College Football Playoff Semifinal bowl game College football game
2016 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
College Football Playoff Semifinal46th Fiesta Bowl Game
Ohio State Buckeyes
Clemson Tigers
(11–1)
(12–1)
Big Ten
ACC
0
31
Head coach: Urban Meyer
Head coach: Dabo Swinney
AP
Coaches
CFP
2
2
3
AP
Coaches
CFP
3
3
2
1
2
3
4
Total
Ohio State
0
0
0
0
0
Clemson
10
7
7
7
31
Date
December 31, 2016
Season
2016
Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
Location
Glendale, Arizona
MVP
Offense: Deshaun WatsonDefense: Clelin Ferrell
Favorite
Ohio State by 1
Referee
Land Clark (Pac-12)
Halftime show
Bands from participants
Attendance
70,236
United States TV coverage
Network
ESPN/ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes
Announcers
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Samantha Ponder and Tom Rinaldi (ESPN)Bill Rosinski, David Norrie and Ian Fitzsimmons (ESPN Radio)
Nielsen ratings
(# of viewers)
Fiesta Bowl
← 2016 (Jan.)
2017 →
2 vs. 3 Seed CFP Semifinal Game
← 2015 Cotton
2018 Rose →
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, hosted the Fiesta Bowl.
The 2016 Fiesta Bowl (officially known as the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl for sponsorship reasons) was a college football bowl game that was played on December 31, 2016, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. This 46th Fiesta Bowl Game was a College Football Playoff semifinal with the winner of the game competing against the winner of the 2016 Peach Bowl (Alabama) in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship which took place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.[1] It was one of the 2016–17 bowl games that concluded the 2016 FBS football season.
It was the second game to be called "the 2016 Fiesta Bowl", as the previous season's game was played on January 1, 2016. The previous two Fiesta Bowls were also played in the same calendar year as each other. The game's title sponsor was Sony Interactive Entertainment via its PlayStation brand as part of a multi-year deal with broadcasting and marketing rightsholder ESPN, which includes branded content and making PlayStation the official video gaming and virtual reality sponsor of the College Football Playoff.[2] The winning team received the Molina Fiesta Bowl Trophy.
Clemson became just the second team in college football history to shut out Ohio State (11–2) in a bowl game, joining Cal in the 1921 Rose Bowl. The game also marked the first time that Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer was shut out in his career, in about 193 games, and his second major loss to Dabo Swinney in the past four seasons.[3] The game also marked the second consecutive advance to the CFP National Championship game by the Clemson football program.[4]
Teams
[edit]
On Sunday December 4, 2016, the CFP Semifinals was announced with #2 Clemson vs. #3 Ohio State playing in the Fiesta Bowl.
This was the third meeting between the schools, with Clemson having won both of the previous matchups. The most recent meeting was the 2014 Orange Bowl, where the Tigers defeated the Buckeyes by a score of 40–35.[5]
Game summary
[edit]
Scoring summary
[edit]
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
OSU
CLEM
1
9:16
7
42
2:36
CLEM
45-yard field goal by Greg Huegel
0
3
1
2:16
10
70
3:43
CLEM
Deshaun Watson 1-yard touchdown run, Greg Huegel kick good
0
10
2
2:21
8
83
3:44
CLEM
C.J. Fuller 30-yard touchdown reception from Deshaun Watson, Greg Huegel kick good
0
17
3
2:06
5
40
2:03
CLEM
Deshaun Watson 7-yard touchdown run, Greg Huegel kick good
0
24
4
8:51
2
7
0:34
CLEM
Wayne Gallman 7-yard touchdown run, Greg Huegel kick good
0
31
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.
0
31
Statistics
[edit]
Statistics
Ohio State
Clemson
First Downs
9
24
Plays-yards
215
470
Third down efficiency
3–14
8–17
Rushes-yards
88
205
Passing yards
127
265
Passing: Comp-Att-Int
19–33–2
24–37–2
Time of Possession
24:09
35:51
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Ohio State
Passing
J. T. Barrett
19/33, 127 yds, 2 INT
Rushing
Curtis Samuel
6 car, 67 yds
Receiving
Curtis Samuel
9 rec, 43 yds
Clemson
Passing
Deshaun Watson
23/36 yds, 259 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing
Wayne Gallman
18 car, 85 yds, 1 TD
Receiving
Mike Williams
6 rec, 96 yds
See also
[edit]
2019 Fiesta Bowl (December) – Also a CFP Semifinal featuring Clemson and Ohio State, won by Clemson
2021 Sugar Bowl – Also a CFP Semifinal featuring Clemson and Ohio State, featured Ohio State's first overall win against Clemson
References
[edit]
^"Sites & Schedules". collegefootballplayoff.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
^"PlayStation Signs Multiyear Deal To Become Title Sponsor Of Fiesta Bowl". Sports Business Daily. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
^Braziller, Zach (January 1, 2017). "Clemson destroys Ohio State to set up title rematch with Tide". New York Post. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
^Crouse, Karen (December 31, 2016). "Clemson Pounds Ohio State to Set Up a Rematch With Alabama". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
^Winsipedia – Clemson Tigers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes football series history
v
t
e
2016–17 NCAA football bowl game season
New Mexico (Dec. 17)
Las Vegas (Dec. 17)
Camellia (Dec. 17)
Cure (Dec. 17)
New Orleans (Dec. 17)
Miami Beach (Dec. 19)
Boca Raton (Dec. 20)
Poinsettia (Dec. 21)
Famous Idaho Potato (Dec. 22)
Armed Forces (Dec. 23)
Bahamas (Dec. 23)
Dollar General (Dec. 23)
Hawaii (Dec. 24)
Quick Lane (Dec. 26)
St. Petersburg (Dec. 26)
Independence (Dec. 26)
Heart of Dallas (Dec. 27)
Military (Dec. 27)
Cactus (Dec. 27)
Holiday (Dec. 27)
Russell Athletic (Dec. 28)
Pinstripe (Dec. 28)
Texas (Dec. 28)
Foster Farms (Dec. 28)
Alamo (Dec. 29)
Birmingham (Dec. 29)
Belk (Dec. 29)
Orange (Dec. 30)
Liberty (Dec. 30)
Arizona (Dec. 30)
Music City (Dec. 30)
Sun (Dec. 30)
TaxSlayer (Dec. 31)
Citrus (Dec. 31)
Outback (Jan. 2)
Rose (Jan. 2)
Sugar (Jan. 2)
Cotton (Jan. 2)
College Football Playoff games: Peach (semifinal) (Dec. 31)
Fiesta (semifinal) (Dec. 31)
National Championship Game (Jan. 9)
All-Star Games: East–West Shrine Game (Jan. 21)
NFLPA Collegiate Bowl (Jan. 21)
Senior Bowl (Jan. 28)
v
t
e
Fiesta Bowl
History & conference tie-ins
History
Mountain America Stadium
State Farm Stadium
College Football Playoff
New Year's Six
Group of Five
Games
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997 (January)
1997 (December)
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014 (January)
2014 (December)
2016 (January)
2016 (December)
2017
2019 (January)
2019 (December)
2021
2022 (January)
2022 (December)
2024 (January)
2024 (December)
2026
Notes
The game was also the national title game for either the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, or Bowl Championship Series in 1996, 1999, and 2003.
There was a Fiesta Bowl in January and December in 1997, 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2022.
Bold indicates College Football Playoff semifinals.
v
t
e
College Football Playoff
Overview
College Football Playoff National Championship
Games
4-teamplayoff
2014–15 (Rose
Sugar
National Championship)
2015–16 (Orange
Cotton
National Championship)
2016–17 (Peach
Fiesta
National Championship)
2017–18 (Rose
Sugar
National Championship)
2018–19 (Orange
Cotton
National Championship)
2019–20 (Peach
Fiesta
National Championship)
2020–21 (Rose
Sugar
National Championship)
2021–22 (Orange
Cotton
National Championship)
2022–23 (Peach
Fiesta
National Championship)
2023–24 (Rose
Sugar
National Championship)
12-teamplayoff
2024–25 (Fiesta
Peach
Rose
Sugar
Orange
Cotton
National Championship)
2025–26 (Cotton
Orange
Rose
Sugar
Fiesta
Peach
National Championship)
List of College Football Playoff games
CFP National Championship Trophy
NCAA Division I FBS champions
Mythical national championship
New Year's Six
Power Four conferences
Executive directors (Bill Hancock
Richard M. Clark)
v
t
e
Clemson Tigers bowl games
1940 Cotton Bowl Classic
1949 Gator Bowl
1951 Orange Bowl
1952 Gator Bowl
1957 Orange Bowl
1959 Sugar Bowl
1959 Bluebonnet Bowl
1977 Gator Bowl
1978 Gator Bowl
1979 Peach Bowl
1982 Orange Bowl
1985 Independence Bowl
1986 Gator Bowl
1988 Florida Citrus Bowl
1989 Florida Citrus Bowl
1989 Gator Bowl
1991 Hall of Fame Bowl
1992 Florida Citrus Bowl
1993 Peach Bowl
1996 Gator Bowl
1996 Peach Bowl
1998 Peach Bowl
1999 Peach Bowl
2001 Gator Bowl
2001 Humanitarian Bowl
2002 Tangerine Bowl
2004 Peach Bowl
2005 Champs Sports Bowl
2006 Music City Bowl
2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl
2009 Gator Bowl
2009 Music City Bowl
2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl
2012 Orange Bowl
2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl
2014 Orange Bowl
2014 Russell Athletic Bowl
2015 Orange Bowl †
2016 College Football Playoff National Championship #
2016 Fiesta Bowl †
2017 College Football Playoff National Championship #
2018 Sugar Bowl †
2018 Cotton Bowl Classic †
2019 College Football Playoff National Championship #
2019 Fiesta Bowl †
2020 College Football Playoff National Championship #
2021 Sugar Bowl †
2021 Cheez-It Bowl
2022 Orange Bowl
2023 Gator Bowl
2025 Pinstripe Bowl
# denotes national championship game; † denotes College Football Playoff semifinal game
v
t
e
Ohio State Buckeyes bowl games
1921 Rose Bowl
1950 Rose Bowl
1955 Rose Bowl
1958 Rose Bowl
1969 Rose Bowl #
1971 Rose Bowl
1973 Rose Bowl
1974 Rose Bowl
1975 Rose Bowl
1976 Rose Bowl
1977 Orange Bowl
1978 Sugar Bowl
1978 Gator Bowl
1980 Rose Bowl
1980 Fiesta Bowl
1981 Liberty Bowl
1982 Holiday Bowl
1984 Fiesta Bowl
1985 Rose Bowl
1985 Florida Citrus Bowl
1987 Cotton Bowl Classic
1990 Hall of Fame Bowl
1990 Liberty Bowl
1992 Hall of Fame Bowl
1993 Florida Citrus Bowl
1993 Holiday Bowl
1995 Florida Citrus Bowl
1996 Florida Citrus Bowl
1997 Rose Bowl
1998 Sugar Bowl
1999 Sugar Bowl
2001 Outback Bowl
2002 Outback Bowl
2003 Fiesta Bowl #
2004 Fiesta Bowl
2004 Alamo Bowl
2006 Fiesta Bowl
2007 BCS National Championship Game #
2008 BCS National Championship Game #
2009 Fiesta Bowl
2010 Rose Bowl
2011 Sugar Bowl
2012 Gator Bowl
2014 Orange Bowl
2015 Sugar Bowl †
2015 College Football Playoff National Championship #
2016 Fiesta Bowl (January)
2016 Fiesta Bowl (December) †
2017 Cotton Bowl Classic
2019 Rose Bowl
2019 Fiesta Bowl †
2021 Sugar Bowl †
2021 College Football Playoff National Championship #
2022 Rose Bowl
2022 Peach Bowl †
2023 Cotton Bowl Classic
2025 Rose Bowl ‡
2025 Cotton Bowl Classic (January) †
2025 College Football Playoff National Championship #
2025 Cotton Bowl Classic (December) ‡
# denotes national championship game; † denotes College Football Playoff semifinal game; ‡ denotes College Football Playoff quarterfinal game
