This was Pittsburgh's second Fiesta Bowl appearance. Arizona, despite finishing third in the Pacific-10 Conference, was invited to their first Fiesta Bowl game.

Mark Schubert was the first kicker named MVP, with his three field goals helping the Panthers win a game that had four turnovers by Arizona and two by Pittsburgh. Schubert gave his team a lead they would never relinquish with his two field goals to have a 6–0 lead. Arizona responded with a Brett Weber field goal, but Benjie Pryor caught a touchdown pass from Dan Marino to increase the lead, as Schubert added in a field goal later to make it 16–3 at the end of three quarters. Arizona scored on a Hubert Oliver touchdown run to make it 16–10. After Pittsburgh punted the ball back to Arizona, the Wildcats looked to drive for the winning points with 1:05 left. But just seven seconds later, Jim Krohn's pass was intercepted by Terry White as the Panthers won their first Fiesta Bowl.

Pittsburgh would return to the Fiesta Bowl in 1984, but have not won one since this game. Arizona would finally win a bowl game in 1986, and later returned to the Fiesta Bowl in 1994.

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