Fiesta Bowl
Official home of the BCS National Championship Game, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Insight Bowl and Festival of College Football
Sponsors
Game History
Back to Game List10th ANNUAL INSIGHT BOWL
December 26, 1998 Attendance: 36,147 Stadium: Arizona Stadium Offensive Player Of The Game: Marc Bulger, West Virginia Defensive Player Of The Game: Jeff Marriott, Missouri Head Coaches: Larry Smith, Missouri Don Nehlen, West Virginia Weather: Partly cloudy, 62 degrees Television: ESPN Payout Per Team: $750,000 |
 |
Missouri relied on the Joneses to win its first bowl game since 1981.
Corby Jones rushed for three touchdowns and Julian Jones intercepted a pass and blocked a punt for a safety as the Tigers survived a furious second-half rally to beat West Virginia, 34-31, in the 10th Annual Insight Bowl.
Missouri took leads of 24-3 and 31-10 and held on for the win behind strong special teams play and the rushing of Devin West and Corby Jones. West, the No. 5 rusher in Division I-A entering the game, finished with 125 yards on 31 attempts, while Jones had 51 yards rushing and 130 yards through the air.
The Tigers took a 7-0 lead when Jeff Marriott blocked a field goal attempt and Carlos Posey scooped up the ball near the sidelines and raced untouched for the score. Corby Jones had two touchdown runs in the first half and Julian Jones blocked a punt through the end zone for a safety to give Missouri a 24-3 halftime lead.
West Virginia quarterback Marc Bulger threw four second half touchdowns, including a 9-yard toss to Amos Zereoue that cut Missouri’s lead to 31-24 with 10:27 to play. But Corby Jones led a 76-yard, 14-play drive that consumed 6:43 before stalling at the one to setup an 18-yard field goal by Brian Long.
Bulger quickly led the Mountaineers down the field and threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to David Saunders that made it 34-31 with 2:11 to play. But Missouri’s Dwayne Blakley recovered the onside kick and the Tigers ran out the clock.
The Tigers, who appeared in their first bowl game in 13 years the previous season, won a postseason game for the first time since the 1981 Tangerine Bowl.
Bulger finished with a school record 429 yards passing and Shawn Foreman set an Insight Bowl record with 11 receptions for 189 yards.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
West Virginia
0
3
14
14
-
31
Missouri
14
10
7
3
-
34
YARDSTICK
| WVU | MU | |
| 27 |
First Downs | 21 |
| 26-39 | Rushes-Yards | 53-197 |
| 452 | Passing Yards | 130 |
| 35-51-2 | Passes | 8-12-0 |
| 73 | Return Yards | 184 |
| 2-25.5 | Punts | 5-32.6 |
| 0-0 |
Fumbles-Lost | 3-1 |
| 6-60 | Penalties-Yards | 4-29 |
HOW THEY SCORED
| WVU | MU |
|
| 0 | 7 | Carlos Posey 70 yard return of blocked field goal (Brian Long kick) |
| 0 | 14 | Corby Jones 9 yard run (Brian Long kick) |
| 3 | 14 | Jay Taylor 28 yard field goal |
| 3 | 16 | Carlos Posey fumble recovery in end zone for safety |
| 3 | 24 | Corby Jones 2 yard run (Kent Layman pass from Corby Jones) |
| 10 | 24 | David Saunders 9 yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jay Taylor kick) |
| 10 | 31 | Corby Jones 11 yard run (Brian Long kick) |
| 17 | 31 | Khori Ivy 8 yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jay Taylor kick) |
| 24 | 31 | Amos Zereoue 9 yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jay Taylor kick) |
| 24 | 34 | Brian Long 18 yard field goal |
| 31 | 34 | David Saunders 1 yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jay Taylor kick) |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – WEST VIRGINIA: Amos Zereoue 22-32, Pat Greene 1-12, David Saunders 1-0, Marc Bulger 2-(-5). MISSOURI: Devin West 31-125, Corby Jones 18-51, John Dausman 1-9, Kent Layman 1-8, Robert West 2-4.
PASSING – WEST VIRGINIA: Marc Bulger 34-50-2-429, David Saunders 1-1-0-23. MISSOURI: Corby Jones 8-12-0-130.
RECEIVING – WEST VIRGINIA: Shawn Foreman 11-189, David Saunders 8-95, Anthony Becht 6-87, Pat Greene 4-39, Amos Zereoue 2-9, Antonio Brown 2-5, Anthony Green 1-20, Khori Ivy 1-8. MISSOURI: John Dausman 3-44, Kareem Wise 2-27, Eddie Brooks 1-25, Kent Layman 1-23, Dwayne Blakley 1-11.
Got a Question?
