Penn State Fiesta Bowl History
Penn State Fiesta Bowl History
No. 9 Penn State will play in their seventh Fiesta Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 30, against No. 11 University of Washington. Unlike the Fiesta Bowl-amateurs Huskies, who have never played in this Arizona-based game, the Nittany Lions have a rich history, winning all of its previous six Fiesta Bowls, including one game that determined the national champion.
Let’s take a closer look at these Penn State wins:
The 1977 Fiesta Bowl
In its first Fiesta Bowl, Penn State faced the home-advantaged Arizona State University Sun Devils. Penn State was led by coach Joe Paterno, who led Penn State in all of its previous six Fiesta Bowl appearances. The Nittany Lions won comfortably 42-30. A notable Penn State offensive player in this game was running back Steve Geise, who was on the individual leader-board in rushing and receiving yards. On defense, Penn State was led by Matt Millen, who won defensive player of the game. Millen went on to have a successful NFL playing career with the Raiders, 49ers and Redskins. He also had a not so successful stint as the general manager of the Detroit Lions, and he has now made a living as a broadcaster for Big Ten Network.
The 1980 Fiesta Bowl
Penn State was matched with its now rivals, the Ohio State University Buckeyes, in their second Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions won 31-18. Despite the final score, this game could have gone either way, with constant back and forth play. Some memorable Penn State players include running back Curt Warner, who went onto to play for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL and was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame; and Frank Case, defensive player of the game and the sportsmanship award winner, who played briefly for the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL.
The 1982 Fiesta Bowl
In their second consecutive Fiesta Bowl, the Nittany Lions played against the University of Southern California Trojans to close out their 1981 season. Penn State won 26-10. This rainy game, again, featured stand-out Curt Warner, who was up against 1981 Heisman Trophy Winner, running back Marcus Allen of the Trojans. The defensive player of the game was nose tackle Leo Wisniewski, who also went on to play in the NFL (Colts).
The 1987 Fiesta Bowl
In a legendary game for the national championship, Penn State faced the University of Miami Hurricanes and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Vinny Testaverde. There were lots of pre-game antics with the braggadocios Hurricanes dressing in camouflage and declaring war on the Nittany Lions. Penn State won in a low scoring 14-10 game to claim its second national championship. The most notable Penn State offensive player was running back D.J. Dozier, who played for the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions in the NFL and later for the New York Mets in the MLB. His late six-yard touchdown run secured the title for the Nittany Lions. The most notable PSU defensive player was All-American Linebacker Shane Conlan, who went onto to become a College Football Hall of Famer and an All-Pro NFL linebacker for the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams.
The 1992 Fiesta Bowl
Penn State faced the University of Tennessee Volunteers in January 1992. Penn State won 42-17 after being behind, 17-7 for the first two-and-a-half quarters. An offensive standout in the game was fullback Richie Anderson, who went on to play 13 seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. The defensive standout was Reggie Givens, who won the defensive player of the game, scoring off an interception and igniting Penn State's comeback.
The 1997 Fiesta Bowl
In its most recent Fiesta Bowl, the Nittany Lions were matched with the University of Texas Longhorns. Penn State won easily 38-15. Penn State standouts include offensive player of the game running back Curtis Enis, former Chicago Bear, and defensive player of the game, lineman Brandon Noble (Cowboys and Redskins).
In their first twentieth first-century trip to Arizona, without Paterno, Penn State and coach James Franklin will attempt to keep its winning streak alive. This is the last game the current team will play together before losing some key players to graduation and the NFL.
Devon D’Andrea is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email dfd5220@psu.edu.
