Editing Super Bowl XXX (section)

==Background==
===Host selection process===
[[Sun Devil Stadium]] in [[Tempe, Arizona]], the home of the [[Arizona Cardinals|Phoenix Cardinals]] and the [[Arizona State Sun Devils football|Arizona State Sun Devils]] was originally chosen as the venue for [[Super Bowl XXVII]] on March 13, 1990.<ref name="AR03-14-1990pg1">{{cite news|title=Valley wins Super Bowl (Part 1)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/141005168/|newspaper=Arizona Republic|first1=Betty|last1=Beard|first2=Jean|last2=Novotny|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=March 14, 1990|accessdate=February 15, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="AR03-14-1990pg5">{{cite news|title=Valley wins Super Bowl (Part 2)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-arizon-state-1990/93907248/|newspaper=Arizona Republic|first1=Betty|last1=Beard|first2=Jean|last2=Novotny|page=5|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=March 14, 1990|accessdate=February 15, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref> However, the NFL pulled that game from Arizona in the midst of a large entertainment and convention boycott<ref name="AR01-22-1987pg3">{{cite news|title=Convention of blacks quits state (Part 1)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/141010498/|newspaper=Arizona Republic|first=Randy|last=Collier|page=3|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=March 14, 1990|accessdate=February 15, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="AR01-22-1987pg4">{{cite news|title=Convention of blacks quits state (Part 2)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/141010784/|newspaper=Arizona Republic|first=Randy|last=Collier|page=4|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=March 14, 1990|accessdate=February 15, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref> to protest the state's refusal to adopt the [[Martin Luther King Jr. Day]] holiday.<ref name="ar03-20-1991pg1">{{cite news|title=NFL pulls Super Bowl (Part 1)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/140956525/|newspaper=Arizona Republic|first=Steve|last=Schoenfield|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=March 20, 1991|accessdate=February 14, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="ar03-20-1991pg2">{{cite news|title=NFL pulls Super Bowl (Part 2)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/140956588/|newspaper=Arizona Republic|first=Steve|last=Schoenfield|page=2|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=March 20, 1991|accessdate=February 14, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref> As a compromise, however, the NFL owners reserved Super Bowl XXX for Tempe on a "preliminary" and "conditional" basis.<ref name="ar03-21-1991pg1">{{cite news|title='96 Bowl link to King Day is denied (Part 1)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/140956928/|newspaper=Arizona Republic|first=Steve|last=Schoenfield|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=March 21, 1991|accessdate=February 14, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="ar03-21-1991pg2">{{cite news|title='96 Bowl link to King Day is denied (Part 2)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/140957011/|newspaper=Arizona Republic|first=Steve|last=Schoenfield|page=2|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=March 21, 1991|accessdate=February 14, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="ar03-21-1991pg2a">{{cite news|title=Behind NFL's closed doors, compromise|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/140957251/|newspaper=Arizona Republic|first=Steve|last=Schoenfield|page=2|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=March 21, 1991|accessdate=February 14, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref> Arizona voters approved the MLK Day holiday in November 1992. The NFL responded by formally assigning Super Bowl XXX to Tempe at their March 1993 meeting in [[Palm Desert, California]].<ref name="ar03-23-1993pg1">{{cite news|title=Super Bowl for Valley-NFL makes it official for '96|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/140957567/|newspaper=Arizona Republic|first=Steve|last=Schoenfield|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=March 23, 1993|accessdate=February 14, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref> No others cities put in a bid or were considered for the hosting duties.

Super Bowl XXX was the last to be hosted in a stadium containing [[bleacher]] seats, and would also be the last Super Bowl to be held on a college campus, as the stadium sits on the campus of [[Arizona State University]].<ref name="name"/>

===Dallas Cowboys===
{{main|1995 Dallas Cowboys season}}

The Cowboys entered the 1995 regular season attempting to become the first team in NFL history to win three out of the last four Super Bowls. They had previously won Super Bowls [[Super Bowl XXVII|XXVII]] and [[Super Bowl XXVIII|XXVIII]] but their chance of a "three-peat" (winning three consecutive championships) was thwarted when they lost the [[NFC Championship Game]] to the [[1995 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]], the eventual [[Super Bowl XXIX]] champions. It was the Cowboys’ eighth appearance in the Super Bowl, the most of any franchise; the Steelers tied this record in 2010 when that team advanced to [[Super Bowl XLV]]. The Patriots became the third team to reach the mark in 2014 when that team went on to win [[Super Bowl XLIX]], and the Denver Broncos the fourth team in 2015 in [[Super Bowl 50]].

