2002 Holiday Bowl

The 2002 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 27, 2002 in San Diego, California. It was part of the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the Arizona State Sun Devils against the Kansas State Wildcats. Kansas State won the game by a 34–27 final score.

After a scoreless first quarter, Arizona State scored first following a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andrew Walter to wide receiver Justin Taplin for an early 7–0 lead. Arizona State added to the lead when Matt Barth drilled a 26-yard field goal to put Arizona State up 10–0. Kansas State finally got on the board when running back Darren Sproles rushed 41 yards for a touchdown making it 10–7. Running back Hakim Hill answered for ASU by rushing 9 yards for a touchdown, making it 17–7. Matt Barth later connected on a 39-yard field goal, increasing ASU's lead to 20–7. Before halftime, quarterback Ell Roberson rushed 32 yards for a touchdown, pulling Kansas State to within 20–14.

The defenses held in the third quarter, and the score remained 20–14 heading into the fourth quarter. Kansas State's Ell Roberson scored on a 3-yard touchdown run, but a missed PAT left the score tied at 20. Andrew Walter threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Williams to give Arizona State a 27–20 fourth quarter lead. Ell Roberson scored the tying touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with just 7 minutes left in the game. With only 75 seconds left in the game, Roberson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Evans for the winning score.