| Year Game Played: | 1996 |
| Title Sponsor: | Builders Square |
| Game Name: | Alamo Bowl |
| Subheader: | Fourth edition |
| Football Season: | 1996 |
| Visitor Name Short: | Texas Tech |
| Visitor Nickname: | Red Raiders |
| Visitor School: | Texas Tech University |
| Home Name Short: | Iowa |
| Home Nickname: | Hawkeyes |
| Home School: | University of Iowa |
| Visitor Record: | 7–4 |
| Visitor Conference: | Big 12 |
| Home Record: | 8–3 |
| Home Conference: | Big Ten |
| Visitor Coach: | Spike Dykes |
| Home Coach: | Hayden Fry |
| Home Rank Ap: | 21 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 21 |
| Home Rank Bowlalliance: | 21 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home 1Q: | 6 |
| Home 2Q: | 11 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 10 |
| Date Game Played: | December 29 |
| Stadium: | Alamodome |
| City: | San Antonio, Texas |
| Mvp: | RB Sedrick Shaw (Iowa) DL Jared DeVries (Iowa) OT Shane Dunn (Texas Tech) |
| Referee: | Buddy Ward (Big East) |
| Us Network: | ESPN |
| Us Announcers Link: | List of announcers of major college bowl games |
| Us Announcers: | Ron Franklin and Mike Gottfried |
The 1996 Alamo Bowl featured the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Iowa was in their eighth week (non consecutive) of being ranked, with one highlight win being over #10 Penn State. Though they finished tied for 2nd in the Big Ten Conference, they were invited to their fifth bowl game in five years. In their first season in the Big 12 Conference following the fall of the Southwest Conference, the Red Raiders finished in 2nd place in the Southern Division, though they were invited to their fourth bowl game in three years.
Iowa opened the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run from quarterback Matt Sherman, opening up a 6–0 lead. In the second quarter, Sedrick Shaw rushed 20 yards for a touchdown. The ensuing two-point conversion attempt was successful, and Iowa built a 14–0 lead. Zach Bromert added field goals of 36 and 26 yards, as Iowa's lead ballooned to 20–0. In the fourth quarter, Rodney Filer scored on a 14-yard touchdown run to finalize the score.
The win was somewhat bittersweet for Iowa, as linebacker Mark Mitchell had lost his mother in a fatal car accident while she drove to San Antonio to attend what would be her son's final collegiate game. Therefore, as a symbolic gesture of mourning, the entire Iowa team stripped their helmets of all markings, the game ball was also given to Mitchell. Sedrick Shaw rushed 113 yards on 20 carries as the Red Raiders were held scoreless for the first time since 1987.[1]
| Statistics | Texas Tech | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 13 | 23 |
| Rushing yards | 61 | 217 |
| Passing yards | 145 | 139 |
| Total offense | 206 | 356 |
| Passing | 14–32–1 | 10–17–0 |
| Punts–average | 6–45.8 | 5–52.0 |
| Return yards | -2 | 32 |
| Fumbles–lost | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Penalties–yards | 7–68 | 8–78 |