1977 Fiesta Bowl

American college football game December 2025 August 2023 Fiesta Bowl 7th Fiesta Bowl Sun Devil Stadium.jpg Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, hosted the Fiesta Bowl. December 25 1977 1977 Arizona State Sun Devils 9–2 WAC Frank Kush 15 12 0 14 0 16 Matt Millen (Penn State LB)Dennis Sproul (Arizona State QB) Penn State Nittany Lions 10–1 Independent Joe Paterno 8 7 14 3 7 18 CBS Lindsey Nelson, Tom Matte bg Penn State by 7 points Vincent Buckley (SWC) Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, Arizona 57,727 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q41IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=z4MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1106%2C3819153 Youngstown Vindicator Ohio Associated Press Bernstein Ralph Penn State tops Arizona State, 42–30, in wild Fiesta Bowl December 26, 1977 28https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zq1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=L-ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=7125%2C8573429 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Penn State runs mark to 11–1 December 26, 1977 2Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sJ9RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NW0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6726%2C3852675 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fine David Lions outpoint Arizona State, 42–30, in Fiesta December 26, 1977 29https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mZ4tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=36AFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4478%2C3542470 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania Smith John W. Defense gets Penn State going December 26, 1977 24 Teams 1977 NCAA Division I football season Penn State 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 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e5ZfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MTEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2705%2C8761952 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press Bernstein Ralph Fiesta Bowl finale today? December 25, 1977 1B They were invited after co-champion BYU backed out due to the bowl being slated to play on a Sunday.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 1978 Holiday Bowl: Navy 23, BYU 16 | BYU football: A look at the Cougars' 31 bowl appearances, 1974-2012 Deseret News 2017-01-06 2017-01-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20170107095930/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 dead ASU's sole loss in the WAC was at Colorado State in a snowstorm.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PcZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4334%2C5324864 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon wire service reports CSU matches the weather: frightful to the Sun Devils November 20, 1977 8B Game summary The game kicked off on Christmas Day (Sunday) shortly after 1 p.m. MST, televised by CBS.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=za1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=L-ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5401%2C8082822 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon UPI Lions seven-point pick against ASU in Fiesta December 25, 1977 2C 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.https://www.fiestabowl.org/fiesta-bowl/fiesta-bowl-game-history/game-results-recaps/1977-fiesta-bowl.php 1977 Fiesta Bowl - Penn State vs. Arizona State January 4, 2015 https://archive.today/20150104055915/https://www.fiestabowl.org/fiesta-bowl/fiesta-bowl-game-history/game-results-recaps/1977-fiesta-bowl.php January 4, 2015 dead Scoring First quarter Penn State – Joe Lally 21-yard blocked punt return (Matt Bahr kick) Penn State – Bob Torrey 3-yard pass from Chuck Fusina (Bahr kick) 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 {| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Statistics !! Penn State !! 5ASU5 |- | First downs || 18|| 29 |- | Yards rushing|| 50–268|| 45–90 |- | Yards passing || 83|| 336 |- | Passing || 9–23–0|| 23–47–2 |- | Return yards || 91|| 1 |- | Total Offense || 73–442|| 92–427 |- |Punts–Average ||7–40.0|| 5–34.8 |- |Fumbles–Lost ||1–0|| 1–1 |- |Turnovers|| 0|| 3 |- |Penalties–Yards ||12–126|| 5–33 |} Source: 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. References External links Fiesta Bowl – December 25, 1977 Fiesta Bowl Category:Fiesta Bowl Category:Arizona State Sun Devils football bowl games Category:Penn State Nittany Lions football bowl games Category:December 1977 sports events in the United States Fiesta Bowl