1984 Fiesta Bowl
The 1984 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 2, 1984, was the 13th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Pittsburgh Panthers.
| 1984 Fiesta Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | January 2, 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Sun Devil Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Tempe, Arizona | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | QB John Congemi & LB Rowland Tatum | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 66,484 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Charlie Jones, Bob Griese | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 7.9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ohio State scored first when quarterback Mike Tomczak scored on a three-yard quarterback keeper for a touchdown, opening up a 7–0 lead. Pittsburgh tied the score on a 6-yard touchdown pass from John Congemi to wide receiver Clint Wilson, tying the score at 7–7. Running back Keith Byars scored on an 11-yard touchdown run before halftime, to give Ohio State a 14–7 halftime lead.
After a scoreless third quarter, the action increased in the fourth. Pitt wide receiver Clint Wilson recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown to tie the game at 14. Byars took the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, as Ohio State reclaimed a 21–14 lead. Congemi then found Dwight Collins for a touchdown. The ensuing two-point conversion attempt failed, and Ohio State held on to a 21–20 lead. A 37-yard field goal from Tom Everett with 2:39 left, gave Pittsburgh a 23–21 lead, and appeared to be the game winning kick. Tomczak threw a 39-yard touchdown strike to Thad Jemison for the game-winning touchdown, with 39 seconds left, and Ohio State escaped with a 28–23 win.[1]