1978 Fiesta Bowl

{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game

|game_name=Fiesta Bowl

| subheader = 8th Fiesta Bowl

|year_game_played=1978

|football_season=1978

|date_game_played=December 25

|stadium=Sun Devil Stadium

|city=Tempe, Arizona

|home_name_short=UCLA

|home_nickname=Bruins

|home_record=8–3

|home_conference=Pac-10

|home_coach=Terry Donahue

|home_rank_AP=15

|home_rank_coaches=16

|home_1q=0

|home_2q=0

|home_3q=3

|home_4q=7

|visitor_name_short=Arkansas

|visitor_nickname=Razorbacks

|visitor_record=9–2

|visitor_conference=SWC

|visitor_coach=Lou Holtz

|visitor_rank_AP=8

|visitor_rank_coaches=10

|visitor_1q=0

|visitor_2q=10

|visitor_3q=0

|visitor_4q=0

|attendance=55,227

| image = Sun Devil Stadium.jpg

| caption = Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, hosted the Fiesta Bowl.

|payout=342,562.70

|odds=Arkansas by 7 points{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-w5ZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Mm0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4324%2C3572518 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |title=The latest line |date=December 25, 1978 |page=70}}

|MVP=James Owens (UCLA RB)
Jimmy Walker (Arkansas DT)

|referee=Jimmy Harper (SEC)

|us_network=NBC

|us_announcers= Curt Gowdy, John Brodie,
and Mike Haffner

}}

The 1978 Fiesta Bowl was the eighth edition of the college football bowl game, played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on Monday, December 25. Part of the 1978–79 bowl game season, it matched the eighth-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks of the Southwest Conference (SWC), and the #15 UCLA Bruins from the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10).{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qfdLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Du4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5088%2C3938027 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokesman-Review) |agency=Associated Press |title=Hot Razorbacks face cool Bruins |date=December 25, 1978 |page=35}} The game ended in a 10–10 tie before 55,227 spectators.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wRRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6712%2C8325791 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Nothing festive about Fiesta, 10-10 |date=December 26, 1977 |page=3B}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NLssAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NBMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3212%2C5898101 |work=Wilmington Morning Star |location=(North Carolina) |agency=Associated Press |title=UCLA, Arkansas battle to 10-10 tie in Fiesta Bowl |date=December 26, 1978 |page=1C}}"1978 Fiesta Bowl." [http://www.fiestabowl.org/index.php/tostitos/history_display/8th_annual_fiesta_bowl/ Game Summary.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106034102/http://www.fiestabowl.org/index.php/tostitos/history_display/8th_annual_fiesta_bowl |date=January 6, 2009 }} Retrieved January 12, 2011.

This was the third of four consecutive Fiesta Bowls played on Christmas Day, and was the first without a team from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), whose champion played in the new Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

Teams

This was the first meeting between the two programs.

=Arkansas=

With a win over Texas A&M, Arkansas clinched a Fiesta Bowl berth."Arkansas 26, Texas A. & M. 7." [https://www.nytimes.com/1978/11/19/archives/arkansas-26-texas-a-m-7.html Article.] The New York Times. November 19, 1978. Retrieved on January 12, 2011. Entering the game, Arkansas had come off a 49–7 win over Texas Tech, and was 10–2 overall."Hogs 'hang loose' for Fiesta Bowl." [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K6wKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FU0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6989,3315033 Article.] The Prescott Courier. December 19, 1987. Retrieved on 7 November 2008. The Razorbacks began the season at #2 in the AP poll, but consecutive losses at Texas and at Houston dropped the Razorbacks from SWC title contention. Ron Calcagni led the team at quarterback, while Ben Cowins was the leading rusher for the Hogs. Bruins head coach Terry Donahue said before the game that the UCLA defense would try to slow down an Arkansas rushing attack that "couldn't be stopped.""UCLA Needs Consistency." [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zbUOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=woIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4200,8036025&dq=fiesta+bowl+arkansas Article.] The Kingman Daily Miner. December 21, 1987. Retrieved on January 12, 2011.

