1996 COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL GAME HEADLINES
FIESTA BOWL: JANUARY 1, 1997
WAC CHAMPION NO. 4 BYU COUGARS (15-0) COMPLETES UNDEFEATED SEASON, CRUSH BIG 12 CHAMPION NO. 20 TEXAS LONGHORNS IN FIESTA BOWL; LIKELY TO GET SHARE OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH ARIZONA STATE AND WINNER OF FLORIDA/FLORIDA STATE
*January 1, 1997: In the Fiesta Bowl broadcast by CBS from Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona between the WAC champion No. 4 BYU Cougars and the Big 12 champion No. 20 Texas Longhorns, this was supposed to be viewed by college football analysts as a "defensive battles" between both games. The Cougars made history as becoming the first college football team during the so-called "Modern Era" (post 1937) in playing 15 games in a season, and the Cougars were the only ones to do it when Division I-A normally played 11 regular season games.
The Longhorns went into their second consecutive Alliance Bowl with a five-game winning streak.
In the first half, the Longhorns had out-gained the Cougars 242-95 yards including holding a 12-7 lead at halftime. Then by the time the third quarter began, BYU really cranked it up and cranked it up very quickly as the Cougars scored 35 unanswered points with five touchdowns by limiting the Longhorns to just a field goal, BYU led 42-15 by the the end of the third quarter. The Longhorns failed to produce anything on offense as BYU scored 17 additional points in sealing the 59-15 victory. BYU outgained the Longhorns offense 627-356; 438-116 in the second half.
BYU quarterback Steve Sarkisian was named Offensive Most Valuable Player of the game. The blowout victory pretty much guarantees BYU will be getting a share of the national championship.