Arizona-ASU Game 5: Wildcats cruise past Sun Devils in 1919 downpour

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 5

Date: Sept. 8, 1919

Where: Tucson

Winner: Arizona, 59-0

What was reported at the time:

In a downpour of rain and on a heavy field, the University of Arizona Wildcats completely shut out the Tempe Normal students in the big football game yesterday afternoon by a score of 59 to nothing. From the first five minutes of the game on it looked like a sure thing for Arizona but the Normalites put up a plucky fight and there was something doing all the while. Although the playing of the Varsity showed marked improvement over last Saturday's game there is still room for a great deal of improvement. They are getting into shape in very quick time, though, and there is every reason to believe that this will be the biggest year for Arizona, in football circles in a long time.

Coaches and trainers were optimistic last night over the future as yesterday's game showed what a fine bunch of players the Varsity really are. Their team work is picking up and the plays are put over with more skill and finesse. The weight and brains are there in sufficient quantities. All that is needed now is conscientious practice and hard work to bring California to her knees next month.

The game was called at 2:30 despite the rain which continued for more than half of the game. Warren Grosetta was timekeeper; Dutch Meyer was on the job as umpire; Mr. Porter, of the high school, acted as referee; and Lewis Irvine, a freshman, was the head linesman.

The Varsity lineup as it went into the game was as follows: Tommy Marlar, left end; Oscar Cook, tackle; Gail Lewis, guard; Captain "Swede" Lynch, center; Harry Stewart, guard; George Hardaway, tackle; Earl Wood, end; Louis Slonaker, quarterback; Aaron McCreary, left half; "Gyp" Manzo, right half; and John Hobbs, full. Most of the second team got a crack at the Normalites during the game and the frequent introduction of new players into the game kept the Varsity fresh and able to play a first rate game.

The Tempe line-up consisted of Butler, left end; Gatlin, tackle; Downey, guard; Caps, center; R. Vest, guard; Berry, tackle; Harris, end; Brown, quarterback; Boetto, left half; Buck, full and Cartwright, right half.

The first quarter

In the first quarter, Arizona made three touchdowns and kicked two goals. The quarter was characterized by some pretty gains made by Slonaker, the fast little Varsity quarter, and McCreary, left half. Slonaker kicks the goals for the Varsity. Hobbs did fine work in this quarter and promises to be one of the stars of the Varsity squad. The first quarter showed the Normalites what they had to buck up against and gave the Varsity confidence for the rest of the struggle.

The second quarter

The second quarter opened on the fifty yard line. This quarter was not quite so spectacular. Each team had the measure of the other and had settled down for a good hard scrap. The Varsity got two touchdowns and a goal out of it; however, they worked a little harder for it and gains were shorter. Marlar's block kick for 30 yards was unfortunate for him as he hurt his leg and had to leave the game. He was replaced by Bill Wofford. Jake Meyer made the first touchdown but McCreary failed to kick the goal. John Hobbs got the second touchdown and on the 20-yard kick-out that followed McCreary succeeded in kicking a goal. The score stood 32 to 0 at the end of the first half in favor of the Varsity.

The third quarter

In the third quarter, the Varsity succeeded in making another touchdown. Manzo made this one but failed to kick a goal. Varsity was penalized several times during this quarter which was without special interest otherwise. Trick plays were tried out in this quarter but on the whole, slow steady gains were the main thing. The quarter ended 39 to 0.

The last quarter

The last quarter started off with a rush, Clarence Orme making a rather spectacular touchdown in the first play. Wallace failed to kick a goal. Clymer made some speedy runs during this quarter and plowed thru the Tempe team with ease. Erp fought like a wildcat for his gains and made them. Copeland's playing was probably the feature of the last quarter. He went right through them with a motion like the shimmie. Eddie Saeed made a touchdown after a hard run, and Clymer kicked a goal. After a series of fat gains Copeland rang up the last touchdown and kicked a goal. It was now near the end of the game and but few plays followed. However, Varsity would have had another touchdown in a few minutes. The game ended with the ball in possession of the University near their goal line, the final score being 59 to 0 in favor of the University of Arizona.

The Varsity team played strong all the way through and team work cut out the possibility of stars. However, Copeland deserves mention for his gains near the end. John Hobbs goes through the opposite line like a streak of lightning and will be one of the University's mainstays. This is his freshman year.

There was quite a crowd out to see the game despite the downpour, and their lusty yells and cheering under the direction of yell leaders Heney and Vosskuehler did much to win the game.