After taking over the Cowboys in [[1989 NFL season|1989]], team owner/general manager [[Jerry Jones]] and head coach [[Jimmy Johnson (football coach)|Jimmy Johnson]] rebuilt the team into a Super Bowl contender with young talent. Both had different ideas on the future personnel plans for the Cowboys, and both wanted equal credit for the team's recent success. As a result, Johnson eventually left the team after their [[Super Bowl XXVIII]] win and was replaced by former [[Oklahoma Sooners football|University of Oklahoma]] head coach [[Barry Switzer]], who had one of the highest winning percentages of any [[college football]] coach in history, with a mark of .837.<ref name="name"/>

In 1995, the Cowboys finished with a {{win-loss record|w=12|l=4}} regular season record, the best in the NFC. [[Pro Bowl]] quarterback [[Troy Aikman]] finished the regular season completing 280 out of 432 passes for 3,304 yards and 16 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions. Pro Bowl running back [[Emmitt Smith]] won his fourth and last league rushing crown in his career with 1,773 yards, and broke a league single-season record with 25 rushing touchdowns. Smith was also a reliable receiver out of the backfield, recording a career-high 62 receptions for 375 yards.<ref name="name"/>  Fullback [[Daryl Johnston]] added 111 rushing yards, while also catching 30 passes for 248 and scoring three touchdowns. Pro Bowl wide receiver [[Michael Irvin]] led the team in receiving with 111 catches for 1,603 yards and 10 touchdowns. [[Kevin Williams (wide receiver, born 1971)|Kevin Williams]] was another big receiving threat with 38 receptions for 613 yards, while also racking up 1,274 return yards on special teams. Pro Bowl tight end Jay Novacek had 62 receptions for 705 yards and five touchdowns. Dallas' offensive line was led by Pro Bowl selections [[Larry Allen]], [[Ray Donaldson]], [[Nate Newton]], and [[Mark Tuinei]].<ref name="name"/> However, Donaldson suffered a season-ending injury late in the season and would be replaced by [[Derek Kennard]].

Dallas' major acquisition before the season was four-time Pro Bowl cornerback [[Deion Sanders]]. Coincidentally, Sanders won the Super Bowl the year before with San Francisco. However, Sanders only played nine regular season games for the Cowboys in 1995 due to injuries, and thus only recorded 24 tackles and two interceptions for 34 yards.<ref name="name"/> However, safety [[Darren Woodson]] was named to the Pro Bowl with 89 tackles and two interceptions for 46 return yards and a touchdown. Cornerback [[Larry Brown (cornerback)|Larry Brown]] led the team in interceptions with six for 124 return yards and two touchdowns. Pro Bowl defensive end [[Charles Haley]] led the team in sacks with 10.5, while defensive end [[Chad Hennings]] added 5.5. Safety [[Brock Marion]] recorded six interceptions, returning them for 40 yards and a touchdown.<ref name="name"/>

After starting fast at 8–1, the Cowboys hit a major bump in the road, losing big at home to the [[1995 San Francisco 49ers season|49ers]], 38–20 (they trailed 31–14 at halftime).  Coincidentally, the 49ers, the previous Super Bowl champion, also suffered a blowout loss at home the prior season (40–8 to the [[1994 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]). Adding insult to injury, the 49ers were without starting quarterback [[Steve Young]] and fullback [[William Floyd (American football)|William Floyd]]. The game was highly anticipated, with verbal exchanges between the teams during the week, and it marked the beginning of a difficult stretch for the team.  The following four games resulted in two more losses for the Cowboys.  However, after a narrow 21–20 win against the [[1995 New York Giants season|New York Giants]], the Cowboys regained their dominating form, trouncing the [[1995 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona Cardinals]] (who were playing their home games at Sun Devil Stadium) 37–13 on [[National Football League Christmas games|Christmas night]] in Arizona as part of ''[[Monday Night Football]]'', and then cruising through the playoffs with convincing wins against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. Brown foreshadowed his Super Bowl XXX heroics with a key interception against Green Bay quarterback [[Brett Favre]] late in the NFC Championship Game.

