The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
UT accepts invitation to play in Culligan Holiday Bowl
12.03.2001 | Football
AUSTIN, Texas -- No. 10 Texas (10-2/7-1 Big 12 South Champions) accepted a bid to play No. 20 Washington (8-3/6-2 Pac 10) in the Culligan Holiday Bowl, Longhorns Men's Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds announced on Monday. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. (CT) at Qualcomm Stadium and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
The bid marks the Longhorns' second straight appearance in the game. No. 12 Texas lost a 35-30 shootout with No. 8 Oregon in last year's contest. That marked the first time UT ever played in the San Diego-based bowl.
"We had a great time at the Culligan Holiday Bowl last year and are looking forward to the opportunity to go back," head coach Mack Brown said. "Not many teams have an chance to win 11 games and finish in the top 10 and that's something we want to do. It'll be a great matchup with Washington and I know Rick (Neuheisel) will have his team ready. We have a large fan base in California and our fans have been tremendously supportive wherever we have gone."
UT will be playing in its fourth consecutive bowl game and its 41st all-time bowl contest (No. 3 on the NCAA's all-time list). The four straight bowl appearances mark the longest streak for the Horns since they went to nine consecutive postseason games from 1977-85. Brown, who has led UT to four straight nine-or-more-win seasons for the first time since 1961-64, has guided his squad to a 10th straight bowl game (tied for the second-longest active streak among NCAA coaches). His 12 consecutive winning seasons rank as the third-longest active streak among NCAA coaches.
The Longhorns are looking to post 11 victories for the first time since 1983 and just the fifth time in school history. Texas also is looking to finish the season ranked among the nation's Top 10 for the first time since 1983.
Texas and Washington have met three times, with the Longhorns winning two of those contests. The last meeting meeting between the two schools came in the 1979 Sun Bowl, a 14-7 No. 13 Washington win over No. 11 UT. The Longhorns won both ends of a home-and-home series that began with a 35-31 No. 7 UT victory in Austin in 1974. No. 8 Texas then knocked off the Huskies 28-10 in Seattle in 1975.
To purchase tickets in The University of Texas' section at the Culligan Holiday Bowl, contact the Longhorns ticket office at 800/982-BEVO or 512/471-3333.
