Arizona-ASU Game 22: UA outlasts Tempe in thrilling 1948 football battle

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.

U. A. Wildcats Bleach Out Tempe Sun Devils 33 to 21

Matchup: Game 22

Date: Oct. 30, 1948

Where: Tucson

Winner: Arizona, 33-21

What was reported at the time: 

By ABE CHANIN

Star Sports Editor

Arizona topped rival Tempe, 33-21, last night in a peppery offensive battle that heralded good things to come.

An all-time record crowd of 16,200 packed Varsity Stadium and sat through intermittent showers and temperatures ranging in the middle 50s to take in a game that was all the thriller it was built up to be.

The Wildcats, winning by more than generally expected, might even have made the victory margin wider if it hadn't been for a few bad breaks and a speedy ex-Mesa high star, Wilford (Whizzer) White. While Arizona chalked up its 20th win over Tempe in 22 meetings over a period of 49 years, last night's contest clearly indicated that the valley school was back in grade A football.

Halftime Lead

Led by the great performance of tiny Ed Wolgast and the always-good Charlie Hall, Arizona ran off to a 19-7 halftime lead after a scoreless first quarter. But Tempe battled back valiantly in a second-half show that kept the Wildcats on their toes continuously. Arizona didn't have the contest stowed away until the last three minutes of the game.

Wolgast scored two of Arizona's touchdowns, Hall tallied another, and Quarterbacks Sol Ahee and Bill Peterson ran the other two. White, Garner Barnett and Marko Markichevich tallied Tempe's three TDs.

Third Victory

In scoring its third win of the season against three defeats, Arizona racked up 18 first downs to Tempe's 13. The Wildcats had a net total offense gain of 396 yards to the Sun Devil's 232.

Arizona ran for 212 of its yards gained and then picked up another 184 yards on phenomenal passing. The Wildcats, up to this week the poorest passing team in the Border Conference, completed eight of 10 aerial attempts. And Wolgast, previously only a fair passer, hit six out of eight.

After a scoreless first quarter, Arizona went on a 79-yard sustained march with Hall and Wolgast driving beautifully on ground plays. The drive began in the first quarter and on the first play of the second period, Wolgast took a handoff from Peterson and went 21 yards around the end to score without a hand put on him.

And a short while later Arizona went on another march — 60 yards this time and with Winfred Tackett helping out Wolgast. Peterson's 26-yard pass to Johnny Smith put the ball on the 10. Then Ahee made a nifty fake of a handoff, wheeled around right end and tallied Arizona's second TD.

Tempe took to the air to get back in the ballgame, with Cecil Coleman doing fancy chunking. His pass to White in the flat went 30 yards to paydirt.

The Sun Devils took a fourth-down gamble just before the half ended and lost out on it. White faked a kick and passed with seconds left. The try was no good, and it was Arizona's ball on the Tempe 26. Wolgast passed to Smith down to the three and then breezed around the end to score.

First Tempe Score

Tempe picked up the first score of the second half on a 69-yard drive with Coleman again passing sweetly. Markichevich helped out with a gain of 32 yards on three carries. Garner Barnett went over from eight yards out.

With the score 19-14 for Arizona, the Wildcats got a break early in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard boot that was downed on the Tempe 44. The Wildcats scored on four plays, with Peterson going over.

Tempe's next tally came after the Whizzer ran a punt back 66 yards. Markichevich scored this one, and then the Wildcats roared 60 yards back for their final TD. Hall packed the ball for his first touchdown of the night.

The offensive stars of the night were Wolgast, Hall and White, and all three were brilliant. Wolgast, whose waist is small enough to hide in a thimble, completed six of eight passes for 133 yards. He also ran for 82 yards and brought back a punt return for 17 more. That gave him 232 yards of ground-gaining for the night.

Hall's Mark

And Hall hung up this record: by running 96 yards; by punt return, 32. A total of 128 yards. For White it was: 36 net yards running, 50 on kickoff return and 113 on punt returns for a total of 199 yards.

Arizona's line played outstandingly in the clinches, with Max Spilsbury turning in great defensive play along with Art Converse.

The Wildcats' offensive end, Bob Larsen, had one of the finest catches ever made on a football field. It came on Arizona's final march when he leaped over a defensive Tempe back for the catch on the Sun Devil five.

Arizona might have rolled up an even greater victory margin if penalties hadn't interfered. The game was rough, but did not break out in any open brawling.

Lose Out on Breaks

The Wildcats lost out on two breaks. In the first quarter, Tom Woodburn, playing an alert game for Arizona at right end, broke in with Tackle Bob Morrison to block White's punt. Woodburn raced to the Tempe 12. But the play was called off when Arizona was called for being offsides.

Then in the third period Wolgast took a tricky pitchout play and romped 44 yards to the Tempe one, but the Wildcats were called for holding.

Woodburn suffered a shoulder separation in the game, but an early examination indicated that he would be able to go against New Mexico next Saturday afternoon at Albuquerque. Cecil Crouch, right half, injured a knee, but the extent of the injury was not immediately diagnosed.

