2001 Fiesta Bowl

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college football game

| name =

| year_game_played = 2001

| image = Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe Arizona.jpg

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

| title_sponsor = Tostitos

| game_name = Fiesta Bowl

| subheader = BCS Bowl Game
30th Fiesta Bowl

| football_season = 2000

| visitor_name_short = Oregon State

| visitor_nickname = Beavers

| home_name_short = Notre Dame

| home_nickname = Fighting Irish

| visitor_record = 10–1

| visitor_conference = Pac-10

| home_record = 9–2

| home_conference = Independent

| visitor_coach = Dennis Erickson

| home_coach = Bob Davie

| visitor_rank_AP = 5

| visitor_rank_coaches = 6

| visitor_rank_BCS = 6

| home_rank_AP = 10

| home_rank_coaches = 10

| home_rank_BCS = 11

| visitor_1q = 3

| visitor_2q = 9

| visitor_3q = 29

| visitor_4q = 0

| home_1q = 0

| home_2q = 3

| home_3q = 0

| home_4q = 6

| date_game_played = January 1

| stadium = Sun Devil Stadium

| city = Tempe, Arizona

| MVP = Jonathan Smith{{spaces|3}}(QB, OSU)
Darnell Robinson (LB, OSU)

| odds = Oregon State by 3½ points{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0FBWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mesDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6420%2C171858 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |title=Game facts |date=January 1, 2001 |page=6E}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PTYSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T_IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3426%2C123874 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |title=America's Line: College |date=January 1, 2001 |page=C4}}

| referee = John Smith (Big East)

| halftime = Chandlerp.

| attendance = 75,428

| us_network = ABC

| us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games

| us_announcers = Sean McDonough, Ed Cunningham

| ratings = 10.7

| intl_network_link = Bowl Championship Series on television and radio

| intl_network = ABC

}}

The 2001 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, was the thirtieth edition of the Fiesta Bowl and part of the BCS bowl schedule of the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. Held on New Year's Day at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, the night game matched the fifth-ranked Oregon State Beavers of the Pac-10 Conference and the #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, an independent.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0FBWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mesDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6174%2C143394 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |last=Rodman |first=Bob |title=Beavers ready to get this party started |date=January 1, 2001 |page=1E}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DEFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uQMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6410%2C119839 |work=Toledo Blade |location=(Ohio) |agency=Associated Press |title=Fiesta pits glorious vs. hideous |date=January 1, 2001 |page=C2}}

Oregon State quarterback Jonathan Smith threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns to lead the favored Beavers to a 41–9 rout. Wide receiver Chad Johnson had two touchdown receptions, and future Cincinnati Bengals teammate T. J. Houshmandzadeh caught the other. Ken Simonton added 85 yards rushing and a touchdown.{{Cite web |title=Bowl Championship Series - Oregon State 41, Notre Dame 9 |url=https://www.espn.com/abcsports/bcs/s/recap/fiestabowl.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926095810/http://www.espn.com/abcsports/bcs/s/recap/fiestabowl.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 26, 2017 |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=ESPN}} The Beavers led 12–3 at halftime, then scored 29 points in an eight-minute stretch of the third quarter to put the game away, including a score on an unusual play where OSU's Terrell Roberts recovered teammate Houshmandzadeh's fumble on a punt return and himself ran 45 yards to complete the return touchdown.{{cite news |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/2001/01/08/fiesta-feast-a-perennial-loser-no-more-oregon-state-underlined-its-turnaround-by-devouring-notre-dame-in-a-new-years-day-stunner |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=King |first=Kelley |title=Fiesta feast |date=January 8, 2001 |page=46}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=slBWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mesDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5873%2C304900 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |last=Rodman |first=Bob |title=Fiesta fireworks |date=January 2, 2001 |page=1E}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PjYSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T_IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1874%2C280547 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |last=Baum |first=Bob |title=Brash Beavers bash the Irish |date=January 2, 2001 |page=C1}}{{cite web|url=http://www.osubeavers.com/pdf1/80000.pdf?ATCLID=153842&SPID=1952&DB_OEM_ID=4700&SPSID=27968f|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109063520/http://www.osubeavers.com/pdf1/80000.pdf?ATCLID=153842&SPID=1952&DB_OEM_ID=4700&SPSID=27968f|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 9, 2014 |page=170|work=Oregon State University Football 2007 Media Guide|title=2001 Fiesta Bowl|publisher=OSUBeavers.com|access-date=November 28, 2007}} Notre Dame's sole touchdown came with under seven minutes remaining in the game which completed the scoring.

Smith was named the offensive player of the game, and Beavers linebacker Darnell Robinson, who recorded two sacks, forced a fumble, and made an interception, was the defensive player of the game. The Beavers won despite being penalized 18 times for 174 yards, which set a school and Fiesta Bowl record.

Oregon State (11–1) was ranked fourth in the final AP poll, which remains the highest in the history of the OSU program. Notre Dame (9–3) fell to fifteenth after its fifth consecutive bowl loss, a streak which reached nine.