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Fiesta Sports Foundation

Fiesta Bowl History

1st Annual Game, 1971

  • Teams Florida State vs. Arizona State
  • Score 45-38, Arizona State
  • Date December 27, 1971
  • Attendance 51,098

Biography

The 1971 Fiesta Bowl was the first contest held, and some call it the most exciting bowl game of the '70s. To think it was just the beginning. The combined 83 points was the highest ever for a major bowl game, and 51,098 fans jammed Sun Devil Stadium, marking the largest crowd to watch a bowl game's initial effort.

In what was a classic offensive battle, the game wasn't decided until the final minute when ASU's Woody Green scored on a two-yard burst with just 34 ticks on the clock.

The game had it all and then some. Steve Holden of Arizona State caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Danny White in the second quarter, and then rumbled 68 yards on a punt return to give ASU a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter. Green rushed for 101 yards and three scores, including the game-winner. Florida State quarterback Gary Huff, who was named the Offensive Player of the Game, completed 25-of-46 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns.

The dramatic fourth quarter began with a 42-yard field goal by FSU's Frank Fontes that knotted the score at 31-31. After successive defensive stops, Holden gathered in a punt from Duane Carrell and raced 68 yards to give the Sun Devils a 38-31 lead. But less than two minutes later, Huff took his club 64 yards in four plays, culminating the drive on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dawson to once again even the score. Arizona State, with 4:44 remaining on the clock, used one of its patented time-consuming drives. Following two important third-down conversions, Green dove straight ahead from two yards out to give ASU the first Fiesta Bowl win.

  • Stadium:

    Sun Devil Stadium

  • Attendance:

    51,098

  • Offensive Player of the Game:

    Gary Huff, QB, Florida State

  • Defensive Player of the Game:

    Junior Ah You, DE, Arizona State

  • Head Coaches:

    Larry Jones - Florida State, Frank Kush - Arizona State

  • Weather:

    60 degrees, sunny, light clouds

Quarter Scores

Scoring 1 2 3 4 F
Florida State 10 18 0 10 38
Arizona State 7 14 10 14 45

Yardstick

FSU ASU
20 First Downs 26
34-72 Rushes - Yards 56-200
361 Passing Yards 250
26-47-2 Passes 15-30-0
7-294 Punts - Yards 6-222
2-0 Fumbles - Lost 5-2
8-91 Penalties - Yards 4-37

How They Scored

FSU ASU
0 7 Calvin Demery 21 yd pass from Danny White (Don Eckstrand kick)
7 7 Paul Magalski 1 yd rush (Frank Fontes kick)
10 7 Frank Fontes 30 yd field goal
10 14 Woody Green 1 yd rush (Don Eckstrand kick)
13 14 Frank Fontes 25 yd field goal
21 14 Rhett Dawson 14 yd pass from Kent Gaydos (Rhett Dawson pass from Gary Huff)
21 21 Steve Holden 55 yd pass from Danny White (Don Eckstrand kick)
28 21 Rhett Dawson 10 yd pass from Gary Huff (Frank Fontes kick)
28 24 Don Eckstrand 34 yd field goal
28 31 Woody Green 2 yd rush (Don Eckstrand kick)
31 31 Frank Fontes 42 yd field goal
31 38 Steve Holden 68 yd punt return (Don Eckstrand kick)
38 38 Rhett Dawson 25 yd pass from Gary Huff (Frank Fontes kick)
38 45 Woody Green 2 yd rush (Don Eckstrand kick)

Individual Statistics

Rushing
FSU James Jarrett 8-48, Paul Magalski 17-42-1TD, Art Munroe 5-8, Barry Smith 1-13, Gary Huff 3-(-39)
ASU Woody Green 24-101-3TD, Ben Malone 17-60, Steve Holden 3-21, Danny White 11-18
Passing
FSU Gary Huff 25-46-347-2TD-2INT, Kent Gaydos 1-1-14-1TD
ASU Danny White 15-30-250-2TD
Receiving
FSU Barry Smith 8-143, Rhett Dawson 8-108-3TD, Gaydos 5-101, James Jarrett 2-6, Paul Magalski 1-9, Gary Paris 1-7, Art Munroe 1-(-13)
ASU Calvin Demery 4-55-1TD, Joe Petty 4-50, Ed Beverly 3-33, Steve Holden 2-66-1TD, Woody Green 2-46