SAN DIEGO — Bowl season is truly beginning to ramp up, and the non-CFP bowl games taking place this week present a great jumping off point for returning players to build toward next fall.

In a game in which star Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was kept quiet until the final stretch, running back Bucky Irving took advantage of his opportunity to shine on a big stage at the Holiday Bowl.

The sophomore from Chicago broke off a big season-best 66-yard rushing score in the second quarter to highlight a stellar night at Petco Park in San Diego. The run, which gave the 15th-ranked Ducks a 14-7 lead at the time and is his longest of the season, put Irving in the Holiday Bowl record books as it will go down as the third-best rushing play in the history of the game.

Barry Sanders sits atop that list, so it's not bad company for the transfer from Minnesota.

Irving finished the game with 149 yards rushing and two touchdowns to end his first season with the Ducks at 1,058 yards to go with five scores on the ground.

It can be difficult to gauge just how meaningful a performance like the one Irving had Wednesday will carry over into the new year, but he certainly capped 2022 in a big way.

Irving credited his coach after the game for giving him the confidence to perform like he did Wednesday in San Diego.

"I think it was like Wednesday, Coach [Dan] Lanning came up to me and asked me, 'Do I want to be great?' I said, 'Of course.' Then he was like, 'Do you really want to be great?' I said, yes.Then he told me to trust the guys in front of me. I just want to thank them and thank him for telling me what I can do on a daily basis. And also I want to thank the O-line for always being there on a daily basis and me just staying on the right track."