1992 Copper Bowl

1992 Copper Bowl
4th Copper Bowl
Utah Utes Washington State Cougars
(6–5) (8–3)
WAC Pac-10
28 31
Head coach: 
Ron McBride		 Head coach: 
Mike Price
APCoachesBC
181818
1234 Total
Utah 014140 28
Washington State 21703 31
DateDecember 29, 1992
Season1992
StadiumArizona Stadium
LocationTucson, Arizona
MVPDrew Bledsoe (QB, WSU)
Kareem Leary (DB, Utah)
FavoriteWashington State
by 8 points [1][2]
RefereeSteve Usechek (Big Eight)
Attendance40,826
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN
AnnouncersRon Franklin and Mike Gottfried
Copper Bowl
 < 1991  1993 > 

The 1992 Copper Bowl featured the unranked Utah Utes and the #18 Washington State Cougars, as part of the 1992–93 NCAA football bowl season. The fourth edition of the Copper Bowl, it was played on the night of Tuesday, December 29, at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.[3][4][5][6]

Washington State scored first on a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Shaumbe Wright-Fair, then junior quarterback Drew Bledsoe fired an 87-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Phillip Bobo, increasing the lead to 14–0. Bledsoe would finish the game 30-for-46 passing for 476 yards. Wright-Fair scored on a 3-yard touchdown run for a 21–0 Cougar advantage at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Utah's Frank Dolce threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Shaun Williams, and Keith Williams scored on a 25-yard touchdown run to make the score 21–14. Bledsoe found Bobo for a 48-yard touchdown pass as Washington State led 28–14 at halftime. In a planned move by WSU head coach Mike Price, Bledsoe was briefly replaced by backup Mike Pattinson in the second quarter.[3]

In the third quarter, Dolce threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Henry Lusk, and Pierre Jones' 8-yard touchdown run tied the game at 28. The only fourth quarter score was a field goal: Aaron Price, the son of the head coach, converted from 22 yards out with less than six minutes left and the favored Cougars escaped with a 31–28 victory,[7][8][9] and climbed to fifteenth in the final rankings.

This was the final collegiate game for the 20-year-old Bledsoe; he was the first overall pick of the 1993 NFL draft.[10][11][12]

  1. ^ Roxborough, Michael (December 29, 1992). "Today's Odds: America's Line". p. C5.
  2. ^ "The Latest Line". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). December 29, 1992. p. 6D.
  3. ^ a b Cart, Julie (December 30, 1992). "Cougars outlast Utes for 31-28 win". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). (Los Angeles Times). p. 2C.
  4. ^ Robinson, Doug (December 30, 1992). "Utes come close, 31-28, after furious rally". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. D1.
  5. ^ Blanchette, John (December 30, 1992). "Bledsoe goes out like a pro". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1.
  6. ^ Sullivan, Tim (December 30, 1992). "WSU wins wild Copper Bowl". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). p. 1B.
  7. ^ "Washington State Cougars - Football". Wsucougars.cstv.com. December 29, 1992. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  8. ^ "Cougars moment: 1992 Copper Bowl".
  9. ^ "1992 Copper Bowl". Archived from the original on November 18, 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2008.
  10. ^ "Bledsoe dealt a Pats' hand". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 26, 1993. p. C1.
  11. ^ "Bledsoe to play 'Patriot Games'". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. April 26, 1993. p. 1B.
  12. ^ Withers, Bud (April 26, 1993). "Drew knew he'd be No. 1". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). p. 1B.