1977 Fiesta Bowl

The 1977 Fiesta Bowl was the seventh edition of the college football bowl game, played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday, December 25. Part of the 1977–78 bowl game season, it matched the eighth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions and the #15 Arizona State Sun Devils of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Favored Penn State took an early lead and won 42–30 on the Sun Devils' home field.[2][3][4][5]

1977 Fiesta Bowl
7th edition
Penn State Nittany Lions Arizona State Sun Devils
(10–1) (9–2)
Independent Western Athletic
42 30
Head coach: 
Joe Paterno		 Head coach: 
Frank Kush
APCoaches
87
APCoaches
1512
1234 Total
Penn State 143718 42
Arizona State 014016 30
DateDecember 25, 1977
Season1977
StadiumSun Devil Stadium
LocationTempe, Arizona
MVPMatt Millen (Penn State LB)
Dennis Sproul (Arizona State QB)
FavoritePenn State by 7 points[1]
RefereeVincent Buckley (SWC)
Attendance57,727
United States TV coverage
NetworkCBS
AnnouncersLindsey Nelson, Tom Matte

Teams
Main article: 1977 NCAA Division I football season

Penn State
Main article: 1977 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Penn State was ranked as high as fourth until a home loss to #16 Kentucky in early October, but then won seven straight. It was their first Fiesta Bowl appearance.

Arizona State
Main article: 1977 Arizona State Sun Devils football team

In the Sun Devils' final year in the WAC, they were co-champion for the seventh and last time, and appeared in their fifth Fiesta Bowl.[6] They were invited after co-champion BYU backed out due to the bowl being slated to play on a Sunday. [7] ASU's sole loss in the WAC was at Colorado State in a snowstorm.[8]

Game summary

The game kicked off on Christmas Day (Sunday) shortly after 1 p.m. MST, televised by CBS.[1] There were no other bowl games on this day, and the NFL divisional playoffs were on a day either side of it; the AFC on Saturday, and the NFC on Monday.

Joe Lally blocked a punt and returned it 21 yards to give Penn State the lead early in the first quarter. Bob Torrey caught a touchdown pass from Chuck Fusina to make it 14–0. Arthur Lane caught a touchdown pass from Dennis Sproul to narrow it to 14–7. Bahr made it 17–7 with a field goal. Ron Washington caught a touchdown pass from Sproul to narrow it to 17–14 at halftime.

An 18-yard touchdown run by halfback Steve Geise made it 24–14 at the end of the third, and a three-yard run by fullback Matt Suhey increased the lead to seventeen points early in the fourth. Washington caught another touchdown pass from Sproul to narrow it to 31–21, but Bahr kicked another field goal to make it 34–21. Arizona State's George Perry ran in from a yard out to close the gap to 34–28, but Suhey's second touchdown run and a deliberate safety late in the game sealed the game for Penn State, who won their first-ever Fiesta Bowl.[3][9]

Scoring

First quarter

Second quarter

  • Arizona State – Arthur Lane 11-yard pass from Dennis Sproul (Steve Hicks kick)
  • Penn State – Bahr 22-yard field goal
  • Arizona State – Ron Washington 13-yard pass from Sproul (Hicks kick)

Third quarter

  • Penn State – Steve Geise 18-yard run (Bahr kick)

Fourth quarter

  • Penn State – Matt Suhey 3-yard run (Bahr kick)
  • Arizona State – Washington 30-yard pass from Sproul (Hicks kick)
  • Penn State – Bahr 32-yard field goal
  • Arizona State – George Perry 1-yard run (Hicks kick)
  • Penn State – Suhey 3-yard run (Geise run)
  • Arizona State – Safety, punter Scott Fitzkee ran out of end zone

Statistics
StatisticsPenn State     ASU     
First Downs1829
Yards Rushing50–26845–90
Yards Passing83336
Passing9–23–023–47–2
Return Yards911
Total Offense73–44292–427
Punts–Average7–40.05–34.8
Fumbles–Lost1–01–1
Turnovers03
Penalties–Yards12–1265–33
Source:[2][3][4][5]

Aftermath

Penn State's next Fiesta Bowl was three years later; Arizona State returned in January 1983 as a member of the Pacific-10 Conference.

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References
  1. "Lions seven-point pick against ASU in Fiesta". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. December 25, 1977. p. 2C.
  2. Bernstein, Ralph (December 26, 1977). "Penn State tops Arizona State, 42-30, in wild Fiesta Bowl". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. 28.
  3. "Penn State runs mark to 11-1". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated. December 26, 1977. p. 2B.
  4. Fine, David (December 26, 1977). "Lions outpoint Arizona State, 42-30, in Fiesta". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 29.
  5. Smith, John W. (December 26, 1977). "Defense gets Penn State going". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). p. 24.
  6. Bernstein, Ralph (December 25, 1977). "Fiesta Bowl finale today?". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. p. 1B.
  7. http://www.deseretnews.com/top/1196/3/1978-Holiday-Bowl-Navy-23-BYU-16-BYU-football-A-look-at-the-Cougars-31-bowl-appearances.html
  8. "CSU matches the weather: frightful to the Sun Devils". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire service reports. November 20, 1977. p. 8B.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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