Classic Bowl Performances: Philip Rivers finishes his career in style

Bowl season is here, which means now is the perfect time to jump in the way-back machine and re-visit some classic moments in bowl game history. I'll be dropping throwback highlight reels in here and on the YouTube channel over the next month to celebrate, and hopefully remind you just how fun these random matchups can be.

Previously:

• Peyton Manning vs. Northwestern - 1997 Citrus Bowl
• Roy Williams vs. LSU - 2003 Cotton Bowl
• Chris McAlister vs. Nebraska - 1998 Holiday Bowl
• Brandon Marshall vs. Nevada - 2005 Hawai'i Bowl
• Vince Young vs. Michigan - 2005 Rose Bowl
• Troy Smith vs Notre Dame - 2006 Fiesta Bowl

Here's all you need to know about Philip Rivers at NC State:

• He's by far the most decorated quarterback in school history:

Despite the explosion of passing numbers in the last 20 years, Rivers is still first in NC State history in career starts (51), yards passing (13,484), touchdowns (95), and passer rating (144.2). He also added 17 rushing touchdowns for good measure, too. He was named ACC Player of the Year in 2003, led the Wolfpack to a still-school record 11 games in 2002, with 34 overall wins in his four seasons.

• He meant so much to the program that they literally retired his number before his career was even over on senior day in 2003:

• And finally, he ended his career about as stellar as anyone ever has with his performance in the 2003 Tangerine Bowl against Kansas. In his final game, Rivers went 37-45, for 475 yards passing and five touchdowns in the Wolfpack's 56-26 win:

Rivers may not ever make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he played with a level of enthusiasm that made any game he was in must-watch - whether you loved or hated him. If you have some extra time today/this weekend, check out the career highlight video I made for him a couple years ago: