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The 2026 Fiesta Bowl will feature a match up between the Miami Hurricanes and Ole Miss Rebels. This will be Mississippi’s first Fiesta Bowl appearance while the Hurricanes have a legacy going back decades and Miami has some Fiesta Bowl records to their name as well.
As we lock in for the first of the two College Football Playoffs semifinals, we are taking a look back at some legendary Fiesta Bowl records throughout the years.
18 Incredible Fiesta Bowl Records
These are primarily offensive Fiesta Bowl records though there are some others peppered in throughout. I wanted to make sure to grab the best Fiesta Bowl records possible so let’s lock in. Videos with highlights from the corresponding games have also been included. All of these records have been pulled from the VRBO Fiesta Bowl official archives. Now let’s get to it!
1. Most All-Purpose Yards
Up first we have the players with the most All-Purpose Yards in Fiesta Bowl history. At #1 is Florida State’s Barry Smith all the way back in 1971. The former FSU wide receiver and First Round draft pick had 143 receiving yards and 143 returning yards for a total of 299 all-purpose yards. Here are the top 3 in Fiesta Bowl history:
1. 299 yards – Barry Smith, Florida State vs. Arizona State, (13 rush, 143 receiving, 143 return), 1971
2. 262 yards – Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma vs. Connecticut, (170 receiving, 92 return) 2011
3. 261 yards – Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma vs. West Virginia, (53 receiving, 208 return) 2008
2. Most Total Offense
When it comes to Total Offense, two players in the same game stand out about the rest in Fiesta Bowl history. Notre Dame’s Jack Coan had 509 passing yards (-4 rush) for a total of 505 yards in 2022. On the other side of the field was Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders who had 371 passing yards and 125 rushing yards for a total of 496.
3. Most Rushing Yards
It has been a LONG time since the record for the most rushing yards at the Fiesta Bowl was set back in 1983 by Oklahoma’s Marcus Dupree who had 239 yards on the ground in that game. Prior to that, Arizona State’s Woody Green held the record since 1972 with 202 rushing yards. Here are the top 3 rushing performances in Fiesta Bowl history:
1. 239 rushing yards, Marcus Dupree, Oklahoma vs. Arizona State 1983
2. 202 rushing yards, Woody Green, Arizona State vs. Missouri, 1972
3. 199 rushing yards, Tommie Frazier, Nebraska vs. Florida, 1996
4. Longest Run From Scrimmage
The longest run from scrimmage in Fiesta Bowl history is a relatively recent record in the grand scheme of things. That record was set by Saquon Barkley when Penn State faced Washington in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl and Saquon went 92 yards from scrimmage to the house for a touchdown.
5. Most Touchdown Passes
Three quarterback are tied for having thrown the most touchdown passes in Fiesta Bowl history at 5 a piece. Most recently it happened in 2024 (Oregon’s Bo Nix), then again in 2022 (Notre Dame’s Jack Coan), and it first happened in 1990 when FSU’s Peter Tom Willis threw 5 against Nebraska.
6. Most Interceptions Thrown
With the Miami Hurricanes facing Ole Miss in the 2026 Fiesta Bowl, Miami had to be on this list at some point, right?
Well, former Hurricanes quarterback Vinny Testaverde holds the Fiesta Bowl record for the most interceptions thrown with 5 INTs against Penn State in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, that year’s National Championship which Penn State won 14-10 against Miami.
7. Most Receiving Yards
In the history of the Fiesta Bowl only one receiver has eclipsed the 200-yard mark. Two have come *very close* with Boise State’s Thomas Sperbeck reaching 199 receiving yards in 2014 and Tennessee’s Peerless Price also reaching 199 yards in 199. But Kansas State’s Darnell McDonald stands alone with 206 receiving yards against Syracuse in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl.