===Pittsburgh Steelers===
{{main|1995 Pittsburgh Steelers season}}

Super Bowl XXX was the first time that the Steelers advanced to the league championship game since winning [[Super Bowl XIV]] and the first under head coach [[Bill Cowher]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pittsburgh Steelers Playoff History |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/playoffs.htm |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> Cowher took over the team in [[1992 NFL season|1992]] after longtime head coach [[Chuck Noll]] retired after a 23-year tenure and leading the team to four Super Bowl wins. During Cowher's first year, the Steelers captured the number one AFC playoff [[Single-elimination tournament#Seeding|seed]] with an 11–5 regular season record, but were eliminated in their first playoff game against the [[1992 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]], 24–3.<ref name="name"/> Cowher then led the Steelers into the playoffs in [[1993 NFL season|1993]] and [[1994 NFL season|1994]], but were also eliminated, including a 17–13 upset loss to the [[1994 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego Chargers]] in the 1994 [[AFC Championship Game]].<ref name="name"/>

In 1995, the Steelers overcame a 3–4 start (including a 20–16 upset loss to the expansion [[1995 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jacksonville Jaguars]]) to win eight of their final nine games and finished with an {{win-loss record|w=11|l=5}} record, the second-best in the AFC. Their offense was led by quarterback [[Neil O'Donnell]], who completed 246 out of 416 passes for 2,970 yards and 17 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions.<ref name="name"/> Pro Bowl wide receiver [[Yancey Thigpen]] was the team's leading receiver with 85 receptions for 1,307 yards and five touchdowns. Other contributors in the passing game included wide receivers [[Andre Hastings]] (48 catches for 502 yards and one touchdown) and [[Ernie Mills]] (39 receptions for 679 yards and 8 touchdowns), who both also excelled as returners on special teams. Mills gained 1,306 yards returning kickoffs, while Hastings returned 48 punts for 474 yards and a touchdown.<ref name="name"/> The Steelers' rushing attack was led by [[Erric Pegram]], who recorded 813 yards and five touchdowns, and [[Bam Morris]], who had 559 yards and nine touchdowns. On special teams, newly acquired kicker [[Norm Johnson]] led the NFL in both field goals made (34) and field goals attempted (41), while also successfully making all 39 of his extra point attempts.<ref name="name"/>  Leading the offensive line was future Hall of Fame center [[Dermontti Dawson]], who made the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive year.

The Steelers' defense ranked second in the league in total yards allowed (4,833). Pro Bowl linebacker [[Kevin Greene]] led the team with nine sacks, while another Pro Bowl linebacker, [[Greg Lloyd, Sr.|Greg Lloyd]], led the team with 86 tackles, while also collecting 6.5 sacks and three interceptions. The secondary was led by Pro Bowl defensive back [[Carnell Lake]] and [[Willie Williams (cornerback, born 1970)|Willie Williams]], who led the team with seven interceptions and 122 return yards.  The secondary also featured future Hall of Fame defensive back [[Rod Woodson]], who missed almost the entire season with a knee injury, but healed quickly enough to return in time for the playoffs.  He is still the only NFL player to suffer and return from a [[torn ACL]] and still play in the same season.

