1979 Fiesta Bowl
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game
|game_name=Fiesta Bowl
|subheader = 9th Fiesta Bowl
|title_sponsor=
| image = Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe Arizona.jpg
| caption = Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, hosted the Fiesta Bowl.
|date_game_played=December 25
|year_game_played=1979
|football_season=1979
|home_name_short=Arizona
|home_nickname=Wildcats
|home_record=6–4–1
|home_conference=Pac-10
|home_coach=Tony Mason
|home_1q =0
|home_2q =0
|home_3q =3
|home_4q =7
|MVP=Mark Schubert (Pittsburgh K)
Dave Liggins{{spaces|4}}(Arizona SS)
|visitor_name_short=Pittsburgh
|visitor_nickname=Panthers
|visitor_record=10–1
|visitor_conference = Independent
|visitor_coach=Jackie Sherrill
|visitor_rank_AP=10
|visitor_rank_coaches=10
|visitor_1q =3
|visitor_2q =3
|visitor_3q =7
|visitor_4q =3
|odds=Pittsburgh by 8 to 9 points
|us_network=NBC
|us_announcers= Charlie Jones, Len Dawson
|type=bg
|stadium=Sun Devil Stadium
|city=Tempe, Arizona
|referee=Percy Penn (SWC)
|attendance= 55,347
}}
The 1979 Fiesta Bowl was the ninth edition of the college football bowl game, played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on Tuesday, December 25. Part of the 1979–80 bowl game season, it matched the tenth-ranked independent Pittsburgh Panthers and the unranked Arizona Wildcats of the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10). Favored Pittsburgh never trailed and won 16–10.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zgYzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EuIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3459%2C8850009|work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=wire service reports |title=Pittsburgh gets a kick from the Fiesta |date=December 26, 1979 |page=1D}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=50xfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=S1UNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1273%2C4116140 |work=Youngstown Vindicator |location=(Ohio) |agency=Associated Press |title=Pitt's 'Missile Toe' puts 'kiss of death' on Arizona |date=December 26, 1979 |page=30}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3Z4SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t_YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6928%2C5587215 |work=The Bulletin |location=(Bend, Oregon) |agency=UPI |title=Schubert's leg gives Pitt 16-10 Fiesta Bowl win |date=December 26, 1979 |page=18}}
This was the last of four consecutive Fiesta Bowls played on Christmas Day.
Teams
{{main|1979 NCAA Division I-A football season}}
=Pittsburgh=
{{main|1979 Pittsburgh Panthers football team}}
This was Pittsburgh's second Fiesta Bowl appearance; the first was six years earlier.
=Arizona=
{{main|1979 Arizona Wildcats football team}}
Despite finishing third in the Pac-10 with an overall record of 6–4–1, Arizona was invited; it was their first bowl appearance in eleven years.
Game summary
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=isQsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OxMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2798%2C6313704 |work=Wilmington Morning Star |location=(North Carolina) |agency=Associated Press |title=Pittsburgh is anxious to prove team's strength
|date=December 25, 1979 |page=!C}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gYBIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-W0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6327%2C4076618 |work=Pittsburgh-Post Gazette |last=Axelrod |first=Phil |title=Panthers confident for Fiesta showdown |date=December 25, 1979 |page=73}}
Pittsburgh kicker Mark Schubert gave his team a lead they never relinquished with two field goals for a 6–0 lead at halftime. Arizona responded with a Brett Weber field goal, but Panther tight end Benjie Pryor caught a touchdown pass from true freshman quarterback Dan Marino to increase the lead to 13–3 at the end of three quarters.
Schubert added a third field goal, but Arizona halfback Hubert Oliver scored from a yard out to close the margin to six points at 16–10. After Pittsburgh punted the ball back, the Wildcats looked to drive for the winning points with 1:05 left. But just seven seconds later, quarterback Jim Krohn's pass was intercepted by Terry White and the Panthers won their first Fiesta Bowl.
Schubert was the first kicker named offensive MVP.{{Cite web |url=https://www.fiestabowl.org/fiesta-bowl/fiesta-bowl-game-history/game-results-recaps/1979-fiesta-bowl.php |title=1979 Fiesta Bowl - Pittsburgh vs. Arizona |access-date=January 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102194132/https://www.fiestabowl.org/fiesta-bowl/fiesta-bowl-game-history/game-results-recaps/1979-fiesta-bowl.php |archive-date=November 2, 2014 |url-status=dead }}
=Scoring=
First quarter
- Pittsburgh – Mark Schubert 46-yard field goal
Second quarter
- Pittsburgh – Schubert 36-yard field goal
Third quarter
- Arizona – Brett Weber 38-yard field goal
- Pittsburgh – Benjie Pryor 12-yard pass from Dan Marino (Schubert kick)
Fourth quarter
- Pittsburgh – Schubert 46-yard field goal
- Arizona – Hubert Oliver 1-yard run (Bill Zivic kick)
Statistics
:
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
! Statistics !! Pittsburgh !! {{spaces|3}}Arizona{{spaces|3}} | ||
| First Downs | 20 | 20 |
| Yards Rushing | 44–127 | 38–91 |
| Yards Passing | 172 | 226 |
| Passing | 15–29–2 | 18–35–3 |
| Return Yards | 37 | 46 |
| Total Offense | 73–299 | 73–317 |
| Punts–Average | 5–34.2 | 4–39.8 |
| Fumbles–Lost | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 4 |
| Penalties–Yards | 10–89 | 7–85 |
Aftermath
Pittsburgh returned to the Fiesta Bowl four years later, but {{as of|lc=y|2020}} have yet to win another. Arizona finally won a bowl game in 1986, and returned to the Fiesta Bowl in 1994.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.fiestabowl.org/sports/psfb/roster/9th-annual-game-1979/39 Fiesta Bowl] – December 25, 1979
{{1979 bowl game navbox}}
{{Fiesta Bowl navbox}}
{{Arizona Wildcats bowl game navbox}}
{{Pittsburgh Panthers bowl game navbox}}
Category:Arizona Wildcats football bowl games