The 1993 edition to the Alamo Bowl featured the California Golden Bears, and the Iowa Hawkeyes. One of the bowl's invites was expected to be a school from the Texas-based Southwest Conference (SWC). However, only 2 of the SWC's eight teams (Texas A&M and Texas Tech) reached the necessary 6 wins for bowl eligibility and those teams were committed to the Cotton and Hancock Bowls, respectively. The University of Texas had played a rigorous non-conference schedule, going 0-3-1, and finished with an ineligible 5-5-1 record.
Cal placekicker Doug Brien connected on field goals of 37 and 20 yards in the first quarter, as Cal took a 6-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter. In the second quarter, Brien's third field goal, a 20 yarder gave Cal a 9-0 lead. Cal quarterback Dave Barr threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to Mike Caldwell as Cal went up 16-0. A 61 yard interception return by linebacker Jerrot Willard gave Cal a 23-0 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Iowa's Brian Hurley kicked a 42 yard field goal to get the Hawkeyes on the scoreboard at 23-3. Dave Barr threw a 34 yard touchdown pass to Uwaezuoke to take a 30-3 lead at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Barr added a 12 yard touchdown pass to Brian Remington as the final margin became 37-3.
