Editor’s note: This year, UA and ASU football will face off for the 100th time in what has come to be known as the Territorial Cup game. Leading up to that Nov. 28 matchup, which will be played right here in Tucson, we will be republishing the Arizona Daily Star’s coverage of each rivalry game — one a day — going back to their first meeting in 1899. Tune in daily for a blast from the past.
Some important things to keep in mind: This isn’t the 100th anniversary; the upcoming meeting will be the 100th time the teams have gone head-to-head. There were a number of years that they didn’t compete against one another. The Wildcats lead the all-time series vs. the Sun Devils, 52-46-1.
Matchup: Game 36
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Date: Nov. 24, 1962
Where: Tucson
Winner: Arizona, 20-17
What was reported at the time:
By ABE CHANIN
It was the miracle of E. 6th St.
The team that didn't have the chance of a snowball in July in Arizona struck down mighty Arizona State, 20-17, in one of the great upsets in 63 years of football history at the University of Arizona.
An underdog by two to three touchdowns and coming up against a team ranked among the nation's top 20, the Wildcats scored the first touchdown in the game and then hit for two comeback touchdowns in the fourth quarter for the stunning upset.
The sellout crowd of 27,000 in Arizona Stadium stood in the aisles in disbelief at the final gun as the Wildcat marching band staged a fully unexpected celebration on the field.
After Arizona marched 68 yards to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, Arizona State scored the next three times the Sun Devils got their hands on the ball. Two touchdowns and a 26-yard field goal put ASU comfortably out in front, 17-7, at halftime.
But Arizona, facing its first losing grid season in three years, struck back. Just before the third period ended, Gene Foster, a sophomore Arizona State halfback, fumbled and tackle Gerald Zeman pounced on the ball at the Arizona 23.
With Bill Brechler at quarterback, the Wildcats drove steadily to score two minutes and five seconds after the final quarter opened. And it took tremendous effort as Arizona State threw up a stonewalled defense. On fourth down with three yards to go for the touchdown, Brechler charged around left end. When he was hit short of the goal line, the junior quarterback from Minneapolis lateralled to sophomore Lou White, who dove into the end zone.
Brechler went for the two points, but Charley Taylor intercepted the pass, and Arizona closed the gap to 13-17.
Arizona's defense turned the tide once again when, on third down, Dave Knott and Zeman charged in to force a two-yard loss on a completed screen pass. Then John Seedborg attempted to punt. UA's senior end Ken Cook put a big rush on Seedborg as he punted. The ball went off Seedborg's foot for a net loss of five yards. Cook was so close it appeared as if he had blocked the punt, but Cook said he didn't touch the ball. The bad punt gave Arizona the ball on its 48.
The aroused Wildcats sensed upset in the making, and the winning touchdown was set up when sophomore quarterback Eddie Bricker passed 38 yards to Cook, who had faked the defense and was in the clear. Cook took the pass play to the six. Two plays later, fullback Ted Christy charged in for the score. John Fouse kicked the point to make it 20-17.
When Arizona State threatened, the Wildcat defense came up again with the big play. Larry Todd, trying to pass, was smashed to the ground by end Jim Singleton. Todd fumbled, and guard Virgil Grant dove on the ball at the Arizona 46. With 1:25 left in the game, Arizona stalled out the rest of the way.
This was one of the most stunning defeats for Arizona State in the 36 games of this great rivalry that began in 1899. The Sun Devils went into the game with a 7-1-1 record and Phoenix papers were already writing about bids to bowl games. Arizona was the team with a 4-5 record and struggling to keep its season at even keel.
Not since the second game of the season had Arizona scored so many points and the triumph gave the Wildcats a 5-5 record for 1962. Arizona now leads 26-10 in the series and the victory was the third in a row over the Sun Devils.
The three-point margin made it the closest game in the series since 1955, when Arizona upset another favored Arizona State team, 7-6.
The Arizona defense was so tremendous that Arizona State, the nation’s leading ground-gaining team with a 400.3 average, was slowed down to only 241 yards total offense last night.
Arizona had 205 yards total offense and 11 first downs to the Devils’ 16.
And Tony Lorick, the nation’s No. 14 rusher, gained 74 net yards, but his average gain was 4.9 yards.
Arizona’s surprising triumph overshadowed a record-breaking performance by Arizona State quarterback John Jacobs.
Jacobs, who’ll be back again next season, set a school record and tied another. The Arizona State quarterback completed 11 of 16 passes for 123 yards. The yardage gave him a total of 1,263, breaking the 1,208 record set by John Hangartner in 1958. And his touchdown pass tied the season total of 14 by Hangartner in 1957.
Bricker, in his best passing of the season, completed four of seven for 94 yards and a touchdown. Both Bricker and Brechler return next season.
Here is how the game went:
First Quarter
Arizona State won the toss and elected to receive. Alonzo Hill took the short kick on the ASU 23 and raced to the Arizona 39. Vern Alexander and Craig Starkey broke through on the first play to spill Charley Taylor for a 13-yard loss, and the Devils had to punt on fourth down.
John Seedborg’s punt went over the goal and Arizona started from its 20. The Cats went to fourth down and one and Bill Brechler punted to the A-State 36. Another big line rush forced Jacobs into a 12-yard loss and the Devils were forced to punt. Arizona got the ball at its 32 after Tommy Kosser’s nine-yard runback.
