2006 Fiesta Bowl tickets are looking like a pass to
college football history if last season's Fiesta Bowl is any indication. A part
of the Bowl Championship Series or BCS, the 2006 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl promises
to be another classic battle. Played at beautiful Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe,
Arizona, the Fiesta Bowl will treat ticket holders to a showdown between two of
college football's top teams from elite conferences like the Big 12, Big 10, SEC
or PAC 10. Fans from storied programs like
Ohio State, which upset Miami to win the 2003 Fiesta Bowl and the BCS National
Championship, or Texas, which is coming off its thrilling win over Michigan in
the 2005 Rose Bowl, will be snatching up Fiesta Bowl tickets by the bundles in
hopes of returning to one of college football's most prestigious bowls. 173,519
fanatics purchased 2005 Fiesta Bowl tickets and were rewarded with an explosive
offensive display and a history-making performance from BCS buster [Utah]. Approximately
75 percent of the sellout crowd at Sun Devil Stadium were cheering for Urban Meyer's
Fighting Utes and liked what they saw. Led by Heisman Trophy finalist, quarterback
Alex Smith and a stingy defense, Utah blew out the Pittsburgh Panthers, 35-7 to
win the 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Smith completed 29 of 37 passes, four of them
for touchdowns, for 328 yards. The multidimensional QB also rushed for 65 yards.
Smith's 75 percent completion percentage set a Fiesta Bowl record. Wide receiver
Paris Warren hauled in 15 passes, breaking the Fiesta Bowl record set by Kellen
Winslow of Miami in the 2003 BCS National Championship Game played at Sun Devil
Stadium. Warren finished with 198 yards receiving, the third most in Fiesta Bowl
history. Meanwhile, the Utah defense set a
Fiesta Bowl record by sacking Panther quarterback Tyler Palko three times and
limited the Panthers to only 54 yards on the ground. With the Fiesta Bowl triumph,
the first by a non-BCS Conference team, Utah capped off a perfect 12-0 season
and sent Meyer packing to Florida in style. In
only two seasons, Meyer took the Fighting Utes from cellar dwellers to Fiesta
Bowl Champions, before departing to take over as head coach of the Florida Fiestas,
who just might be apart of what's sure to be an exciting 2006 Fiesta Bowl. |
