| Year Game Played: | 1996 |
| Title Sponsor: | Plymouth |
| Game Name: | Holiday Bowl |
| Football Season: | 1996 |
| Visitor Name Short: | Colorado |
| Visitor Nickname: | Buffaloes |
| Visitor School: | University of Colorado |
| Home Name Short: | Washington |
| Home Nickname: | Huskies |
| Home School: | University of Washington |
| Visitor Record: | 9–2 |
| Visitor Conference: | Big 12 |
| Home Record: | 9–2 |
| Home Conference: | Pac-10 |
| Visitor Coach: | Rick Neuheisel |
| Home Coach: | Jim Lambright |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | 8 |
| Visitor Rank Coaches: | 8 |
| Visitor Rank Bowlalliance: | 8 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 13 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 12 |
| Home Rank Bowlalliance: | 12 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 17 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 3 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 6 |
| Home 1Q: | 14 |
| Home 2Q: | 7 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 0 |
| Date Game Played: | December 30 |
| Stadium: | Jack Murphy Stadium |
| City: | San Diego, California |
| Mvp: | Offensive: Koy Detmer (Colorado) Defensive: Nick Ziegler (Colorado) |
| Halftime: | Marching bands |
| Attendance: | 54,749[1] |
| Payout: | 1,433,883 per team |
| Us Network: | ESPN |
| Us Announcers: | Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, and Adrian Karsten |
The 1996 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 30, 1996, in San Diego, California. It was part of the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the Colorado Buffaloes, and the Washington Huskies.
Washington scored first following a 2-yard touchdown run from running back Corey Dillon, and the Huskies opened up a 7–0 lead. Corey Dillon later scored on a 12-yard touchdown run, increasing Washington's lead to 14–0. 45 seconds later, Colorado quarterback Koy Detmer threw a 75-yard 'bullet' to wide receiver Rae Carruth to close Colorado to within 14–7.
In the second quarter, Nick Ziegler returned a Washington interception 31 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 14. On the very next play, Jerome Pathon returned the kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown, and Washington reclaimed the lead at 21–14. Koy Detmer later threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Darrin Chiaqverini for a 7-yard touchdown pass, and the score was tied at 21. Jeremy Aldrich kicked a 42-yard field goal before halftime, to put Colorado on top 24–21.
In the third quarter, Aldrich kicked a 36-yard field goal to increase Colorado's lead to 27–21. In the fourth quarter, Koy Detmer threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Rae Carruth, but the 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, and Colorado was up 33–21. They held on to that lead to win the game by that same margin. Koy Detmer went 25-for-45 for 371 yards and three touchdowns for Colorado. Defensive lineman Nick Ziegler was named defensive MVP.[2] [3]