Pitt lost to Texas. I remember Larry Wanke coming off the bench to toss three tds but Pitt lost 32-27.. But the thing I remember most about this game was the last BB game. It was played the Astro Dome but like 23 thousand showed up despite the fact that it was played in Texas.The Bowl disbanded the following year and I remember reading that the teams didn’t get their share. It was on New Years Eve I believe. If you do remember it you are an old dude like me!
Who Remembers the Astro Blue Bonnet Bowl ?
- Thread starter poconopanther
- Start date
Remember it well. Especially the part about getting stiffed out of our money.
Pitt did not get their money but they found a way to come up with the money for Texas
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I remember. It was at time when we looked down our noses at bowls like that.
classic Ed Bozik, gets us into a bowl that was going out of business. 1987 was a strange season. Beat PSU & ND, lose to BC and Temple. Had a great defense that year. Sal Genilla couldn't hit the river if he was throwing off the Clemente bridge. Offense was all Ironhead, all the time. Any semblance of good QB play by Genilla and they might run the table (the switch to Dickerson was made late in the year and he wasn't quite ready yet for the big stage).
I do remember Wanke having a big game in the bowl. Was Dickerson hurt? But to cap the ironic season, defense let the team down. Eric Metcalfe ran up and down the field that day.
Another reason Gottfried belongs in the hall of average coaches since the departure of Sherrill. Should have been an 11 win season.
LIving here in Houston, I absolutely remember it. The problem was it was played on New Years Eve in the evening. No one wants to go to a football game on NYE in the evening....unless you're the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. It's now the Texas Bowl, and it's played on NYE in the afternoon. I went this year and it was quite entertaining. And both Baylor and especially LSU have some hotties!
I remember it well. Like the BC 1985 thread - those were my wheelhouse years as a young fan.
That 1987 team was probably the best of that sort of post Marino pre 90s implosion teams.
They beat WVU , ND , PSU ( the Billy Owen’s TD interception game ) , but had some mind boggling losses largely due to QB injuries/ issues and missed FGs.
Loved some individual players on that team - Ironhead, Owens, Zeke Gadsen , … really good team that provided some great memories.
“Ham” and “Lam” Jones playing for the ‘Horns.
And as mentioned above, Pitt getting stiffed out of their bowl $$$$$. Ed Bozik. What an AD!
And as mentioned above, Pitt getting stiffed out of their bowl $$$$$. Ed Bozik. What an AD!
I remember it being on New Years Eve. My wife and I had dinner plans so I ‘taped the game’ as we would say at the time. How many remember the process of taping games on the VCR? . Wanke later become a All American at JohnCarroll and was the last pick in the draft for that his senior season.
A wideout from Texas, Tony Jones, stole the show with 8 catches for 242 yards. Pitt ran the 46 defense that season and the corners were on an island. Jones was 5’7” 160 pounds and faster than Eric Metcalf. He caught two passes for TDs where it was in space and ran right past the secondary.
How did Texas end up in that bowl game with those two on offense? Longhorns underachieved from 1984 until 2004.
How did Texas end up in that bowl game with those two on offense? Longhorns underachieved from 1984 until 2004.
I’m a Gottfried guy, but his first two years there was some major misses, literally.
He blew off the Major Harris recruiting visit.
He blew too many games those first two seasons. Lost his opener in 1986 to a 5-win Maryland team. Also tied a bad NC State team and lost to Temple at home. Gottfried admitted not starting Heyward earlier and going with Gladman was a mistake. Gladman dropped a wide-open pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter vs the Wolfpack and Van Horn missed a FG on the next play.
The senior QB who was given a Run-N-Shoot offense to thrive in wasn’t up to the challenge, then killed any chances for a winning season by, naturally, getting hurt.
I was going to say, didn't it go bankrupt right after we played in it??
I was always a Congemi fan, we have seen much worse QB play here, that's for sure. Had a lot of injuries in his career, but he always managed to give fits to the nits so that was okay with me.
I definitely remember it… marched in the drumline at the Astrodome… place had weird flat acoustics. My family made the trip as well separate because the band did the whole trip by Bus after convincing the school to have the band go at all with a campus petition.
It was a great family trip. I remember my Parents were trying to figure out which room I was in at the Hotel. Someone told him his roommate was “constantly practicing on a pad “… my Dad said “that’s him”… lol. Good memories despite the loss.
It was a great family trip. I remember my Parents were trying to figure out which room I was in at the Hotel. Someone told him his roommate was “constantly practicing on a pad “… my Dad said “that’s him”… lol. Good memories despite the loss.
somethings never change. Zero road trips for the band this year (unless you count that lovely one in Detroit). Last year passed up ND. Heather was no friend of the band, and as I said many times only looked good because of the absolute litany of losers that proceeded her.
That needs to change
they were told to cut back on the number of members this year too.
It won't be long now until bands start being axed to funnel more funding into paying the professional athletes.
Eric Metcalf. Couldn’t tackle him. Frustrating game. Frustrating team. Lots of talent. Lots of bone heads too.
I was in the band for 3 years, '68-'70 and we had 2 road trips per season. Went to Miami, Oklahoma, Baylor, ND, Army - stayed in NYC, and PSU. Of course, we had many fewer in the band, and no flag carriers/twirlers/Golden Girls or whatever they are called. And very bad football teams.
Ed Bozik was the downfall of PITT sports. I know we've had a lot of years since, but I don't know of one man in sports anywhere that has negatively impacted a program more than Bozo.
One of the earliest memories of my entire life is going to the airport with my Mom to pick up my Dad and Grandpa after they got back from the Blue Bonnet Bowl. I was three years old and still can see them walking out of the jetway. Despite coming home from a football game and not a business trip, they were both wearing suits. I guess that was still kind of the norm when flying then. Nowadays people can't be bothered to wear anything other than shorts or yoga pants and a hoodie even when going to an office.
