Betting on the Las Vegas Bowl 2006
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Las Vegas Bowl 2006 Game Details
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: 21 December 2006, 8:00 PM EST
Teams: BYU vs. Oregon
Televised on: ESPN
Las Vegas Bowl Betting Matchup
Last year’s game featured two teams heading in different directions. With a record of 7-4, the Golden Bears began the season 5-0 but their first loss to UCLA on Oct. 8 started a tailspin that saw them drop four of their final six games. At 1-3, it looked as though BYU wouldn't even be bowl-eligible in early October. However, an offensive explosion led the Cougars to five wins in their final seven games and they finished 6-5.
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About the Las Vegas Bowl 2006
The Las Vegas Bowl is a post-season college football game sanctioned by the NCAA that has been played annually in Las Vegas, Nevada since 1992.
The 2006 Las Vegas Bowl will be played at the 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium and will be televised on ESPN. The game traditionally pits the No. 2 school in the Mountain West Conference against a team from the Pac 10.
Last year, Brigham Young University (6-5) came to the Las Vegas Bowl as the Mountain West Conference representative, while the University of California (7-4) represented the Pac-10 Conference.
Cal raced to a 21-point lead on the strength of Marshawn Lynch’s running and held off the Cougars 35-28. Lynch ran for three scores and was named Las Vegas Bowl MVP.
Las Vegas Bowl Prior Results
| Date | Winning Team | Score | Losing Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec. 2005 | California | 35 | BYU | 28 |
| 23 Dec. 2004 | Wyoming | 24 | UCLA | 21 |
| 24 Dec. 2003 | Oregon State | 55 | New Mexico | 14 |
| 25 Dec. 2002 | UCLA | 27 | New Mexico | 13 |
| 25 Dec. 2001 | Utah | 10 | Southern California | 6 |
| 21 Dec. 2000 | UNLV | 31 | Arkansas | 14 |
| 18 Dec. 1999 | Utah | 17 | Fresno State | 16 |
| 19 Dec. 1998 | North Carolina | 20 | San Diego State | 13 |
| 20 Dec. 1997 | Oregon | 41 | Air Force | 13 |
| 18 Dec. 1996 | Nevada | 18 | Ball State | 15 |
| 14 Dec. 1995 | Toledo | 40 | Nevada | 37 |
| 15 Dec. 1994 | UNLV | 52 | Central Michigan | 24 |
| 17 Dec. 1993 | Utah State | 42 | Ball State | 33 |
| 18 Dec. 1992 | Bowling Green | 35 | Nevada | 34 |
History of the Las Vegas Bowl
Organized by community leaders, the first Las Vegas Bowl kicked off on 18 December 1992, originally pitting the Big West and Mid-Western Conference champions against each other. The Las Vegas Bowl now is a matchup between teams from the Pac-10 Conference and Mountain West Conference.
From 2001 to 2002, the game was known as the SEGA Sports Las Vegas Bowl. The game is now sponsored by Pioneer, and is officially known as the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl.
The 1992 Las Vegas Bowl was an exciting affair voted one of the best bowl games of the year by ESPN and the Los Angeles Times. The key play of the game was a pass from Bowling Green's Erik White (eventual game MVP) to Dave Hankins, which resulted in a Falcons victory with only 22 seconds left on the clock.
The 1993 Las Vegas Bowl was not as close, with Utah State taking a 14-point first quarter lead, and eventually triumphing over Ball State by a score of 42-33. This offensive match of wits saw the Cardinals and Aggies combine for 75 points and 804 yards of offense in total.
1994 marked the first appearances of UNLV and Central Michigan at the Las Vegas Bowl in another high-scoring affair. UNLV dominated the matchup from the first touchdown scored by Henry Bailey on a pass from Jared Brown. The Rebels went on to crush the Chippewas 52-24.
The 1995 Las Vegas Bowl saw home town favorites Nevada against the Toledo Rockets. This became the first-ever overtime game in Las Vegas Bowl history, with the Rockets eventually nudging out the Wolf Pack by a score or 40-37.
Nevada returned to the field in 1996, with happier results. After posting a 9-0 lead in the first quarter, the Wolf Packs' defense kept Ball State to 218 yards total offense in the game, and went on to win 18-15.
The 1997 Las Vegas Bowl was the first visit for both Air Force and the Oregon Ducks. Despite the Academy's vaunted defense, the Ducks set the pace with a first quarter 69-yard reception by game MVP Saladin McCullough, and eventually went on to a lopsided 41-13 victory over Air Force.
In 1998 winds were blowing through Sam Boyd Stadium at more than 45 m.p.h. as UNC hit the field against San Diego State. Defense was the name of the game as North Carolina prevailed by a touchdown in an eventual 20-13 win over San Diego.
1999 saw Utah return to the Las Vegas Bowl in a tight 17-16 victory over Fresno State. The game's MVP, Mike Anderson, made a 76-yard run the first time he got his hands on the ball, and eventually created new school and game-records with 254 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2000, John Robinson's UNLV Rebels beat Arkansas by a score of 31-14. Jason Thomas threw two touchdown passes to Nate Turner in the first half, and then secured UNLV's win with a 54-yard touchdown strike late in the third quarter.
The 2001 Las Vegas Bowl, played on Christmas day, was the lowest scoring matchup in Las Vegas Bowl history, with Utah and USC combining for only 16 points. USC's only score came in the third quarter on an unconverted run, and the total lack of scoring in the fourth quarter sealed USC's fate as the Utes prevailed in their 10-6 victory.
The 11th Las Vegas Bowl, played on Christmas Day 2002, saw the University of New Mexico - making only its second bowl appearance in 41 years - taking on the UCLA Bruins. With the two teams scored at halftime, the Bruins scored on a 74-yard punt return by game MVP Craig Bragg early in the third quarter. This sealed UNM's fate, as UCLA went on to an eventual 27-13 victory.
The 2003 Las Vegas Bowl game, played on Christmas Eve, saw New Mexico return against Oregon State. In an unhappy result for the Lobos, the Beavers' Steven Jackson matched a bowl record with five touchdowns, leading Oregon to a definitive 55-14 rout of New Mexico.
2004 marked the Wyoming Cowboys' first trip to a bowl game in 11 years, as they faced off in the Las Vegas Bowl against UCLA. The trip seemed worth the wait as Corey Bramlet's two touchdown passes - including a 12-yard strike to John Wadkowski with only 57 seconds remaining in the game - cemented the Cowboys 24-21 victory.
Last season, Marshawn Lynch dominated the game and quarterback Steve Levy passed for 228 yards in just his second career start as California handled BYU. Cougar quarterback John Beck set a Las Vegas Bowl record with 35 completions in 53 attempts and 352 yards through the air.
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