in the second quarter, and took advantage of two fumbled kickoff returns from Gerard Lawson to get two short Kahlil Bell scoring runs. Brandon Breazell scored from 69 and 30 yards out, with the first score coming after a personal foul call, and Chris Markey ran it in from two yards away as part of a 28-0 fourth quarter Bruin run.
Player of the game: UCLA CB Trey Brown made eight tackles with two interceptions.
Stat Leaders: UCLA - Passing: Ben Olson, 14-25, 220 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kahlil Bell, 24-80, 2 TD. Receiving: Brandon Breazell, 2-99, 2 TD
Oregon State - Passing: Sean Canfield, 22-35, 146 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 27-125, 1 TD. Receiving: Anthony Brown, 6-34

UCLA's worst loss ... Notre Dame 20 ... UCLA 6
In a game that might have set back offensive football 50 years, Notre Dame forced seven turnovers to pull off the win despite amassing just 140 yards. The Irish scored in the third quarter on a one-yard Jimmy Clausen touchdown run, and 50 seconds later, got a Maurice Crum 34-yard fumble recovery for a score. UCLA lost starting quarter Ben Olsen to a knee injury, and was only able to manage two first half Kai Forbath field goals.
Player of the game: Notre Dame LB Maurice Crum made seven tackles, one sack, forced a fumble, recovered two fumbles, picked off two passes, and scored a 34-yard touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Notre Dame - Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 17-27, 84 yds
Rushing: James Aldridge, 22-52. Receiving: John Carlson, 6-38
UCLA - Passing: McLeod Bethel-Thompson, 12-28, 139 yds, 4 INT
Rushing: Kahlil Bell, 18-64. Receiving: Joe Cowan, 5-69

2006 PurePioneer Las Vegas Bowl
BYU 38 ... Oregon 8
BYU embarrassed Oregon as John Beck threw for 375 yards and two touchdowns while Jonny Harline made nine grabs for 181 yards. After a scoreless first quarter, the Cougars scored 17 in the second with Curtis Brown running for his first of two scores and Harline scoring on a 41-yard grab. A Beck 14-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter made it a laugher. Oregon finally got on the board with a 48-yard Brian Paysinger touchdown catch, but BYU recovered the onside kick and scored on a 17-yard touchdown pass to Manase Tonga.
Player of the game ... BYU QB John Beck completed 28 of 46 passes for 375 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions and ran for a score.
Stat Leaders: Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 10-20, 122 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dennis Dixon, 10-57  Receiving: Jordan Kent, 5-33
BYU - Passing: John Beck, 28-46, 375 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Curtis Brown, 17-120, 2 TD  Receiving: Jonny Harline, 9-181, 1 TD

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UCLA Bowl History (13-15)

2006	Emerald	Florida St 44, UCLA 27
2005	Sun	UCLA 50, Northwestern 38
2004	Las Vegas	Wyoming 24, UCLA 21
2003	Silicon Valley	Fresno State 17, UCLA 9
2002	Las Vegas	UCLA 27, New Mexico 13
2000	Sun	Wisconsin 21, UCLA 20
1998	Rose	Wisconsin 38, UCLA 31
1997	Cotton	UCLA 29, Texas A&M 23
1995	Aloha	Kansas 51, UCLA 30
1993	Rose	Wisconsin 21, UCLA 16
1991	John Hancock	UCLA 6, Illinois 3
1988	Cotton	UCLA 17, Arkansas 3
1987	Aloha	UCLA 20, Florida 16
1986	Freedom	UCLA 31, BYU 10
1985	Rose	UCLA 45, Iowa 28
1984	Fiesta	UCLA 39, Miami (Fla.) 37
1983	Rose	UCLA 45, Illinois 9
1982	Rose	UCLA 24, Michigan 14
1981	Bluebonnet	Michigan 33, UCLA 14
1978	Fiesta	UCLA 10, Arkansas 10
1976	Liberty	Alabama 36, UCLA 6
1975	Rose	UCLA 23, Ohio State 10
1965	Rose	UCLA 14, Michigan State 12
1961	Rose	Minnesota 21, UCLA 3
1955	Rose	Michigan State 17, UCLA 14
1953	Rose	Michigan State 28, UCLA 20
1945	Rose	Illinois 45, UCLA 14
1942	Rose	Georgia 9, UCLA 0

BYU Bowl History (8-16-1)

2006	Las Vegas	BYU 38, Oregon 8
2005	Las Vegas	California 35, BYU 28
2001	Liberty	Louisville 28, BYU 10
1999	Motor City	Marshall 21, BYU 3
1998	Liberty	Tulane 41, BYU 27
1996	Cotton	BYU 19, Kansas State 15
1994	Copper	BYU 31, Oklahoma 6
1993	Holiday	Ohio State 28, BYU 21
1992	Aloha	Kansas 23, BYU 20
1991	Holiday	BYU 13, Iowa 13
1990	Holiday	Texas A&M 65, BYU 14
1989	Holiday	Penn State 50, BYU 39
1988	Freedom	BYU 20, Colorado 17
1987	All-American	Virginia 22, BYU 16
1986	Freedom	UCLA 31, BYU 10
1985	Citrus	Ohio State 10, BYU 7
1984	Holiday	BYU 24, Michigan 17
1983	Holiday	BYU 21, Missouri 17
1982	Holiday	Ohio State 47, BYU 17
1981	Holiday	BYU 38, Washington State 36
1980	Holiday	BYU 46, SMU 45
1979	Holiday	Indiana 38, BYU 37
1978	Holiday	Navy 23, BYU 16
1976	Tangerine	Oklahoma State 49, BYU 21
1974	Fiesta	Oklahoma State 16, BYU 6

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