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 40
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Date: Nov. 26, 1966
Where: Tucson
Winner: ASU, 20-17
What was reported at the time:
By ABE CHANIN
Star Sports Editor
Arizona's Wildcats, who lived by the pass all season, died by the pass last night.
With a minute and 44 seconds to play last night, Arizona State quarterback Johnny Goodman, elevated to the starting position just before game time, threw a 19-yard touchdown pass that defeated Arizona, 20-17.
Less than five minutes earlier, Arizona had taken a 17-13 lead on a 70-yard pass from Mark Reed to Fritz Greenlee.
And so the 1966 football season came to an end for Arizona with a 3-7 record. There have only been two poorer records in all of Arizona football history.
The comeback through the air for Arizona State kept Coach Frank Kush from his first losing season as a head coach. The Sun Devils finished at 5-5. At that it was Kush's first victory in Tucson since 1958.
The old rivals battled to a 10-10 deadlock at halftime, but Arizona State got a field goal and a touchdown in the fourth period to score its 13th victory in 40 games with the Wildcats.
Reed completed 20 of 38 passes for 293 yards last night, and his two touchdown heaves gave him 20 for the season. He had 193 completions in 365 attempts for 2,368 yards, and all are new school and Western Athletic Conference records.
But he fell short of taking the national passing championship. John Eckman of Wichita State finished the season with two more completions.
And Jim Greth, who had six catches for 66 yards last night and one touchdown, finished the year with 76 catches for 1,003 yards and eight touchdowns. He broke two records and tied the touchdown mark set by Hank Stanton in 1941. And so Greth, a senior, will finish as the nation's No. 2 pass receiver, tied with Michigan's Jim Clancy.
But all the passing records by this Arizona team were short of the goal the Wildcats sought last night — a victory over the Sun Devils.
It was Goodman, the Devils' regular quarterback until he was benched two games ago, who did the job last night. He completed 11 of 20 passes for 130 yards. Goodman is a senior, but Arizona's Mark Reed will be back at quarterback next season.
Arizona State started the game with an eye to victory. When the Sun Devils won the toss of the coin, they elected to kick off rather than receive. They must have believed in their defense because the wind at their backs was only six miles per hour.
And the Devils quickly stopped Arizona after the kickoff and took over at the Arizona 47. They were only able to move short yardage into Arizona territory, but Bob Rokita, a junior defensive tackle from Johnstown, Pa., booted the longest field goal in Arizona State history for a 3-0 lead. The ball traveled 45 yards.
Arizona State built the lead to 10-0 after Ken Dyer made a great leaping interception of a Reed pass at the Arizona 48 and ran to the 36. Three plays later, Goodman faced a pass and gave the ball to sprinter Travis Williams on the draw play.
Williams exploded up the middle for 36 yards and the touchdown. Rokita kicked the point.
Then Reed went to work. When an option play failed, he tried a rush but swept the end. And he brought Arizona its opening touchdown on a four-yard pass to Smith with 1:31 left in the quarter. It was only the second touchdown given up by Arizona all season in a first quarter.
Ken Sarnoski kicked the point and it was 10-7.
Arizona got moving in the second period again and Phil Booker, an A-State defensive back who was called twice for pass interference, was caught interfering with Greenlee.
Arizona got the ball at the Arizona State 49. The Sun Devil defense rose and held for three downs. On fourth down, Reed went in to score, but Arizona was called for illegal procedure. Bob Rokita then came on and kicked a 22-yard field goal to tie the score.
The teams battled without a score in the third period, although on the first series Ken Dyer intercepted a Reed pass in the Arizona State end zone to halt a Wildcat threat.
In the fourth quarter, Arizona State went on a 67-yard drive that was capped by Rokita's second field goal — this time from 30 yards out. He has kicked four of eight this season. The boot made it 13-10 Arizona State with 10:44 left to play.
Then, with 6:21 left to play, Reed passed to Greenlee for the 70-yard touchdown play. Greenlee beat the Sun Devils' defender and outran him in a race for the goal line. Sarnoski kicked the point and Arizona was in front, 17-13.
Wes Plummer took the return kickoff and ran it back 31 yards to the Sun Devil 39. Then Goodman went to work through the air. He completed four of five passes on the game-winning touchdown drive, the last a 19-yarder to his wingback, Plummer, with 1:44 left to play. Rokita kicked the point to make it 20-17.
Arizona tried desperately to make it back, but on a screen pass play, Reed hit Johnson, who caught the ball on the Arizona 40 and fumbled after running to the ASU 45. Curley Culp, Arizona State's 260-pound middle guard, recovered the ball and the game was over.
Arizona lost the game but won the battle of statistics. The Wildcats had 342 yards of total offense to the Devils' 200. And the Cats also were ahead in first downs, 16 to 14. But the Devils intercepted three of Reed's passes and also recovered one of two Arizona fumbles. Arizona had only 49 yards rushing, the rest through the air.
On defense, sophomore Larry Rogge had five tackles and 11 assists and Bill Alteri had three and three for Arizona. For the Sun Devils, linebacker Ron Pritchard had two tackles and seven assists.
John Pitts, a brilliant defensive back for Arizona State, was credited with knocking away six Arizona passes.
Cool weather — it was 49 at the kickoff — trimmed the expected record crowd to 33,500. That was just 200 short of the record set last year in Arizona Stadium for the Arizona-New Mexico game.
The average attendance was 27,925 for six home games. That was below the record of 28,117 last year, but still the total of 165,750 for the home season was an all-time record. The previous mark was 163,694 in 1964.
The victory moved Arizona State to a 5-5 finish and tied for third place in the Western Athletic Conference with a 2-2 record. Wyoming won the crown at 5-0.
Arizona finished next to last with a 1-4 WAC mark.
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.…
