The week of the Fiesta Bowl has arrived, and while this year’s Oregon Ducks bowl game doesn’t feature the most exciting opponent, this game will still be a key moment in Oregon’s history. This game ushers in the end of the Bo Nix era, and it will also mean goodbye for several other staple players for the Ducks.
Additionally, this game will mark the end of the Pac-12 for Oregon, as they’ll move on to the Big Ten next season. Since its inception in 1971, the Fiesta Bowl has often been a frequent postseason landing spot for Oregon and the entire Pac-12 conference. While the game hasn’t always featured a Pac-12 team, teams across the conference have plenty of history at the Fiesta Bowl, with 23 teams appearing in the bowl game since its inception.
Arizona State played in the first Fiesta Bowl in 1971 against Florida State winning 45-38, and the Sun Devils would go on to win again in three of the next four years. Arizona State still has the most Fiesta Bowl appearances of any Pac-12 team with six (they’ve won five), followed by Oregon, Arizona, and Colorado each with three appearances.
One of the most exciting Fiesta Bowls ever was in 1985, pitting UCLA against Miami. The Hurricanes were up by multiple scores late in the first half, but after the Bruins forced a safety they took the lead at the half and won the game 39-37.
Oregon’s first Fiesta Bowl appearance was one of the biggest blowouts in the bowl’s history as Joey Harrington and Co. beat the Colorado Buffaloes in 2003. The Oregon Ducks are also the most recent Pac-12 team to take part in the Fiesta Bowl, losing 34-17 to Iowa State in 2021. It was Oregon’s first appearance since 2013 when the Ducks beat Kanasa State 35-17.
At times, the Fiesta Bowl has been a bittersweet ending for the invited Pac-12 team. The Fiesta Bowl is a New Year’s Six bowl, it’s steeped in history and it’s occasionally a College Football Playoff semifinal game, but it oftentimes has been the landing spot of the Pac-12 runner-up, after that team failed to qualify for the Rose Bowl or the playoff, like Oregon did this year.
The Ducks’ matchup against Liberty on New Year’s Day likely won’t be the most exciting game of the day, but Oregon fans should still expect the Flames to challenge the Ducks. Hopefully, Oregon can redeem their 2021 Fiesta Bowl loss and end their 2023 season on a high note, by hoisting the Fiesta Bowl Trophy.
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