1985 Fiesta Bowl


The 1985 Fiesta Bowl was the fourteenth edition of the college football bowl game, played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Tuesday, January 1. Part of the 1984–85 bowl game season, it matched the fourteenth-ranked UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA Bruins] of the Pacific-10 Conference, and the #13 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami Hurricanes], an NCAA [Division I FBS independent schools|independent].
At the time, it was the fourth highest-scoring Fiesta Bowl at 76 points. Miami was the defending national champion, but had four losses in the regular season under new head coach Jimmy Johnson. Underdog UCLA regained the lead in the final minute to win 39–37.

Teams

UCLA

The Bruins had won consecutive Pac-10 championships and Rose Bowl games in their new home stadium in the 1982 and 1983 seasons. In the last game of the 1984 season, they defeated Pac-10 champions and Rose Bowl-bound USC Trojans football team|USC] for the third time in a row.

Miami

The Hurricanes were the defending national champions. Having defeated top-ranked Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn], and then Florida Gators football team|Florida], they rose to be ranked number one before their game at Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]. They remained in the top ten after that loss. They lost again to 1984 [Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]. They beat ranked 1984 [Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame] in South Bend to return to the top 10. The Hurricanes earned three more wins, but then suffered two of the most notable losses in college football history.
On November 10 at the Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl], the Maryland Terrapins football team|Maryland Terrapins] defeated the Hurricanes with the largest comeback in college football. Down 31–0 at halftime, Frank Reich, who had been injured, came off the bench and led the comeback. At the start of the third quarter, Reich led the Terrapins on multiple scoring drives. Three touchdowns in the third quarter and a fourth at the start of the final quarter turned what was a blowout into a close game. Maryland completed a 42–9 second half, and won 42–40.
The next week at Orange Bowl, the Hurricanes faced the 1984 [Boston College Eagles football team|Boston College Eagles] in a nationally televised game that has become known as "Hail Flutie." It has been regarded by FOX Sports writer Kevin Hench as among the most memorable moments in sports. The game is most notable for a last-second Hail Mary pass from quarterback Doug Flutie to wide receiver Gerard Phelan to give Boston College the win.

Game summary

The first game of a tripleheader on NBC, the Fiesta kicked off shortly after 11:30 a.m. MST, as did the Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton Bowl] on CBS.
UCLA took an early lead off a six-yard touchdown run by freshman halfback Gaston Green. Miami responded following a 34-yard touchdown run by tailback Darryl Oliver, knotting the game at seven. Later in the quarter, All-American wide receiver Eddie Brown fielded a punt, and took it 68 yards for a Hurricane touchdown, giving Miami a 14–7 lead.
In the second quarter, quarterback Bernie Kosar threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brian Blades to increase Miami's lead to 21–7. UCLA responded in a big way, riding a 72-yard touchdown run by Green to pull within 21–14. The defense continued the momentum by forcing a safety on punter Rick Tuten, bringing the score to 21–16. All-American kicker John Lee kicked two field goals of 51 and 33 yards to give UCLA a 22–21 lead at halftime.
Miami reclaimed the lead in the third quarter, after Greg Cox drilled a 31-yard field goal, putting them up 24–22. Bruin quarterback Steve Bono found wide receiver Mike Sherrard for a ten-yard touchdown pass to reclaim the lead for UCLA, 29–24.
In the fourth quarter, Bono found Mike Young for a 33-yard touchdown pass, increasing UCLA's lead to 36–24. Miami responded with a 19-yard touchdown run from running back Melvin Bratton. The attempted two-point conversion failed, leaving the score 36–30. Kosar later found Bratton on a three-yard slant pass, giving Miami a 37–36 lead. With 2:58 remaining, Bono moved the Bruins down the field. Lee scored the winning points on a 23-yard field goal, giving UCLA the 39–37 win. Miami mounted one last charge, but Terry Tumey forced a fumble after a sack of Kosar to seal the win. Green had 144 yards rushing on 21 attempts, and was named the game's offensive MVP

Scoring

First quarter
Second quarter
  • Miami – Brian Blades 48-yard pass from Bernie Kosar
  • UCLA – Green 72-yard run
  • UCLA – Safety: punter Rick Tuten tackled in end zone
  • UCLA – Lee 51-yard field goal
  • UCLA – Lee 33-yard field goal
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
  • UCLA – Mike Young 33-yard pass from Bono
  • Miami – Melvin Bratton 19-yard run
  • Miami – Bratton, three-yard pass from Kosar
  • UCLA – Lee 22-yard field goal

Aftermath

Three Pac-10 teams participated in New Year's Day bowl games, and all were victorious. #4 Washington Huskies football team|Washington] won the Orange Bowl over #2 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma], and #18 USC won the Rose Bowl over #6 1984 [Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]. BYU Cougars football team|BYU] of the Western Athletic Conference was the lone undefeated team and was ranked first in the final AP poll, after handing unranked Michigan its sixth loss of the season in the Holiday Bowl on December 21. UCLA climbed to ninth and Miami fell to eighteenth.