2002 Fiesta Bowl

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2012}}

{{Infobox college football game

| name =

| image = Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe Arizona.jpg

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

| year_game_played = 2002

| title_sponsor = Tostitos

| game_name = Fiesta Bowl

| subheader = BCS Bowl Game
31st Fiesta Bowl

| football_season = 2001

| visitor_name_short = Colorado

| visitor_nickname = Buffaloes

| home_name_short = Oregon

| home_nickname = Ducks

| visitor_record = 10–2

| visitor_conference = Big 12

| home_record = 10–1

| home_conference = Pac-10

| visitor_coach = Gary Barnett

| home_coach = Mike Bellotti

| visitor_rank_AP = 3

| visitor_rank_coaches = 3

| visitor_rank_BCS = 3

| home_rank_AP = 2

| home_rank_coaches = 2

| home_rank_BCS = 4

| visitor_1q = 7

| visitor_2q = 0

| visitor_3q = 0

| visitor_4q = 9

| home_1q = 7

| home_2q = 14

| home_3q = 7

| home_4q = 10

| date_game_played = January 1

| stadium = Sun Devil Stadium

| city = Tempe, Arizona

| MVP = Joey Harrington, QB
Steve Smith, CB

| anthem = Boston

| referee = Al Ford (SEC)

| attendance = 74,118

| us_network = ABC

| us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games

| us_announcers = Brent Musburger, Gary Danielson

| ratings = 11.3

}}

The 2002 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2002, was the 31st edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game was played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona between the Colorado Buffaloes (ranked #3 in the BCS) and the Oregon Ducks (ranked #4 in the BCS). Oregon was ranked #2 in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll, leading to some controversy that Oregon should have played for the 2002 BCS National Championship.

In the game, Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington threw for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns and led the Ducks to a 38–16 victory. Harrington was named offensive player of the game. Oregon cornerback Steve Smith had three interceptions, a Fiesta Bowl record, and was named defensive player of the game.{{cite web|url=http://www.goducks.com//pdf6/80935.pdf|page=196|work=University of Oregon Football 2007 Media Guide|title=2002 Fiesta Bowl|publisher=GoDucks.com|access-date=November 28, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029102902/http://www.goducks.com//pdf6/80935.pdf|archive-date=October 29, 2008|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

This was the first edition of the Fiesta Bowl to match two schools from the Western United States. Previous editions had either only one representative from the West, or none.

Colorado and Oregon became temporary conference rivals for 13 seasons when the Buffaloes joined Oregon's conference, the Pac-12 Conference (formerly the Pacific-10 Conference), in 2011.

References

{{Reflist}}

{{2001 bowl game navbox}}

{{Fiesta Bowl navbox}}

{{Colorado Buffaloes bowl game navbox}}

{{Oregon Ducks bowl game navbox}}

Fiesta Bowl

Category:Fiesta Bowl

Category:Colorado Buffaloes football bowl games

Category:Oregon Ducks football bowl games

Fiesta Bowl

Category:January 2002 sports events in the United States