The 1980 Garden State Bowl, part of the 1980 bowl game season, took place on December 14, 1980, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The competing teams were the Navy Midshipmen, which competed as a football independent, and the Houston Cougars, representing the Southwest Conference (SWC). Houston dominated both sides of the ball in their 35–0 shutout of the Midshipmen. Despite playing in eight bowl games after the 1980 Garden State Bowl, this was Houston's last bowl game win until the 2008 Armed Forces Bowl, which marked the end of an eight game, bowl game losing streak.