The 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl was a

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

postseason

bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...

between the

TCU Horned Frogs The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University. The 18 varsity teams participate in NCAA Division I and in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for football, competing mostly in the Big 12 Conference. The sc ...

and the

West Virginia Mountaineers The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent West Virginia University, an American university located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. The Moun ...

Background

This was West Virginia's fourth straight bowl appearance and first Bluebonnet Bowl. They started off well, winning their first three games and at one point ranked 12th in the polls before losing their last three games. TCU improved seven games from last season under Wacker in his second season, in their first bowl appearance since 1965.

Game summary

West Virginia and TCU both scored touchdowns on their first drives, then traded punts. On their 3rd drive, West Virginia scored on a 62-yard touchdown pass to Gary Mullen. The Horned Frogs then suffered from the loss of All-American running back Kenneth Davis to a knee injury at the end of the 1st quarter, and they trailed 31–7 at halftime. TCU scored in the second half just once, as West Virginia's 302 passing yard attack overwhelmed a team lacking a rush attack. However, Anthony Gulley finished with 150 yards passing for the Frogs, with touchdown passes to Dan Sharp and Keith Burnett. Willie Drewery had six catches and 152 yards for West Virginia.

Aftermath

The Mountaineers would return to a bowl game three years later, but wouldn't win one until 2000. TCU did not make a bowl game again under Wacker, waiting 10 years for their next bowl game appearance, and 14 for a bowl win. Both would join the Big XII together in 2012.

Statistics

References

Bluebonnet Bowl The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 1959 ...

Bluebonnet Bowl TCU Horned Frogs football bowl games West Virginia Mountaineers football bowl games December 1984 sports events in the United States Astro-Bluebonnet 1984 in Houston {{Collegefootball-bowl-stub