The 2003 Insight Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the California Bears on December 26, 2003. The game was the final contest of the 2003 season for both teams, in which Virginia Tech had come third in the Big East Conference, while California had tied for third place in the Pacific-10 Conference. From the beginning of the game, it was a quick-paced, high- scoring contest. In the first quarter, Virginia Tech jumped out to a 21–7 lead. In the second quarter, California scored two touchdowns but Tech took a 28–21 lead into halftime. Bolstered by an improved defensive effort, California scored 21 unanswered points to take a 42–28 lead into the fourth quarter. Tech evened the score at 49–49 after an 80-yard touchdown drive that took less than two minutes and a punt return by DeAngelo Hall for a touchdown. The post-score Tech kickoff went out of bounds, and with time running out, California began to drive for a game-winning score. The Bears needed just seven plays to advance 47 yards and set up a field goal attempt. As time expired, kicker Tyler Fredrickson (pictured) kicked a 35-yard field goal to give California a 52–49 victory.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Insight_Bowl

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1825:

Imperial Russian Army officers led about 3,000 soldiers in a protest against Nicholas I's assumption of the throne after his elder brother Constantine removed himself from the line of succession. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decembrist_revolt

1871:

Thespis, the first comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan, made its debut at the Gaiety Theatre, London, UK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thespis_(opera)

1898:

At the French Academy of Sciences, physicists Pierre and Marie Curie (both pictured) announced the discovery of a new element, naming it radium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium

1996:

Six-year-old American beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado, a murder that generated extensive coverage from the American media. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_JonBen%C3%A9t_Ramsey

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

rebarbative: Irritating, repellent. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rebarbative

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

 No man is great enough or wise enough for any of us to surrender our destiny to. The only way in which anyone can lead us is to restore to us the belief in our own guidance.    --Henry Miller https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_Miller