2002 Fiesta Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Tostitos
Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2002, was the 31st edition of the Fiesta Bowl
. The game was played at Sun Devil Stadium
in Tempe, Arizona
between the (ranked #3 in the BCS
) and the Oregon Ducks
(ranked #4 in the BCS). Oregon was ranked #2 in both the AP Poll
and Coaches Poll
, leading to some controversy that Oregon should have played for the 2002 BCS National Championship
.
In the game, Oregon quarterback
Joey Harrington
threw for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns and led the Ducks to a 38-16 victory. Harrington was named offensive player of the game. Oregon cornerback
Steve Smith had three interceptions, a Fiesta Bowl record, and was named defensive player of the game.
This was the first edition of the Fiesta Bowl to match two schools from the Western United States
. Previous editions had either only one representative from the West, or none.
Colorado and Oregon became conference rivals when the Buffaloes joined Oregon's conference, the Pacific-12 Conference (formerly the Pacific-10 Conference), in 2011.
The American Rock band, Boston, played the National Anthem.
Tostitos
Tostitos is a brand of tortilla chips and dips produced by Frito-Lay and introduced in 1979, with national distribution in the United States reached in 1981. They are made from all-white corn. Traditionally, Tostitos chips contain no extra flavoring or preservatives, and thus are advertised to be...
Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2002, was the 31st edition of the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
. The game was played 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...
between the (ranked #3 in the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
) and the Oregon Ducks
2001 Oregon Ducks football team
-Schedule:...
(ranked #4 in the BCS). Oregon was ranked #2 in both the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
, leading to some controversy that Oregon should have played for the 2002 BCS National Championship
2002 Rose Bowl
The 2002 Rose Bowl, played on January 3, 2002, was a college football bowl game. It was the 88th Rose Bowl game and was the BCS National Championship Game of the 2001 college football season...
.
In the game, Oregon quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986...
threw for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns and led the Ducks to a 38-16 victory. Harrington was named offensive player of the game. Oregon cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Steve Smith had three interceptions, a Fiesta Bowl record, and was named defensive player of the game.
This was the first edition of the Fiesta Bowl to match two schools from the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. Previous editions had either only one representative from the West, or none.
Colorado and Oregon became conference rivals when the Buffaloes joined Oregon's conference, the Pacific-12 Conference (formerly the Pacific-10 Conference), in 2011.
The American Rock band, Boston, played the National Anthem.