1997 Fiesta Bowl (December)

This article is about the Fiesta Bowl that followed the 1997 season, played on December 31, 1997. For the game that followed the 1996 season, played on January 1, 1997, see 1997 Fiesta Bowl (January).

1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

December Bowl Game

Kansas State Wildcats

Syracuse Orangemen

(10-1)

(9-3)

Head coach:
Bill Snyder

Head coach:
Paul Pasqualoni

AP	Coaches	BA
10	9	10

AP	Coaches	BA
14	14	14

	1	2	3	4	Total
Kansas State	0	21	0	14	35
Syracuse	3	12	0	3	18

Date

December 31, 1997

Season

Stadium

Location

David Witvoet (Big Ten)

Attendance

69,367

United States TV coverage

Network

CBS

Announcers

Tim Brando and Ed Cunningham

The 1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Kansas State Wildcats and the Syracuse Orangemen on December 31, 1997, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Kansas State defeated Syracuse, 35-18. The game was part of the 1997-1998 Bowl Alliance of the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season and represented the concluding game of the season for both teams.

First Quarter

The Orangemen jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the first of Nate Trout’s three field goals.

Second Quarter

Kansas State quarterback Michael Bishop led the Wildcats to three-consecutive touchdowns in the second quarter. Following a failed fake field goal attempt by Syracuse, Bishop completed a 19-yard pass to Darnell McDonald. Bishop then followed with a 12-yard TD rush on their next possession, and need with a 28-yard completion to Justin Swift on a tight end screen. Syracuse came back to score 12 points in the final 2:18 to cut the lead to 21-15 at the half.

Third Quarter

No scoring occurred.

Fourth Quarter

McDonald caught a 77-yard TD play from a long pass along the sidelines, and then followed with a 41-yard reception with 3:17 remaining to seal the game away.

Aftermath

Kansas State

Bishop threw for four touchdown passes, completing a career-high 14 passes for a career-best 317 yards. He finished the game with 390 yards in total offense (317 yards passing, d 73 yards rushing).

McDonald caught seven of Bishop’s passes for a school-record of 206 yards and three touchdowns. His 77-yard reception in the fourth quarter was the longest in Fiesta Bowl history.

Swift caught a career-high five passes for a career-high 98 yards and one touchdown.

Bishop earned the Offensive Player of the Game award, while KSU linebacker Travis Ochs, was named Defensive Player of the Game after he had an interception and fumble recovery.

Syracuse

Quarterback Donovan McNabb threw for 271 yards and ran for 81 yards, but completed just 16 of 39 passes.

Syracuse’s seven-game bowl game win streak had ended.

External links

1997 Fiesta Bowl (Archived 2009-10-22)

1997–98 NCAA football bowl game season

Las Vegas (Dec. 20) Aloha (Dec. 25) Motor City (Dec. 26) Insight.com (Dec. 27) Independence (Dec. 28) Carquest (Dec. 29) Holiday (Dec. 29) Humanitarian (Dec. 29) Alamo (Dec. 30) Liberty (Dec. 31) Sun (Dec. 31) Outback (Jan. 1) Gator (Jan. 1) Citrus (Jan. 1) Cotton (Jan. 1) Rose (Jan. 1) Peach (Jan. 2)

Bowl Alliance games: Fiesta (Dec. 31) Sugar (Jan. 1) Orange (Jan. 2)

Fiesta Bowl Game

History & conference tie-ins	History Sun Devil Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium College Football Playoff Broadcasters College Football Playoff At-Large Group of Five Bid

Games	1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2014 2016 2016

Notes	The game was also the national title game for either the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, or Bowl Championship Series in 1996, 1999, and 2003. There was a Fiesta Bowl in January and December in 1997, 2014, and 2016. The game will be a College Football Playoff semifinal in its December 2016 edition.

Kansas State Wildcats bowl games

Syracuse Orange bowl games

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