===Playoffs===
{{details|1995–96 NFL playoffs}}
The Cowboys first defeated the [[1995 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]], 30–11. The score was tied 3–3 into the 2nd quarter, until Dallas scored 27 consecutive points to put the game out of reach.<ref name="name"/> First, [[Deion Sanders]] scored a 21-yard touchdown on an end-around play. [[Emmitt Smith]] then capped off a 79-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run before halftime. Kicker [[Chris Boniol]] later scored two field goals in the 3rd quarter, and [[Troy Aikman]] completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to [[Michael Irvin]] in the 4th quarter, giving the Cowboys a commanding 30–3 lead. Meanwhile, Eagles quarterback [[Randall Cunningham]] was limited to just 11 of 26 completions for 161 yards and no touchdowns, with one interception. Philadelphia could only score a single field goal and Cunningham's meaningless 4-yard touchdown run late in the 4th quarter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys - January 7th, 1996 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199601070dal.htm |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

Dallas then advanced to their fourth consecutive [[NFC Championship Game]], where they faced the [[1995 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]], who had eliminated the [[1995 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]] in the other NFC Divisional Playoff Game. Dallas jumped to an early 14–3 lead with a pair of first quarter touchdown passes from Aikman to Irvin.<ref name="name"/> However, Packers quarterback [[Brett Favre]] threw two touchdowns to take a 17–14 lead midway through the second quarter: a 73-yard strike to wide receiver [[Robert Brooks (American football)|Robert Brooks]] and a 24-yard pass to tight end [[Keith Jackson (tight end)|Keith Jackson]]. Dallas stormed right back with a Boniol field goal, and a record 99-yard drive to score on Smith's 1-yard touchdown run, giving them a 24–17 halftime lead.<ref name="name"/>  In the third quarter, Green Bay regained the lead, 27–24 with a field goal and another touchdown pass from Favre to Brooks. However, Dallas scored two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game away, 38–27. A 90-yard drive was capped with Smith's second touchdown run. On Green Bay's ensuing drive, Larry Brown intercepted a pass from Favre and returned it 28 yards to set up Smith's third touchdown run. Smith finished the game with 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while also catching two passes for 17 yards. Aikman threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Irvin caught seven passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFC Championship - Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys - January 14th, 1996 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199601140dal.htm |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

For the Steelers, they started their playoff run with a 40–21 win over the [[1995 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]]. Pittsburgh dominated the Bills right from the start, building up a 23–7 halftime lead. Buffalo scored two touchdowns in the second half, but [[Bam Morris]]'s two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter ended any thoughts of a Bills comeback.<ref name="name"/> The Steelers' defense limited Buffalo's [[Jim Kelly]] to just 135 passing yards and one touchdown, while intercepting him three times. Bills running back [[Thurman Thomas]], who had rushed for 158 yards and caught three passes for 42 yards in Buffalo's wild card playoff win over the [[Miami Dolphins]], was held to just 46 rushing yards and 12 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Morris rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while kicker [[Norm Johnson]] made four field goals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers - January 6th, 1996 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199601060pit.htm |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

{{main|1995 AFC Championship game}}
Pittsburgh then narrowly defeated the [[1995 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]], 20–16 to advance to their first Super Bowl since the 1979 season.<ref name="name"/> In the second quarter, [[Neil O'Donnell]]'s controversial 5-yard touchdown pass to [[Kordell Stewart]] gave Pittsburgh a 10–6 halftime lead (replays showed that Stewart stepped on the end line before making the catch, which would have made him ineligible). Stewart later said after the game: "I was hit in the end zone for pass interference earlier but (the refs) didn't throw a flag, so what goes around comes around." After the teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter, Indianapolis quarterback [[Jim Harbaugh]] threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver [[Floyd Turner]] to give the Colts a 16–13 lead in the fourth quarter.  The Steelers drove 67 yards on their final drive (keyed by a 4th down-and-3 conversion and a 37-yard pass play from O'Donnell to [[Ernie Mills]]) to score the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard run by Morris with 1:34 left. Mills broke up what would have been a game-clinching interception by Colts linebacker Quentin Coryatt several plays earlier. The Colts responded by driving to the Steelers 29-yard line, and on the game's final play, Harbaugh threw a [[Hail Mary pass|Hail Mary]] intended for wide receiver [[Aaron Bailey (American football)|Aaron Bailey]] in the end zone. Bailey attempted to make a diving catch, but the pass was batted away at the last second by [[Randy Fuller (American football)|Randy Fuller]] and ruled incomplete.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AFC Championship - Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers - January 14th, 1996 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199601140pit.htm |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>