| Game Name: | Cherry Bowl |
| Subheader: | Final edition bowl game |
| Date Game Played: | December 21 |
| Year Game Played: | 1985 |
| Football Season: | 1985 |
| Stadium: | Pontiac Silverdome |
| City: | Pontiac, Michigan |
| Visitor School: | University of Maryland |
| Visitor Name Short: | Maryland |
| Visitor Nickname: | Terrapins |
| Visitor Record: | 8–3 |
| Visitor Coach: | Bobby Ross |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | 20 |
| Visitor Rank Coaches: | NR |
| Visitor 1Q: | 6 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 22 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home School: | Syracuse University |
| Home Name Short: | Syracuse |
| Home Nickname: | Orangemen |
| Home Record: | 7–4 |
| Home Coach: | Dick MacPherson |
| Home 1Q: | 3 |
| Home 2Q: | 7 |
| Home 3Q: | 8 |
| Home 4Q: | 0 |
| Mvp: | Stan Gelbaugh, QB, Maryland |
| Referee: | Don Baur (MAC) |
| Attendance: | 51,858 |
| Us Network: | Mizlou, USA Network |
| Us Announcers: | Ray Lane and Jim Brandstatter |
| Last Game Ever Played: | yes |
The 1985 Cherry Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Atlantic Coast Conference's Maryland Terrapins and the Syracuse Orangemen. After an early 10–6 lead, The Orangemen gave up 22 unanswered second-quarter points, falling too far behind for a comeback and allowing the Terps to win with a final score of 35–18.[1]
Although it was only the second edition, the bowl folded after this game when the Cherry Bowl committee found it was more than $2,000,000 over budget. This ended postseason college football in Detroit until 1997, when the Motor City Bowl launched and the MAC Championship Game was first played on a neutral site.
| Statistics | Syracuse | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 28 | 22 |
| Rushing yards | 241 | 244 |
| Passing yards | 204 | 223 |
| Total yards | 445 | 467 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 3 |
| Punts–average | 1/52.0 | 3/38.7 |
| Fumbles–lost | 3/2 | 0/0 |
| Penalties–yards | 3/26 | 5/54 |