On Thursday, the Texas Longhorns defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. This game ended up shocking many, as Texas finished the season ranked at #19 while the Sun Devils were #11. With a final score of 52-34, the blowout came as a surprise to many. It was the first meeting between the two teams, and based on the results it was evident that the Longhorns had the edge throughout.

In one of the most bizarre plays of the season, Arizona State’s star quarterback Rudy Carpenter stepped back to pass, only to have the ball knocked out of his hands. When the ball was fumbled, a member of Texas’ coaching staff, Chris Jessie, stepped onto the field and inadvertently touched the ball. When it appeared that the Longhorns gained possession after the fumble, the officials reversed the play, stating that Jessie illegally interfered. The Sun Devils regained possession with 4th and 3 to go for a first down. On the next play, Rudy Carpenter connected with receiver Chris McGaha for a touchdown.

"It was just natural instinct," Jessie said. "I thought it was a forward pass. I was looking at the ball being thrown and I was waiting for a grounding penalty. When I realized the ball was in play, I jumped back."

Purdue and Central Michigan also provided a very interesting match up in the Motor City Bowl. While the Boilermakers came out victorious by defeating the Chippewas by a score of 51-48, it was a close game all the way through. Both teams scored for a total of 99 points, tying the second-highest in bowl regulation history. Purdue’s star quarterback Curtis Painter had a career day, throwing for 546 yards and 3 touchdowns, setting a school record. In addition, receivers Greg Orton, Jake Standeford, and Dustin Keller all had 100+ yards receiving. Central Michigan also put on a stunning performance, led by quarterback Dan LeFevour, who threw for a total of 292 yards. In front of a crowd of almost 61,000, these two teams made the Motor City Bowl worth watching.

In yet another upset, East Carolina beat Boise State by a score of 41-38 in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. ECU recorded its first postseason win since 2000, and going into the game unranked, many were shocked when they came out victorious against the Broncos. In his record-setting night, Pirates running back Chris Johnson compiled a total 408 all-purpose yards. Though he did commit a key error at the end of the game by fumbling with just minutes remaining, his team certainly gave him a reason to keep his head up.

"I let my team down," he said. "But when I got back to the sideline, they told me they had my back and they loved me."

The game ended when kicker Ben Hartman hit a 34-yard field goal with seconds left on the clock. The Pirates then stormed the field, as they denied the Broncos victory in their sixth consecutive bowl appearance.