1998 Oahu Bowl

The 1998 Oahu Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the Air Force Falcons and the Washington Huskies. Part of the 1998–99 bowl season, the inaugural Oahu Bowl matched the fifth-place team from the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) against the champions of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

1998 Jeep Oahu Bowl
1st Oahu Bowl
Air Force Falcons Washington Huskies
(11–1) (6–5)
43 25
Head coach: 
Fisher DeBerry		 Head coach: 
Jim Lambright
APCoaches
1613
APCoaches
NRNR
1234 Total
Air Force 713167 43
Washington 013012 25
DateDecember 25, 1998
Season1998
StadiumAloha Stadium
LocationHonolulu, Hawaii
MVPQB Blane Morgan
FavoriteAir Force by 4 points[1]
RefereeRich Kollen (Big West)
Attendance34,083
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC

Background

The #16 Falcons finished first in the WAC and had only lost one game, to TCU. They were 10th on points scored, with 36.0 points per game and 7th on points allowed with 14.2 points per game, in their sixth bowl appearance in the 1990s.

Washington went from 2–0 and #9 ranked to being unranked and 6–5, though they at least won the Apple Cup. The Huskies were 52nd in points scored, with 25.2 per game and 76th in points allowed, with 28.6 per game, in their seventh bowl appearance in the decade.[2]

Air Force was favored by four points.[1]

Game summary

Jemal Singleton scored in both the first and second quarters to give Air Force a 14–0 lead, but Washington responded with a Braxton Cleman touchdown run less than two minutes later. Scott McKay added onto the lead with a touchdown run to make it 20-7 after their two-point conversion attempt failed. Cleman scored his second touchdown of the day to make it 20–13, with Huard's conversion pass attempt falling short to keep the score the same at halftime.[3][4]

Jackson Whiting increased the Falcons' lead to 23–13 with a 42-yard field goal, then Spanky Gilliam extended it to 30–13 with his touchdown run. Matt Farmer caught a 79-yard touchdown pass from Blane Morgan with :07 remaining in the third quarter. Their conversion attempt to make it a 25-point lead failed, however, and the score remained at 36–13. Husky backup quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo ran in for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to narrow the lead, but the two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 36–19. McKay caught a 30-yard touchdown from Morgan as the Falcons scored their final points of the day. Manuel Austin caught a pass from Tuiasasopo with 4:09 remaining, but another failed conversion attempt left the final score 43–25. Starter Brock Huard was ineffective for the Huskies, going 23 of 32 with three interceptions and 267 yards before being replaced by Tuiasasopo. Morgan went 12 of 16 for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Farmer caught four passes for 109 yards.[3][4][5]

Aftermath

Neither team returned to the Oahu Bowl, which disbanded two years later. Washington (6–6) ended their first non-winning season in 22 years. Five days later, sixth-year head coach Jim Lambright was relieved of his duties by athletic director Barbara Hedges.[6][7][8] His successor was Rick Neuheisel, the head coach at Colorado in the Big 12 Conference.[9][10]

Air Force (12–1) moved up in the final rankings, thirteenth in the AP Poll,[11] and tenth in the Coaches Poll.[12]

Statistics
StatisticsAir ForceWashington
First Downs2621
Yards Rushing232107
Yards Passing267310
Total Yards489417
Punts-Average2–45.52–40.5
Fumbles-Lost3–13–0
Interceptions03

References
  1. "The Latest Line: College football bowl games". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). December 25, 1998. p. 6C.
  2. "Hawaii to Host Two Bowl Games".
  3. "Air Force runs past Huskies". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 26, 1998. p. C1.
  4. Sakamoto, Gordon (December 26, 1998). "Fired-up Air Force humbles Washington". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. 1D.
  5. "Air Force Bowl History Quick Facts ::". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  6. Cour, Jim (December 31, 1998). "Huskies dismiss Lambright as head coach". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. 1D.
  7. Strickland, Carter (December 31, 1998). "UW drops ax on Lambright era". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1.
  8. "UW has had enough of Lambright". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 31, 1998. p. 4B.
  9. "Neuheisel sneaks in at Washington". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. January 10, 1999. p. 1B.
  10. Mossman, John (January 10, 1999). "Neuheisel takes job at Washington". Eugene Register-Guard. (Washington). Associated Press. p. 1G.
  11. "Final AP poll". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 5, 1999. p. C3.
  12. "College football final polls". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). wire services. January 5, 1999. p. 2B.
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