8. Longest Reception
When a receiver snags the ball and takes off for a long touchdown the crowd goes wild. A long receiving TD is an instant highlight. And thrice there have been receiving TDs of note at the Fiesta Bowl with the longest coming from Ohio State’s Santonio Holmes back 2006. Here are the top 3:
1. 85 yards, Santonio Holmes, Ohio State vs. Notre Dame (from Troy Smith for TD), 2006
2. 81 yards, Will Fuller, Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (from DeShone Kizer for TD) 2016
3. 79 yards, Tito Gonzales, West Virginia vs. Oklahoma (from Patrick White for TD), 2008
9. Most Wins By A Coach
Only three coaches in NCAA history have 3 or more wins in the Fiesta Bowl. Those three are Ohio State’s Jim Tressell (3-1, ’03, ’04, ’06, ’09), Arizona State’s Frank Kush with 4 wins in 5 appearances (’71, ’72, ’73, ’75, ’77), and Penn State’s Joe Paterno stands above them all with a perfect 6-0 record in the Fiesta Bowl which included a National Championship (’77, ’80, ’82, ’87, ’92, ’97).
10. Rushing Attempts
Stanford’s Stepfan Taylor holds the Fiesta Bowl record forthe most rushing attempts in the game with 35 against Oklahoma State back in 2012. Here are the three most rushing attempts in Fiesta Bowl history:
1. 35 attempts, Stepfan Taylor, Stanford vs. Oklahoma State 2012
2. 34 attempts, Breece Hall, Iowa State vs. Oregon 2021
3. 32 attempts, Jordan Todman, Connecticut vs. Oklahoma 2011
11. Most Receptions
Utah’s Paris Warren set the Fiesta Bowl record for the most receptions in a game with 15 against PITT back in 2005. Texas wid receiver Quan Cosby came close to tying that record four years later with 14 receptions against Ohio State. Then in 2011, Oklahoma’ Ryan Broyles hauled in 13 receptions against UConn in 2011.
12. Longest Field Goal
Michigan kicker Jake Moody set the Fiesta Bowl record for Longest Field Goal with a 59-yard FG against TCU back in 2022. Prior to that, Arizona State’s Luis Zendejas had held the Fiesta Bowl FG record since 1983 with his 54-yard kick against Oklahoma. At #3 is Ohio state’s Aaron Pettrey with a 51-yard field goal against Texas in 2009.
13. Longest Punt Return
Miami Hurricanes’ Eddie Brown set the Fiesta Bowl record for the longest punt return in 1985 with a 68-yard return for a touchdown against UCLA. Miami would go on to lose the game 39-37 under head coach Jimmy Johnson.
14. Most Points Scored
When it comes to scoring, Nebraska holds the record with 62 points scored against the Florida Gators in 1996. They blew out the Gators, winning 62-24. UCF has scored the second-most points in Fiesta Bowl history (52) against Baylor in 2014 followed by TCU with 51 points against Michigan in 2022.
15. Most Yards
The Arizona State Sun Devils hold the all-time Fiesta Bowl record for Most Yards with a whopping 718 yards against Missouri back in 1972. Arizona State won that game 49-35 and it was all capped off by a combined 35-point 4th quarter with ASU scoring three TDs in the 4th.
16. Fewest Yards
On the flip side, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame hold the Fiesta Bowl record for the fewest yards in the history of the Bowl Game. The Irish managed to put up just 155 yards against Oregon State in 2001. Notre Dame got crushed in that game, losing 41-9 after Oregon State scored 29 points in the 3rd quarter alone.
17. Most Rushing TDs
In the 1996 Fiesta Bowl (the 1995 season), the #1 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers and defending National Champions faced the Steve Spurrier-led #2 ranked Florida Gators in the Fiesta Bowl for the National Championship with Nebraska coming out on top. They would score a Fiesta Bowl record 6 rushing touchdowns against the Gators.
18. Highest Scoring Fiesta Bowl (Combined)
Lastly, we have the Fiesta Bowl record for the Highest Scoring (combined) between two teams. TCU (51) and Michigan (45) combined for a Fiesta Bowl record 96 points in 2022. In second place is the 2014 Fiesta Bowl with UCF (52) and Baylor (42) combining for 94 points. Then in third place is the 1996 Fiesta Bowl with Nebraska (62) doing the heavy lifting against the Florida Gators (24) for a combined 86 points.
Now how is hyped for the 2026 Fiesta Bowl?!