1988 Sun Bowl
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college football game
| name =
| year_game_played = 1988
| title_sponsor = John Hancock
| game_name = Sun Bowl
| subheader = 55th Sun Bowl
| football_season = 1988
| visitor_name_short = Army
| visitor_nickname = Cadets
| visitor_school = United States Military Academy
| home_name_short = Alabama
| home_nickname = Crimson Tide
| home_school = University of Alabama
| visitor_record = 9–2
| visitor_conference = Independent
| home_record = 8–3
| home_conference = SEC
| visitor_coach = Jim Young
| home_coach = Bill Curry
| home_rank_AP = 20
| home_rank_coaches = 20
| visitor_1q = 7
| visitor_2q = 7
| visitor_3q = 14
| visitor_4q = 0
| home_1q = 3
| home_2q = 10
| home_3q = 7
| home_4q = 9
| date_game_played = December 24
| stadium = Sun Bowl
| MVP = David Smith, Alabama QB
Derrick Thomas, Alabama LB
| referee = J.C. Louderback (Big Eight)
| attendance = 48,719
| us_network = CBS (blacked out locally)
| us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games
| us_announcers = Verne Lundquist and Pat Haden
| different_next = 1989
}}
The 1988 John Hancock Sun Bowl, part of the 1988 bowl game season, took place on December 24, 1988, at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and the Army Cadets, competing as a football independent. The game put Alabama's air attack against Army's ground attack, and ended with Alabama just edging past Army in the fourth quarter to win the game 29–28.
Teams
=Alabama=
=Army=
{{see also|1988 Army Cadets football team}}
The 1988 Army squad finished the regular season with a record of 9–2 with losses coming against Washington and Boston College. The appearance in the Sun Bowl marked the first for Army in the game, and their third overall bowl game appearance.
Game summary
The Cadets opened the scoring with a one-yard Mike Mayweather touchdown run to take a 7–0 lead.{{cite news |title=Smith rallies Tide in Sun |first=Cecil |last=Hurt |newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News |page=1B |date=December 25, 1988 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VK8pAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8aUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6401%2C9093574 |access-date=January 30, 2011}} The Crimson Tide responded with a 37-yard Philip Doyle field goal to cut the lead to 7–3 at the end of the first. In the second quarter, Army again scored on the run with Bryan McWilliams reaching the endzone on a 30-yard run. Alabama again responded with a 22-yard Philip Doyle field goal and a 7-yard Marco Battle touchdown reception from David Smith to close the gap to 14–13 at the half. Army went into halftime with a 14–13 lead by putting up 232 yards on the ground.
Alabama put together a 69-yard drive to take its first lead 20–14 in the game half way through the third quarter on a 23-yard Greg Payne touchdown reception. Army answered with another touchdown on the next drive to take the lead back at 21-20. On Alabama's next drive David Smith was intercepted by Army's O'Neal Miller who returned it 57 yards for a touchdown and a 28-20 lead. In the fourth quarter Alabama put together two scoring drives for a 32-yard Doyle field goal and a 2-yard David Casteal run to regain the lead at 29–28.{{cite news |url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/sunbowl/ci_4688720 |title=Best of the Sun Bowl: #11 |date=November 19, 2006 |newspaper=El Paso Times |access-date=January 30, 2011 |archive-date=July 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730035209/http://www.elpasotimes.com/sunbowl/ci_4688720 |url-status=dead }}
Army put up 350 yards on the ground against Alabama's 5th-ranked defense that gave up less than 100 yards per game on average during the season. Army Coach Jim Young said about the game "Alabama was one of the better teams in the country. We played them and beat them in everything except the score."{{cite web |url=http://www.goarmysports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=11100&ATCLID=1615376 |title=Black Knight Flashback: 1988 |date=October 29, 2009 |work=GoArmySports.com |publisher=Army Athletic Communications |access-date=January 30, 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The El Paso Times ranks this game 11th among the top Sun Bowl games ever.
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryStart|VisitorName=Army|HomeName=Alabama|state=expand}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=1
| Time=12:04
| DrivePlays=7
| DriveLength=70
| DriveTime=2:56
| Team=Army
| Type=RushTD
| Runner=Mike Mayweather
| yards=1
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=Keith Walker
| Visitor=7
| Home=0
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=1
| Time=1:25
| Team=Alabama
| DrivePlays=14
| DriveLength=65
| DriveTime=4:30
| Type=FG
| yards=37
| Kicker=Philip Doyle
| Visitor=7
| Home=3
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=2
| Time=14:02
| DrivePlays=6
| DriveLength=69
| DriveTime=2:23
| Team=Army
| Type=RushTD
| Runner=Bryan McWilliams
| yards=30
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=Keith Walker
| Visitor=14
| Home=3
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=2
| Time=7:33
| Team=Alabama
| DrivePlays=11
| DriveLength=67
| DriveTime=6:29
| Type=FG
| yards=22
| Kicker=Philip Doyle
| Visitor=14
| Home=6
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=2
| Time=0:35
| Team=Alabama
| DrivePlays=8
| DriveLength=76
| DriveTime=
| Type=RecTD
| Receiver=Marco Battle
| QB=David Smith
| yards=7
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=Philip Doyle
| Visitor=14
| Home=13
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=3
| Time=4:23
| Team=Alabama
| DrivePlays=8
| DriveLength=69
| DriveTime=2:50
| Type=RecTD
| Receiver=Greg Payne
| QB=David Smith
| yards=23
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=Philip Doyle
| Visitor=14
| Home=20
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=3
| Time=1:22
| DrivePlays=6
| DriveLength=69
| DriveTime=2:50
| Team=Army
| Type=RushTD
| Runner=Mike Mayweather
| yards=3
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=Keith Walker
| Visitor=21
| Home=20
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=3
| Time=0:07
| Team=Army
| DrivePlays=1
| DriveLength=57
| DriveTime=
| Type=IntTD
| Def=O'Neal Miller
| yards=57
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=Keith Walker
| Visitor=28
| Home=20
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=4
| Time=7:25
| Team=Alabama
| DrivePlays=12
| DriveLength=49
| DriveTime=4:12
| Type=FG
| yards=22
| Kicker=Philip Doyle
| Visitor=28
| Home=23
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=4
| Time=4:01
| Team=Alabama
| DrivePlays=5
| DriveLength=54
| DriveTime=2:16
| Type=RushTD
| Runner=David Casteal
| yards=2
| 2pt type=run
| 2pt result=failed
| Visitor=28
| Home=29
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEnd|Visitor=28|Home=29}}
Legacy
Alabama quarterback David Smith later became a college football referee in the SEC; games he officiated include the 2013 Senior Bowl and 2018 Sun Bowl.{{cite web |url=https://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/01/former_alabama_quarterback_fin.html |title=Former Alabama quarterback finally makes it to Senior Bowl |first=Tommy |last=Hicks |website=al.com |date=January 26, 2013 |access-date=December 31, 2018}}{{cite tweet |user=CAPTMCMcCarron |number=1079827796157915142 |title=The referee for today's @HyundaiSunBowl was the quarterback for Alabama in the 1988 Sun Bowl |date=December 31, 2018 |access-date=December 31, 2018}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{1988 bowl game navbox}}
{{Sun Bowl navbox}}
{{Alabama Crimson Tide bowl game navbox}}
{{Army Black Knights bowl game navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sun Bowl, 1988}}
Category:1988–89 NCAA football bowl games