1994 Sun Bowl

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college football game

| name =

| year_game_played = 1994

| game_name = Sun Bowl

| subheader = 61st Sun Bowl

| football_season = 1994

| visitor_name_short = Texas

| visitor_nickname = Longhorns

| visitor_school = University of Texas

| home_name_short = North Carolina

| home_nickname = Tar Heels

| home_school = University of North Carolina

| visitor_record = 7–4

| visitor_conference = SWC

| home_record = 8–3

| home_conference = ACC

| visitor_coach = John Mackovic

| home_coach = Mack Brown

| home_rank_AP = 19

| home_rank_coaches = 14

| home_rank_bowlcoalition = 17

| visitor_1q = 7

| visitor_2q = 14

| visitor_3q = 0

| visitor_4q = 14

| home_1q = 7

| home_2q = 10

| home_3q = 0

| home_4q = 14

| date_game_played = December 29

| stadium = Sun Bowl

| city = El Paso, Texas

| MVP = Priest Holmes (RB, Texas){{cite web|url=http://www.sunbowl.org/the_sun_bowl_game/legend/26|title=Priest Holmes – Legends of the Sun Bowl – Hyundai Sun Bowl – December 29, 2017 – El Paso, Texas|website=www.sunbowl.org}}

| referee = Chuck McFerrin (Pac-10)

| attendance = 50,612

| us_network = CBS

| us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games

| us_announcers = Jim Nantz, Doug Flutie and Andrea Joyce

| different_previous = 1993

}}

The 1994 Sun Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 29, 1994. The game pitted the unranked Texas Longhorns against the No. 19 North Carolina Tar Heels.{{cite web |url=http://collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=752#.XCFeHy2ZNxw |title=December 6, 1994 AP Football Poll |website=collegepollarchive.com |access-date=December 24, 2018}} The Tar Heels were led by eventual Texas head coach Mack Brown.

The game was a seesaw offensive battle. Texas, down 31–21 midway through the fourth quarter, mounted a comeback to gain a 35–31 victory, with Priest Holmes's leap into the endzone proving to be the winning points.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/31/sports/95-bowl-games-holmes-runs-vaults-and-somersaults-to-4-texas-scores.html|title = '95 BOWL GAMES; Holmes Runs, Vaults and Somersaults to 4 Texas Scores|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 31 December 1994}} Priest Holmes had 161 yards on 27 carries for four touchdowns to lead the Longhorns to victory and give him MVP honors.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-times-longhorns-hook-em/140425114/|work=The El Paso Times|title=Longhorns hook 'em|date=December 31, 1994|accessdate=February 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}} A record 50,612 attended this game, a high for both the bowl game and the stadium.{{cite web |title=NCAA Official Scoring Summary - 61st Annual Sun Bowl |url=http://www.sunbowl.org/system/game_recaps/documents/61/original/1994.pdf |website=sunbowl.org}}

This was the first time since 1988 that the Sun Bowl was played under its original name after five years of title sponsorship from John Hancock Insurance.