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 43
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Date: Nov. 29, 1969
Where: Tempe
Winner: ASU, 38-24
What was reported at the time:
By ABE CHANIN
Star Sports Editor
TEMPE — They had one of the greatest duels going in the 70-year history of the series until Arizona State coupled its fabulous speed with Arizona’s second-half errors for a 38-24 triumph here last night in the state’s football game-of-the-year.
It was a heartbreaking loss for the Wildcats, who went into the game three-touchdown underdogs but in the third quarter held a 24-19 lead. The lead dissolved before the third period ended when Lenny Randle, a 9.6 sprinter, breezed 57 yards to score on a punt return.
The score was 25-24 when Willie Lewis, who had a brilliant night carrying the ball, fumbled at the Arizona 17. Tim Hoban recovered for A-State and three plays later fullback Art Malone scored to make it 31-24. Then, with 7:15 left to play in the game, Greg Woodward fumbled a punt and Rod Carothers recovered at the Arizona 27. On fourth down, Eddie Gallardo booted a 38-yard field goal.
And the final Arizona State score came with 1:46 left to play when Gallardo booted a 31-yard field goal. The score was set up when Seth Miller intercepted a Linstrom pass at the Arizona 28.
Arizona State, finishing its ninth winning season in the last 10 years with an 8-2 record, captured the Western Athletic Conference football title for the first time. The Sun Devils, who had a brilliant night carrying the team, were 6-1 in the league with Utah, also 8-2 overall, at 5-1 in second place by virtue of playing one less conference game. The Utes had given Arizona State its only WAC defeat of the year, 24-23 earlier.
And for Arizona’s Wildcats, who turned in their most courageous performance of the year last night, the season ended at 3-7. That was Arizona’s fifth losing gridiron campaign in the last 6 years. For Bob Weber, in his first year as Arizona’s head football coach, it was strictly a case of being manhandled by the toughest schedule a Wildcat team has played since the school’s first grid game in 1899.
Arizona’s 24 points were the most by a Wildcat team against the Sun Devils since 1964. That year, when the Cats won 30-6, was the last time Arizona won in this series.
The Sun Devils now have won five straight, but they needed almost all of the 60 minutes to defeat the underdog Wildcats last night.
Arizona State opened quickly for a 6-0 lead when Dave Buchanan, a 9.5 sprinter, broke loose on a 41-yard touchdown romp. The score came the first time Arizona State got the ball and it looked to some as if the swift Sun Devils were off to another big scorer — a week ago the Sun Devils had beaten Colorado State, 79-7.
Arizona jumped back into the game when Jim Ventriglia blocked a Jim McCann punt. The ball bounced into the end zone and defensive captain Charlie Duke fell on it for the Arizona touchdown. Steve Hurley kicked the point for a 7-6 lead. Arizona made it 10-6 on a 42-yard field goal by Hurley — his eighth of the season to set a new Arizona modern-day record. The score was set up when Joe Spagnola’s pass bounced off Mike Brunson and alert Mark Arneson grabbed the ball to put Arizona at the Sun Devil’s 44.
Arizona State came right back to lead, 13-10. Spagnola passed to Cal Demery at the Arizona 31. A facemask penalty moved the ball to the 16. The swift Buchanan took the ball 13 yards and a personal foul gave the Sun Devils an advance to the one. Buchanan scored, Gallardo kicked the point, and it was 13-10.
The Wildcats came back in the second quarter for a 17-13 lead when Lewis raced 64 yards to score. It was Arizona’s longest touchdown run from scrimmage of the year.
With 33 seconds left in the first half, it was Malone driving in from the two. A pass for two points failed and it was 19-17 for the Sun Devils.
Arizona State showed its offensive daring by twice gambling — and making it — on fourth-down situations on that touchdown drive that started on the Arizona 41.
Arizona bolted back into the lead in the third quarter after Jack Ashby returned a punt 30 yards. Brian Linstrom’s passes to Charlie McKee took the ball downfield and then the Arizona quarterback hit Ted Sherwood, who had broken past his defender, for a 21-yard touchdown pass. With 9:19 left in the third quarter, it was Arizona in front, 24-19 — and in front for the last time.
This was the way the winning scores came for Arizona State in the less than 25 minutes left to play:
After the kickoff, Arizona State drove 61 yards to the Arizona 11. The Wildcats pushed the Devils back and on fourth down Gallardo missed a 35-yard field goal. The Devils held Arizona and on the fourth down punt Buchanan, who returns for his senior year next season, raced 57 yards to score. He got a great block on the play from Bob Davenport.
In the fourth period with 12:31 remaining to play, Lewis fumbled. Hoban recovered at the Arizona 17. Malone went in from the three to score.
With 7:15 left to play, Woodward fumbled a punt, and Carothers recovered at the Arizona 27. Four plays later, Gallardo hit a 38-yard field goal.
Three plays later, a Linstrom pass was picked off by Seth Miller, and Gallardo booted the 31-yard field goal for the final 38-24 score.
The interception was Miller’s 11th of the year, an ASU and WAC record and also the best in the nation this year. In fact, only four players in the history of collegiate football have had more interceptions in one season.
In winning the WAC crown, the Sun Devils had 418 yards total offense and were close to the 28.3 scoring average they carried into the game. That ranked Arizona State fifth in the nation in scoring last week.
Arizona had 321 yards total offense in a strong showing and Lewis had his best performance of the year with 143 yards. Buchanan topped him in the game by only three yards.
Buchanan won the WAC rushing title with 900 yards for the season. Malone, running for 108 yards last night in the great one-two punch of the Devils’ attack, had 768 yards for the season.
Arizona’s Ron Gardin, who did fine blocking, had only 46 yards on 11 carries to finish back in the WAC rushing race.
Linstrom did take the WAC passing title with 1,598 yards as he hit on 12 of 26 for 113 yards.
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.…
