Colorado entered the 1995 Fiesta Bowl with a lot on its side. It had the Heisman Trophy winner, its head coach was coaching his last game and it still had an outside chance at a national championship with a No. 4 national ranking.
Notre Dame, on the other hand, entered the 24th Annual Fiesta Bowl looking for one thing -Â respect.
The Fighting Irish battled through a season marred with injuries and lost games it normally wins. So they were looking to show the world they deserved to play one of the elite teams in the nation.
But on the sunny day in Tempe it was the emotion and the quick feet of Kordell Stewart and Rashaan Salaam of Colorado that outdid the pride factor, as the Buffaloes clicked on all cylinders en route to a 41-24 victory.
Colorado head coach Bill McCartney, who said the Fiesta Bowl would be his last game as a head coach, was carried off the field, as his players showed their appreciation for 13 years of service to the Colorado program.
During the game, Colorado showed the dominance it had displayed all season. Stewart racked up 348 yards of total offense, 143 coming on the ground, and two touchdowns, while Salaam, the Heisman Trophy winner, ran for 83 yards and three touchdowns.
On defense, the Buffaloes posted a Fiesta Bowl record seven sacks, led by Shannon Clavelle, who had three.
