Offense: Aaron Rodgers (California) Defense: Ryan Gutierrez (California)
Favorite
Virginia Tech by 3
Referee
Nick Define (MAC)
Attendance
42,364
Payout
US$750,000 per team
United States TV coverage
Network
ESPN
Announcers
Mark Malone (Play-by-Play) Mike Golic (Analyst) Rob Stone (Sidelines)
Nielsen ratings
3.08
Insight Bowl
< 2002
2004 >
The 2003 Insight Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the California Golden Bears at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 26, 2003. The game was the final contest of the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 52–49 victory for California. Virginia Tech and Cal combined for 101 points; only the 2001 GMAC Bowl saw more points scored by two teams in a bowl game without overtime.
During the 2003 college football season, Virginia Tech accumulated an 8–4 regular-season record that included four losses in the Hokies' final six regular-season games. As the third-place team in the Big East Conference, Tech accepted a bid to the 2003 Insight Bowl. Facing the Hokies were the California Golden Bears, who went 7–6 during the regular season, tying for third place in the Pacific-10 (Pac-10).
The 2003 Insight Bowl kicked off at 8:30 p.m. EST on December 26, 2003. From the beginning of the game, it was a quick-paced, high-scoring contest. In the first quarter, Virginia Tech jumped out to a 21–7 lead courtesy of the Tech passing game, which was coordinated by quarterback Bryan Randall, who threw four touchdowns during the game. In the second quarter, California recovered from its 14-point first-quarter deficit by scoring two touchdowns. Tech, meanwhile, scored another, and took a 28–21 lead into halftime.
The offensive onslaught continued in the second half, though it was California who took the advantage at first. Bolstered by an improved defensive effort that held the Hokies scoreless throughout the third quarter, California and quarterback Aaron Rodgers scored 21 unanswered points to take a 42–28 lead into the fourth quarter. In that quarter, the Hokies clawed back into competition. Tech scored a touchdown to begin the quarter, but Cal answered with one of its own, making the score 49–35. The Hokies evened the score at 49–49 after an 80-yard touchdown drive that took less than two minutes and a punt return by DeAngelo Hall for a touchdown. The post-score Tech kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Bears possession at their 35-yard line. With time running out, Cal began to drive for a game-winning score. Cal needed just seven plays to advance 47 yards and set up a field goal attempt. As time expired, kicker Tyler Fredrickson kicked a 35-yard field goal to give California the 52–49 win.
The 2003InsightBowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the California Golden Bears at Bank One...
was known as the Insight.com Bowl from 1997 through 2001, then the InsightBowl from 2002 through 2011, the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl for 2012 and 2013...
for third place in the Pacific-10 Conference. The 2003InsightBowl kicked off on December 26, 2003, at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona. From the...
(2003) Walter Camp Award (2003) Big East Offensive Player of the Year (2003) Unanimous All-American (2003) First-team All-Big East (2003) InsightBowl...
The 2004 InsightBowl was the 16th edition of the bowl game. It featured the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the Oregon State Beavers. Oregon State scored...
The 2002 InsightBowl was the 14th edition to the InsightBowl, formerly known as the Copper Bowl and the Insight.com Bowl. It featured the Panthers of...
Tech athletics department, Hokiesports.com. Accessed July 11, 2008. 2003InsightBowl Archived 2008-01-07 at the Wayback Machine Virginia Tech Athletics...
as well as a 52–49 shootout victory against Virginia Tech in the 2003InsightBowl. The Bears won 5 of their last 6 games. In the 2004 football season...
was one of the longest tenured active coaches in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and, at the time of his retirement, was the winningest active...
football season having gone 8–5 in 2003, culminating with a 52–49 loss to California in the 2003InsightBowl. The 2003 season had also been Virginia Tech's...
greatest bowl comeback was broken by Texas Tech when it returned to the Copper Bowl, by then renamed the InsightBowl, in 2006, the 2001 GMAC Bowl remains...
help with Super Bowl 50". ABC7 San Francisco. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016. "SuperBowlInsight". www.cipherbsc...
Independence Bowl (since 2006) The InsightBowl has been known as: the Copper Bowl (1989, 1996), Domino's Pizza Copper Bowl (1990–91), Weiser Lock Copper Bowl (1992–95)...
conference. This was Kansas' second Guaranteed Rate Bowl; they previously won the 2008 InsightBowl when the bowl was known by that name. It was the Jayhawks'...
Division I football, and the first to do so in a bowl game, when Colorado went to the 1999 Insight.com Bowl. In 2000, after falling ill with mononucleosis...
seventh consecutive bowl loss. The Irish ended 2004 with a 6–6 record and in need of a coach. The second bowl on December 28, the InsightBowl held at Bank One...
title sponsor of what had been the InsightBowl. In the offseason of 2017, Buffalo Wild Wings ceased sponsoring the bowl. Following sponsorship by Overton's...
Colorado at the 1999 Insight.com Bowl and Oklahoma State at the 1988 Holiday Bowl. This record stood until the 2018 Music City Bowl, when Auburn led Purdue...
The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the...
overtime, 34–31. In late December, Cal defeated Virginia Tech 52–49 in the InsightBowl at Phoenix; Rodgers passed for 394 yards and was the game's offensive...
Show" Rick & Lani Chaney May 10, 2003 (2003-05-10) Vic, Kenny, and the Captain offer their uniquely distinctive insights on the ins and outs of love and...
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