=UCLA=

The Bruins had been upset at Kansas in September,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zPlVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CuIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6672%2C7132749 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Bruins fall way behind, upset 28-24 |date=September 24, 1978 |page=3C}} then won six straight to improve to 8–1. They dropped their final two games, at Oregon State,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SPZLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8-0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6788%2C5738833 |work=Spokesman-review |location=(Spoakne, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Walford's FG leads Beavers over Bruins |date=November 12, 1978 |page=C3}} and to rival USC.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7steAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nzIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5183%2C7336246 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=(Los Angeles Times) |title=Pac-10: Trojans beat Bruins by the book |date=November 19, 1978 |page=4B}}

Game summary

Now televised by NBC, the game kicked off on Christmas Day shortly after 1:30 p.m. MST.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vxRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6566%2C7700546 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=(Los Angeles Times) |title=Bowls don't hurt UCLA recruiting |date=December 24, 1978 |page=2B}} The Peach Bowl was played earlier in the day on CBS. The NBC telecast was most noted for sideline reporter Mike Haffner inadvertently capturing on his live microphone a two-word expletive uttered by Terry Donahue who was voicing his disapproval over a Bruins interception being nullified due to a penalty. Ironically Haffner and Donohue were roommates at UCLA.[https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/26/archives/two-words-from-the-coach-with-expletives-undeleted.html "Two Words From the Coach With Expletives Undeleted," The Associated Press (AP), Monday, December 25, 1978.] Retrieved December 7, 2020

After a scoreless first quarter, Jim Howard sacked UCLA quarterback Steve Bukich, who fumbled, and Arkansas recovered at the UCLA 37. Roland Sales punched it in from four yards out to give the Hogs a 7–0 advantage. The Razorbacks added a field goal from Ish Ordonez, stretching the lead to ten points at halftime.

UCLA took the second half kickoff and drove it for a field goal from Peter Boermaester. Down 10–3, UCLA was set to field a Razorback punt in the fourth quarter. An interference penalty added yardage, giving the Bruins the football at midfield. Severne Reece caught a Bukich pass at the Arkansas 14, and Bukich ran it in on the following play. The Bruins opted not to attempt a two-point conversion, made the kick, and the game was tied at 10–10 with 8:32 remaining. Neither team could get the ball past midfield again, and the tie stood.

=Scoring=

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryStart|VisitorName=ARK|HomeName=UCLA|state=collapsed}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=

| Team=ARK

| DriveLength=37

| DriveTime=10

| Type=RushTD

| yards=4

| Runner=Roland Sales

| kickresult=good

| Kicker=Ish Ordonez

| Visitor=7

| Home=0

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=

| Team=ARK

| DriveLength=50

| DriveTime=8

| Type=FG

| yards=37

| Kicker=Ish Ordonez

| Visitor=10

| Home=0

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=3

| Time=7:19

| Team=UCLA

| DriveLength=56

| DriveTime=15

| Type=FG

| yards=4

| Kicker=Peter Boermaester

| Visitor=10

| Home=3

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=4

| Time=8:32

| Team=UCLA

| DriveLength=51

| DriveTime=5

| Type=RushTD

| yards=15

| Runner=Steve Bukich

| kickresult=good

| Kicker=Peter Boermaester

| Visitor=10

| Home=10

}}

Statistics

class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Statistics !! Arkansas !! {{spaces\|4}}UCLA{{spaces\|4}}
First Downs	19	14
Yards Rushing	51–200	55–255
Yards Passing	78	61
Passing	13–24–2	4–11–2
Return Yards	72	35
Total Offense	75–278	66–316
Punts–Average	8–37	6–41
Fumbles–Lost	2–0	2–1
Turnovers	2	3
Penalties–Yards	4–55	7–67

:{{small|Source:}}

References

External links

[https://www.fiestabowl.org/sports/psfb/roster/8th-annual-game-1978/38 Fiesta Bowl] – December 25, 1978

Fiesta Bowl

Category:Fiesta Bowl

Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football bowl games

Category:UCLA Bruins football bowl games

Category:December 1978 sports events in the United States

Category:1978 in sports in Arizona