Arizona drove into A-State territory on a hard running game. The Wildcats went to the Devil 32, but were pushed back to the 37. Then Eddie Bricker passed to end John Fouse at the 15, where he made a leaping catch and then raced into the end zone for the touchdown with 1:50 left in the quarter. Fouse kicked the point.
Arizona 7, Arizona State 0
Second Quarter
The Devils went to the Arizona 39 on a 13-yard pass from Jacobs to Dale Keller. A-State drove to the two-yard line where it was fourth down and inches to go. Fullback Mitch Siskowski drove to the one for the first down, and then Jacobs went in for the score with 9:13 left in the half. Seedborg kicked the point.
Arizona State 7, Arizona 7
Brian Hart took the kickoff deep in the end zone and ran to the 19. The Wildcats picked up only six yards and had to punt on fourth down. Tonny Lorick took Brechler's punt on the ASU 41 and ran to the Arizona 39. The hard-running Lorick ran for 10 to make it first down at the 15, after Jacobs hit Hill with a quick pass. Taylor drove left end to the nine, but after the next running play failed to gain. Seedborg kicked a 26-yard field goal with 2:41 remaining.
Arizona State 10, Arizona 7
The kickoff was downed in the end zone, and Arizona had the ball at its 20. The Devils held and Brechler punted on fourth down. Arizona State took the ball at its 42 with 1:09 left in the half; a long touchdown pass from Larry Todd to Keller just missed. Jacobs' pass to Todd bounced into Lorick's hands at the Arizona 24. Jacobs passed to Herm Harrison at the 17. Jacobs passed 17 yards to Harrison for the touchdown with 21 seconds left. Seedborg kicked the point.
Arizona State 17, Arizona 7
The half ended as Arizona State was called for a personal foul and Bricker passed to Jim Singleton to the Arizona 48.
In the first half, Arizona State had the statistical bulge. The Devils had 10 first downs to Arizona's six and 151 yards total offense to Arizona's 104. Arizona State gained only 57 net yards on the ground and 94 via passes.
Third Quarter
Lou White returned the kickoff 24 yards to the Arizona 29. Arizona went to fourth and a half-yard at the 39 and Brechler punted into the end zone. Arizona State took over at its 20. The Devils stayed on the ground to move into Arizona territory. The Devils went to fourth down and four to go at the Arizona 40 and Seedborg punted to Jim Fauks at the Arizona 13.
A-State was penalized 15 yards as Lorick, trying for the tackle, caught Fauks by the facemask. The Cats were forced back and had to punt. Brechler’s punt was partially blocked by Keller and the Devils got the ball at their 48.
Dave Knott gave Arizona the ball in A-State territory when he intercepted Jacobs’ pass at the Arizona 43 and ran 19 yards to the Devils’ 38. On third down, Bricker ran the right side to the 29, two feet short of the first down. On fourth down, Arizona took too much time and was penalized five yards. Bricker passed to Singleton for the first down at the 28.
On third down, White fumbled when he was tackled, and Roger Locke pounced on the ball at the A-State 28.
On the second A-State play, Gene Foster fumbled a hand-off and Gerald Zeman recovered for Arizona at the Devils’ 23.
Fourth Quarter
Brechler’s third down pass for Cook was high and Arizona had it fourth down and six to go. Brechler, faking beautifully, hit Tommy Phillips, who stepped out on the seven. Ted Christy lost one at the middle on the Devil line. White was stopped for no gain at left end. Brechler ran right end to the two-and-a-half-yard line. On fourth down, Brechler ran left end and, when he was hit, lateral to White, who dove in for the score with 12:55 left in the quarter. On the try for two points, Taylor intercepted Brechler’s pass for Kosser at the goal line.
Arizona State 17, Arizona 13
Taylor ran the kickoff back from the goal line to the Devils’ 34. Led by Taylor and Lorick, the Devils quickly crossed midfield. On fourth down, end Ken Cook put the big rush on Seedborg as he punted. The ball went off Seedborg’s foot for a net loss of five yards. Cook was so close it appeared he had blocked the punt, but Cook said he didn’t touch the ball. The reverse yardage punt gave Arizona the ball on its own 48-yard line.
On a third-down play, Brechler fumbled and recovered and lost two yards. Arizona State was called for roughing the kicker, Brechler, and Arizona got a first down at the Devils’ 33. The foul was called against the Devils’ Pat Appulese.
With Bricker at quarterback, Christy drove to the 26, but Arizona was called for holding and the ball went back to the Devils’ 44. Bricker then passed to Cook for a 38-yards to the six. Christy smashed to the three. White dove over left tackle to the one. Christy went in for the score with 5:34 left in the game. Fouse kicked the point.
Arizona 20, Arizona State 17
Taylor returned the kickoff from the 14 to the 24. There was four and a half minutes left to play. Jacobs passed to Locke for a first down at the Devils’ 37. Fairholm broke up Jacobs’ long pass for Keller. Todd threw long and incomplete. On third down, Phillips kayoed Jacobs’ pass.
On a fourth-down gamble, Jacobs hit Keller for first down at the Arizona 46. Taylor picked up three as the clock showed two minutes left to play.
Todd threw long and incomplete for Lorick on second down. Todd, trying to pass, was caught from behind by Singleton. Todd fumbled and Virgil Grant recovered for Arizona at the Arizona 46 with 1:25 left to play.
Arizona ate up the clock with running plays.
Climb into the Arizona Daily Star’s time machine as we revisit every Territorial Cup matchup between U of A and ASU football ahead of the Nov.…
