Texas Bowl

The Texas Bowl is proud to have the Missouri Tigers and the Navy Midshipmen in the 2009 Texas Bowl!  Missouri is 8-4 on the season and finished 2nd in the Big 12 North.  The Tigers are making their fifth consecutive appearance in a postseason bowl and their sixth in eight years under Coach Gary Pinkel.  Missouri will visit the Texas Bowl offices today to begin planning.

Conference Championship weekend saw upsets, close calls, and big wins.  #2 Alabama got revenge for the 2008 SEC Championship game as they rolled over the #1 Florida Gators and brought Heisman-hopeful QB Tim Tebow to tears.  #3 Texas was nearly upset by #22 Nebraska, but pulled out the game-winning field goal as time expired and gave the Longhorns the 2009 Big 12 title.  #5 Cincinnati was able to slip past #15 Pittsburgh in the final seconds for the Big East title, #6 Boise State trampled unranked New Mexico State 42-7 for the WAC title, #7 Oregon secured the Pac-10 with a win over #16 Oregon State, #10 Georgia Tech defeated Clemson in the ACC, and East Carolina upset #21 Houston for their 2nd consecutive C-USA title.  Congratulations to all the conference champions!

The inaugural Texas Bowl Gridiron Legends Golf Tournament Presented by OfficeMax took place at Kingwood Country Club this past Wednesday.  The chilly weather and damp course made for some interesting golf, but the event raised approximately $20-$25k for DePelchin Children’s Center and the Southern Texas PGA.  Thank you to everyone who supported this event!

The Texas Bowl is hosting its inaugural Texas Bowl Team Luncheon on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. at the JW Marriott and will benefit the Touchdown Club of Houston.  Guests will hear from head coaches and players as they detail their path to the Texas Bowl and the keys to victory in this year’s game.  In addition, many special appearances are in store for our newest Bowl Week event.  Go to http://www.texasbowl.org to secure your seats today!

See you at the game!
The Texas Bowl Team

Conference Football Update

The Big 12 Championship game featured the #3 Texas Longhorns and the #22 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Cowboys Stadium.  The heavily favored Longhorns found themselves in a defensive struggle that produced a combined 308 yards of offense, 25 points and 6 interceptions.  The Nebraska defense sacked Longhorn QB Colt McCoy nine times and forced three interceptions.  With 1:44 to play Nebraska took a 12-10 lead after their fourth field goal of the game.  The preceding kick-off went out of bounds to give the Longhorns the ball on their 40 yard line.  A 19-yard completion to Jordan Shipley coupled with a horse collar penalty gave Texas the ball on the Nebraska 26-yard line.  After a sac and a rush for a one-yard loss the Longhorns took a chance on one final pass play.  Colt McCoy rolled out of the pocket and lofted a pass casually down the sideline.  For a moment the clock showed no time remaining and the Nebraska sideline erupted in celebration.  The review showed one second on the clock when the ball hit the ground and allowed the Longhorns to kick a game-winning field goal to win the Big 12 Championship and secure a spot in the National Championship Game.

The Navy Midshipmen had an off week to prepare for their upcoming rivalry game against Army on December 12.

In the Conference USA Championship Game, the #21 University of Houston Cougars took on the East Carolina Pirates in Greenville, North Carolina.  Cougar QB Case Keenum completed 56 of 75 pass attempts for 527 yards and five touchdowns.  James Cleveland was on the receiving end of 19 of those completions, tallying 241 yards and three scores.  The East Carolina defense held its own, though, forcing three costly interceptions and recovering a fumble en route to a surprising 38-32 victory.  The win is East Carolina’s second consecutive Conference USA Championship. 

After week thirteen, the Big 12 has 3 teams ranked nationally.  CLICK HERE for this week’s complete rankings.

Texas Bowl Updates

Reserve your spot at the inaugural Texas Bowl Team Luncheon on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. at the JW Marriott.  Proceeds will benefit the Touchdown Club of Houston.  CLICK HERE to secure your seats today!

Come out and enjoy Texas country band Reckless Kelly on the Bud Light Stage at TexFest.  The biggest pregame party in town will start at 11:30 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. (kickoff).  In addition, there will be live performances from the team bands & cheerleaders, food, and fun for the whole family.  Check out the website for further information. 

Don’t forget to follow the Texas Bowl on Facebook and Twitter for additional updates and inside information.