2020 College Football Insider | Postseason

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Cyclones Crowned PlayStation Fiesta Bowl Champions ®

The 50 th Anniversary of the Fiesta Bowl was indeed historic. In a matchup that was the first-ever between No. 25 Oregon and No. 10 Iowa State, the Cyclones hit the Fiesta Bowl field for the first time in school history after their most successful regular season ever.

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the game was played successfully in front of wildly enthusiastic families of the teams, some fans who were able to watch a game in person for the first time this season.

To add some more excitement, both starting quarterbacks were Arizona high school stars – the first time in PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl history that both starting quarterbacks were Arizona natives.

The Cyclones made the most of playing in the biggest game in program history, its first-ever New Year’s Six Bowl, defeating the Ducks 34-17 behind solid play on both sides of the ball.

Gilbert Perry High School alumni and Offensive Player of the Game Brock Purdy went 20-of-29 passing for 156 yards and a touchdown, with 39 rushing yards and another score. Star running back Breece Hall carried the ball 34 times (one short of the Bowl record) for 136 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, linebacker Mike Rose

picked off his fifth ball of the season while fellow linebacker O’Rien Vance racked up four tackles, one for loss and recovered two fumbles en route to Defensive Player of the Game honors.

The Cyclones struck first when Hall scored from the 1-yard line on the game’s opening drive, but Oregon tied things up, when speedy QB Anthony Brown ran one in from six yards out. Standout tight end Charlie Kolar pushed Iowa State back ahead when Purdy found him wide open in the end zone for a 14-yard score.

After stopping the Cyclones’ on a goal-line stand, Oregon turned to Brown again, who rushed for a 16-yard score to tie the game. Purdy gave Iowa State the lead for good with his feet and arm, gaining 44 yards in the first two plays and capping the drive with a 1-yard run to take a 21-14 lead.

With less than two minutes left in the first half, Iowa State Head Coach Matt Campbell opted for an onside kick which was recovered and rewarded with a second Hall touchdown three plays later for a 14-point lead.

For the Ducks, Chandler Hamilton alumni quarterback Tyler Shough ended with 7-of-9 passing, 79 yards and an interception while platooning quarterback Brown went 12-of-19 for 147 yards, 36 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

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Quotes of the Week “This team literally became the best version of itself it could be. This 2020 Iowa State football team reached its full potential.”

– Matt Campbell “What’s just occurred here is really the greatest thing that’s ever happened in the history of this school” – Matt Campbell “When I went out to the field to warm up, saw the nice tight grass and just driving up into the stadium and seeing State Farm Stadium and walking out there for the first time I was like, ‘Man, I really am home…’ I don’t even have words for it. It was amazing. And then obviously to be able to win and have the performance we did as a team.

For me, it’s everything.”

– Brock Purdy “That’s the reason why I came here.

To see what we accomplished today, it’s Iowa State History.”

– Breece Hall

2020-21 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl RECAP VIDEO ®

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FIESTA BOWL ANNOUNCES

Top 50 Moments & Plays

FIESTA BOWL ANNOUNCES

TOP 50 COACHES & PLAYERS

Several of college football’s most-talked about moments occurred over the rich 50-year history of the Fiesta Bowl. These plays have been wildly celebrated by avid fanbases across the country and became icons on highlight reels years later.

The 50-year history of the Fiesta Bowl includes

As part of its 50th Anniversary celebration, the Fiesta Bowl has unveiled the Top 50 Plays and Moments in the Bowl’s legendary history. These highlights signify key milestones that elevated the Fiesta Bowl from a newcomer out west to a significant component of Bowl Season.

and Coaches in the Bowl’s legendary history.

The list includes elite performances, drop-yourjaw plays, national championship moments and historical ‘firsts’ by some of college football’s biggest names.

many of college football’s greatest moments, with players and coaches whose performances have become etched in the minds of fans and media.

As part of its 50th Anniversary celebration, the Fiesta Bowl has unveiled the Top 50 Players The group spans the Bowl’s inaugural game in 1971 up through and including the most recent game between Clemson and Ohio State. There are 14 College Football Hall of Fame inductees and nine others not yet eligible but who will be strong candidates. On top of the 50 on-field people recognized, the original nine Fiesta Bowl Founders hold an honorary place on the list.

Ohio State leads the way with eight individuals on the list, with a Fiesta Bowl-high nine appearances in the first 49 games. Penn State is close behind

Fiesta Bowl App

with seven people among the Top 50 and the

The Fiesta Bowl Organization has launched a new mobile app! It is available for download in the App Store and on Google Play. The Fiesta Bowl app is a one-stop-shop for Fiesta Bowl fans. It features news, social media, organization information, shopping and more. In future years, PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl fans will be able to buy and manage tickets and parking and will feature any and all gameday information. Download now!

Bowl appearances. Five people come from

Nittany Lions have a perfect 7-0 record in Fiesta Arizona State, with four of the five individuals being College Football Hall of Fame inductees.

Boise State, Clemson, Colorado and Nebraska have three people each.

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FIESTA BOWL ANNOUNCES

ALL-DECADE TEAMS

The Fiesta Bowl’s storied history began in 1971 and just played its 50th elite postseason college football game. As part of the 50th Anniversary celebration, the Fiesta Bowl is publishing a fivepart series of All-Decade Teams.

Games 41-49 (2012-19) The entry in the College Football Playoff era came in the most recent decade of Fiesta Bowl history and several record-breaking efforts came in the Fiesta Bowl’s fifth decade. Ohio State made three of its nine overall appearances in the nine years, two of them coming in CFP Semifinal contests. In this decade was Saquon Barkley’s 92-yard TD run for Penn State, Joe Burrow’s near-flawless performance for LSU and Boise State’s Jay Ajayi’s 3 TD effort.

football history happened during this time: Tommie Frazier’s magical 75-yard TD run in 1996 and Peerless Price’s game-clinching over-theshoulder 79-yard TD catch in 1999. Nebraska has a high of eight players on this edition of the list, including five from the Huskers’ 1996 National Championship team.

Games 11-20 (1982-91) The second decade in the Fiesta Bowl’s storied history arguably saw some of the Bowl’s biggest highlights. During the 10-year run, the Fiesta Bowl hosted two national championship games, played on New Year’s Day for the first time, became the first Bowl to have an AfricanAmerican president and had a game with the highest-rated TV viewership in college football history (24.9 rating in 1987). Penn State and Miami faced off in the first “created” national championship game, followed two years later by

Games 31-40 (2002-2011)

a national title game between Notre Dame and

Two games that college football fans still

West Virginia. The All-Decade team features

reminisce about today were played in the Fiesta

some of college football’s biggest names.

Bowl’s fourth decade, including the 2007 Fiesta

Games 1-10 (1971-1980)

Bowl when Boise State upset Oklahoma. That game was ranked by Sports Illustrated as the “The Greatest Bowl Game in College Football History.” Four years earlier, a double-overtime classic national championship had Ohio State and Miami fans debating the final result, a

Arizona State played in five of the 10 contests, including the first three and four of the first five games. The Sun Devils are well-represented on this All-Decade List with seven players, as is Penn State.

Buckeyes 31-24 victory. In this decade was the Fiesta Bowl’s first-ever three-time participant in Ohio State’s AJ Hawk, a two-time Defensive Player of the Game, and Boise State’s Ian Johnson, who famously sealed a Broncos upset on a Statue of Liberty play in double overtime.

Games 21-30 (1992-2001) Two national championship games highlighted the Fiesta Bowl’s third decade, which featured three appearances from University of Tennessee. Two famous plays in college

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