BYU football: A look at the Cougars' 31 bowl appearances, 1974-2012

This marked the first of seven straight Holiday Bowl appearances for the Cougars, as the new San Diego-based game now granted the WAC champion its automatic postseason berth. (The previous year, the Cougars were co-WAC champs and slated for the Fiesta Bowl, but with the game scheduled for a Sunday, BYU declined to participate.)

In this inaugural game, Navy came in with an 8-3 record and proved a difficult matchup for the Cougars. BYU shuffled between quarterbacks Marc Wilson and Jim McMahon and built a 16-3 lead in the third quarter. But the Midshipmen roared back in the fourth, scoring 20 unanswered points (including a 65-yard touchdown pass) for the win.

Related: 1978 Holiday Bowl: Navy 23, BYU 16