2005 Fiesta Bowl

The 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2005, was the 34th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game was played between Utah and Pittsburgh, in front of 73,519 fans. It is notable for being the first BCS game to feature a team from a non-BCS conference, and the only BCS bowl to feature a non-BCS team prior to the 2006 season, making the trip all the more impressive. (In 2006, the eligibility rules became less strict: the BCS increased from four games to five, and entry required a top 12 finish instead of a top 6.) Utah was led by co-head coaches Urban Meyer and Kyle Whittingham, and quarterback Alex Smith directed his spread offense. The Utes were nothing short of unstoppable during the regular season, having won all their games by at least 14 points, and held an average lead of 40–14 after three quarters. They played key out-of-conference games against Texas A&M and North Carolina, and defeated five bowl teams by an average of 23.2 points. Utah was a very successful team that broke many school records, including most wins in a single season with 12, 16 straight wins (which would reach 18 in 2005), and 544 points scored in one season.

1983 Fiesta Bowl

The 1983 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 1983, was the 12th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the Arizona State Sun Devils, and the Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma scored first on a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Stanley Wilson, giving the Sooners a 7–0 lead. In the second quarter, Arizona State got a field goal from kicker Luis Zendejas to cut the lead to 7–3. Their defense later forced a safety, to make it 7–5. Zendejas kicked another 22-yard field goal to give Arizona State its first lead of the game at 8–7.

Wilson scored on his second rushing touchdown of the game to give Oklahoma a 13–8 lead. Zendejas answered with a 54-yard field goal before halftime, to cut the lead to 13–11, Oklahoma.

In the third quarter, Darryl Clack scored on a 15-yard touchdown run, to give Arizona State an 18–13 lead. Running back Fred Sims rushed 19 yards for a touchdown, and the ensuing 2-point conversion attempt was successful, giving Oklahoma a 21–18 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Sun Devils got a 1-yard touchdown run from Alvin Moore, giving ASU a 25–21 lead. Arizona State quarterback Todd Hons threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Mark Brown to make the score 32–21. The Sun Devils hung on to post that final score.

1997 Fiesta Bowl

The 1997 Fiesta Bowl may refer to:

1975 Fiesta Bowl

The 1975 Fiesta Bowl matched the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Background

The Cornhuskers started the season off 10-0 and had risen from being ranked #6 in the preseason to #2 in the AP Polls and were set up for a Big 8 title and potential national championship hopes before losing to Oklahoma in the last game of the season that cost them a full share of the Big 8 Conference title. The Sun Devils won their 5th WAC title in six years and were appearing in their fourth Fiesta Bowl in five years. This was Nebraska's first ever Fiesta Bowl.

Game summary

Ultimately, it was Danny Kush started and ultimately ended the scoring in this game that arguably put the game on the map. He gave ASU an early lead in the first quarter, but Monte Anthony gave Nebraska the lead on his touchdown run. With less than a minute remaining in the half, the Sun Devils would drive down the field and narrow the lead to 1 with another Kush field goal. Anthony added in another touchdown run in the third quarter to make Nebraska's lead 14-6. Trailing once again, John Jefferson would catch a touchdown pass from Fred Mortensen, who had taken over at QB after Sproul was briefly hurt on a sneak earlier in the game. Wanting to tie the game, Larry Mucker caught a pass from Mortensen to convert the conversion and make it 14-14. After Nebraska failed to make a successful drive, ASU was given the ball back. Dennis Sproul, ready to QB for ASU after a brieft injury, drived his team down the field and Kush kicked a 29 yard field goal with 4:50 remaining in the lead to give Arizona State the lead as the Sun Devils held Nebraska scoreless the rest of the game as ASU won their fourth Fiesta Bowl. John Jefferson was named Offensive MVP after catching 8 passes for 115 yards. Despite outgaining ASU on rushing, ASU outyarded them in passing and total yards and had less turnovers (2 to Nebraska's 3) while only needing one touchdown the whole game.