1997 Fiesta Bowl (December)
Encyclopedia
The 1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football
bowl game
between the Kansas State Wildcats
and the 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.
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.
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.
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.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
between the Kansas State Wildcats
1997 Kansas State Wildcats football team
The 1997 Kansas State Wildcats football team, generally considered the greatest football team in school history, represented Kansas State University in the college football season of 1997. The team's head football coach was Bill Snyder. The Wildcats played their home games in KSU Stadium. 1997...
and the on December 31, 1997, at Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
. Kansas State defeated Syracuse, 35-18. The game was part of the 1997-1998 Bowl Alliance
Bowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences...
of the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season
1997 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-A level, began in late summer 1997 and culminated with the major bowl games in early January 1998. The national championship was...
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 BishopMichael Bishop (football player)
Michael Paul Bishop is a professional football quarterback who is currently on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Practice Squad. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots....
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.
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.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 McNabbDonovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
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.