1998 Humanitarian Bowl

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

{{Infobox college football game

| name =

| year_game_played = 1998

| game_name = Humanitarian Bowl

| football_season = 1998

| visitor_name_short = Southern Miss

| visitor_nickname = Golden Eagles

| visitor_school = University of Southern Mississippi

| home_name_short = Idaho

| home_nickname = Vandals

| home_school = University of Idaho

| visitor_record = 7–4

| visitor_conference = C-USA

| home_record = 8–3

| home_conference = Big West

| visitor_coach = Jeff Bower

| home_coach = Chris Tormey

| visitor_1q = 13

| visitor_2q = 8

| visitor_3q = 0

| visitor_4q = 14

| home_1q = 7

| home_2q = 21

| home_3q = 7

| home_4q = 7

| date_game_played = December 30

| stadium = Bronco Stadium

| city = Boise, Idaho

| MVP = John Welsh, QB – Idaho {{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EGRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5fEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6663%2C6372632 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington|last=Meehan |first=Jim |title=Welsh has a day like no other |date=December 31, 1998 |page=C5}}

| odds = Southern Miss by 16 {{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JVdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oOsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5217%2C8156241|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon|title=The latest line: college football bowl games |date=December 30, 1998 |page=6B}}

| referee = Nick Define (MAC)

| attendance = 19,667

| payout = 750,000 per team {{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=t8wqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6dAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6035%2C2642435 |newspaper=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=Idaho-Washington|title=Vandals take the field |date=December 30, 1998 |page=1A}}{{Cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/1998/bowls/news/1998/07/09/bowl_schedule/index.html |title=CNN/SI - '98-'99 College Bowls - 1998-99 College Football Bowl Schedule - Tuesday January 05, 1999 01:01 AM |access-date=2008-12-24 |archive-date=2005-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050312173645/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/1998/bowls/news/1998/07/09/bowl_schedule/index.html |url-status=dead }}

| us_network = ESPN2

| us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games

| us_announcers = Wayne Larrivee, Randy Wright

}}

The 1998 Humanitarian Bowl was the second edition of the bowl game, held on December 30 at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Played on the blue turf, it featured the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and the Idaho Vandals, the champions of the Big West Conference. Idaho was in its first-ever bowl game and upset Southern Miss {{nowrap|42–35,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EGRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5fEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4924%2C6356215|newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington|last=Meehan |first=Jim |title=Destiny smiles on Idaho: UI stuns Southern Miss |date=December 31, 1998 |page=C1 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b2pfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pC4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5040%2C4029426|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |last=Johnson |first=David |title=Vandals seize the moment |date=December 31, 1998 |page=1A }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b2pfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pC4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3949%2C4081512|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho|last=Sahlberg |first=Bert|title=True Humanitarians |date=December 31, 1998 |page=1B }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rMwqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6dAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5174%2C2858242 |newspaper=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=Idaho-Washington|last=Pond |first=Alex |title=Vandals victorious |date=December 31, 1998 |page=1C}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JldWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oOsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3125%2C8394174 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon|agency=Associated Press|title=Idaho stuns S. Mississippi in Boise bowl |date=December 31, 1998 |page=2D}}}} after entering as a 16-point underdog.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D2RWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5fEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4368%2C5294873 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington|last=Meehan |first=Jim |title=Idaho looks for huge upset |date=December 30, 1998 |page=C1}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bmpfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pC4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=2123%2C3819507 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho|last=Sahlberg |first=Bert|title=Opportunity knocks at last |date=December 30, 1998 |page=1B }}

It was Idaho's third season back in Division I-A; the Vandals had been in Division I-AA from 1978 through 1995 and were frequently in its postseason. Six weeks earlier, Idaho had defeated rival Boise State on this field by one point, scoring a two-point conversion in overtime to gain their only Big West title.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UqteAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oC4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5059%2C1390673|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho|last=Sahlberg |first=Bert|title=Guts and glory |date=November 22, 1998 |page=1A}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jL4jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y9AFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5663%2C559369 |newspaper=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=Idaho-Washington|last=Pond |first=Alex |title=The call to glory |date=November 23, 1998 |page=1C}} Southern Miss was 5–1 in Conference USA, runner-up to undefeated Tulane; it was their tenth bowl game.