The game was highlighted by excellent halftime and pre-game performances by both the Arizona and Tempe bands. Arizona card stunts and the loudest cheering in Varsity Stadium this year also perked up the contest.

Tempe kicked off to open the game, and on the kick the ball struck an Arizona lineman, bounded back into the Sun Angels’ forward wall where White recovered. The Sun Devils moved all the way to the Arizona 18, but on the next play, as the rain came down, Woodburn intercepted a Coleman pass and the threat was ended.

On the exchange of punts, Woodburn and Morrison broke through to block White's attempt kick and Woodburn took the ball and raced all the way to the Tempe 12. The play was ruled out, however, because of offsides by the Wildcats.

The Sun Devils moved into Arizona territory but were stopped again and White kicked to Wolgast on the four. The pint-sized Arizona scat-back raced from there to the 21 and the Wildcats started their goal-ward march. The series went like this: Hall for 10; Wolgast for two; Hall for three and then Hall again for first down on the UA 46.

Wolgast Gets One

Then Wolgast picked up one. Hall drove for three and Peterson lateraled to Wolgast, who goes for first down to the Tempe 39. Wolgast made four more, but a Tempe penalty for offsides gave Arizona an extra yard and a first on the 30. Wolgast, on a quick-opener, went to the Tempe 28 and then Hall made six more. Carrillo took one as the quarter ended.

On the very first play of the second period, Wolgast took a handoff from Peterson and sped niftily to score from 21 yards out without a hand placed upon him. Tackett missed the conversion try.

After the kickoff, Arizona started from its own 40, and with Wolgast and Tackett doing most of the ground driving, the Wildcats went for their second score. Peterson's pass from the Tempe 36, passed to Smith in the clear down to the Tempe 10. Then Ahee faked a handoff and went around the end to score on a neatly executed play. Tackett again missed the extra-point try, and the score was Arizona 12; Tempe 0.

Immediately after the kickoff, the Sun Devils drove 53 yards for their only first-half score. Tempe took to the air with Coleman passing nicely. The touchdown play came from 30 yards out with Coleman passing to White in the flat. The Tempe speedster went down the west sideline. He then kicked the extra point.

Arizona got its final score of the half on a Tempe gamble. On fourth down, the Sun Devils faked a kick and White's pass was knocked down by Spilsbury.

That gave the ball to Arizona on the Tempe 26 with only seconds left in the half. On the first play, Wolgast passed across the field to Smith, who drove to the three with six minutes left. Then Wolgast went around the end to score as the half ended. Tackett kicked this one, and Arizona had a 19-7 half-time lead.

Tempe again kicked off to open the second half. The Wildcats moved the ball from their own 37 to their 46, where Peterson fumbled and Tempe recovered.

Move to 11

The Sun Devils, with Coleman passing, moved to the Arizona 11, but the Wildcats held and took over on downs. After an Arizona punt, Tempe marched to score all the way from its own 31—a 69-yard drive. Again it was Coleman passing, but this time Markichevich set up the score with runs of 11, six and 15 yards. When the Globe High fullback stopped, it was Tempe's ball on the Arizona eight. From there Barnett barreled over. White kicked the extra point, and Tempe crept up on the leading Wildcats, 14-19.

Arizona then began to drive and Wolgast passed to Smith for a first down on the Tempe 34. The Wildcats began to move and were down to the 15 when a penalty put the ball back on the 22. Then Center Bill Gosselin intercepted a Wildcat pass to end that threat as the third quarter closed.

Arizona got a break early in the fourth quarter when Bill Saunders kicked short to the Tempe 44—a 19-yard boot. From there the Wildcats scored on four plays. Wolgast passed behind the line to Larsen, who went to the 17. Two plays later, a Wolgast-to-Larsen pass was ruled complete on the two by interference. Peterson carried over from there, and Tackett kicked the extra point. That gave Arizona a 26-14 edge.

50-Yard Runback

White put the Sun Devils back in position on a nifty 50-yard runback of the Arizona kickoff. The ball was advanced to the 16 on a penalty of roughness on Arizona. But the Wildcats held again and took over on their own seven.

And it was again the Whizzer who kept Tempe's hopes alive. This time he breezed 66 yards after taking a punt from Hall. He went all the way to the Arizona four where he was knocked down from behind by Hall. Three plays later, Markichevich drove over for the score. White booted the extra point, and the score stood 26-21 for Arizona.

Arizona started from its own 40 and paraded 60 yards for its final touchdown. Wolgast led this parade, running and passing. A behind-the-line pass from Wolgast to Larsen carried to the Tempe 14. But the Cats were penalized all the way back to their own 41 for illegal use of hands.

Then Wolgast passed to Carrillo and again to Larsen, and Arizona was down to the five. Wolgast carried to the two, and on second down Hall drove over with 3½ minutes left to play. Tackett booted the extra point and the final score read 33-21 for Arizona.