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 32
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Date: Nov. 22, 1958
Where: Tucson
Winner: ASU, 47-0
What was reported at the time:
By ABE CHANIN
Star Sports Editor
Arizona State, breaking out an unbelievable number of brilliant running backs, handed Arizona a 47-0 football licking yesterday — the most lopsided Sun Devil shutout in the 59-year history of the series.
An overflow crowd of 25,000 — the biggest in two years in Arizona Stadium — watched the Sun Devils roll to their third straight victory over the Wildcats with ridiculous ease.
The Devils had the ball for 12 series of plays and scored 7 times. Fabulous Leon Burton scored the first three A-State touchdowns, and the other scores were made by fullback Joe Belland, sophomore Joe Drake and two by reserve fullback Ron Erhardt.
But statistics showed even more than the score how completely Arizona State dominated the game. The Sun Devils rolled up 431 yards total offense while Arizona came up with perhaps its worst rushing record in modern history. The Wildcats finished the afternoon with a net loss of 53 yards rushing. Arizona had 95 net yards on total offense.
No less than 10 Arizona State backs ran for more yardage than any Arizona back. Arizona quarterback Ralph Hunsaker was thrown for a 56-yard loss in the game.
And the rout was evident at the outset of the game. The Sun Devils scored on their first series of plays with quarterback John Hangartner pitching 18 yards to Burton. On the next Sun Devil play of the first quarter, Burton took a reverse and raced 48 yards around left end to score. Less than three minutes into the second quarter, Burton, the 1957 national scoring and passing champion, breezed 11 yards around end for his final score. By halftime, the score was 25-0.
Arizona's only bright spot in its final football game of the 1958 season was the setting of a national record by Dave Hibbert, junior halfback from Phoenix. Hibbert caught seven passes for 92 yards yesterday to push his 1958 total to 61 pass receptions for 606 yards.
The previous national record of 57 catches was set in 1952 by Ed Brown of Fordham University.
Now the national pass-receiving record, once held by end Hank Stanton of Arizona in 1941, returns to the Tucson campus.
And quarterback Ralph Hunsaker, completing 14 of 25 passes, unofficially won the national passing championship. Randy Duncan of Iowa completed 10 of 21 against Notre Dame yesterday for a total of 101 completions for the season.
Hunsaker finished with 106 completions out of 191 attempts for 1,127 yards. Hunsaker also closed out his four-year Arizona career with 517 pass attempts—the first Wildcat to attempt more than 500 passes.
Hunsaker set three Arizona school records — a .554 pass completion mark set by Allan Stanton in 1951; 191 pass attempts surpassing the 184 attempted by Fred Enke in 1947; and 106 completions to top Enke's record of 68, also made in '47.
The defeat tied the widest scoring differential for Arizona State in the series. In 1951, A-State also won by 47 points — 61-14. This was only the second time in 32 games (23 won by Arizona) that the Wildcats were shut out.
And the loss completed Arizona's 1958 season with a 3-7 record. Arizona State now is 6-3 and faces Marquette in Tempe Saturday in its finale.
Burton, a 9.5 sprinter, ground out 101 yards for a brilliant 12.6-yard average gain. But the Sun Devils also got outstanding ball-carrying from a sensational Pennsylvania freshman, Nolan Jones, who gained 96 yards for a 6.8 average gain.
Arizona made only two threats of any importance in the game. The Wildcats went to the Devil 27 and again to the 14 in the third period, but fumbles ended both threats.
Here is how the scoring went:
First Quarter
Arizona State won the toss and elected to receive. The Sun Devils scored 11 plays later with Burton taking Hangartner's screen pass. The play carried 18 yards. There were 8:45 minutes left in the quarter. Nolan Jones' kick was good.
Arizona State 7, Arizona 0
Arizona couldn't move the ball and had to punt. The Sun Devils got the ball on the Arizona 48 and on the first play Burton took a reverse and sailed around the left end to score. It was a 48-yard touchdown run. Hangartner's pass for two points failed with 6:20 minutes left.
Arizona State 13, Arizona 0
Arizona got a chance to score when Billy Overall recovered Nolan Jones' fumble at the Sun Devil 45. The Wildcats went to the 32, but on a first-down play mix-up Hunsaker tossed away the ball and Hangartner recovered for the Sun Devils at the 36. The Sun Devils started their next scoring series in the quarter.
Second Quarter
The 64-yard touchdown march was climaxed with Burton going 11 yards around left end. Jones' run for two points failed.
Arizona State 19, Arizona 0
A short while later Karl Kiefer recovered Hunsaker's fumble on the Arizona 38. But on the Devils' second play Burton fumbled and Ken Holbrook recovered for Arizona.
The Wildcats were forced to punt and Jim Geist got off a sensational 60-yarder that sailed over Burton's head to the Sun Devil 10.
For only the second time in the game, the Sun Devils didn't score when they got the ball. They were forced to punt.
But the Devils got a final score in the first half when Burton made a nifty 40-yard return to the Arizona State 49. With 11 seconds left in the game, Ron Erhardt barreled over from the 1. Drake's run for two points failed.
Arizona State 25, Arizona 0
In the first half, A-State had 14 first downs to Arizona's 3. The Devils had 243 yards total to Arizona's 17. The Wildcats had a net loss of 18 yards rushing for the first two quarters.
Third Quarter
Warren Livingston took the opening kickoff and raced 71 yards to the Sun Devil 27. But on the second Arizona play, Hunsaker fumbled and Bill Spanko recovered for A-State to kill the Wildcat scoring threat.
The Sun Devils immediately marched to score with Joe Belland booming over from the 1. A penalty killed the Devils' try for two points.
Arizona State 31, Arizona 0
A 26-yard pass play from Hunsaker to Hibbert put Arizona on the Devil 31. But again the Wildcats failed to score when Livingston fumbled and Drake recovered for A-State at the 14.
Arizona went to the Devil 34 in the quarter, but Arizona State held again, then moved the remaining yardage to score with Ron Erhardt driving over from the 2. Freshman quarterback Joe Zuger plunged for the two points.
Arizona State 39, Arizona 0
Fourth Quarter
Arizona State got its final touchdown early in the fourth period after Jones intercepted a Hunsaker pass. The interception and a clipping penalty gave the Devils the ball at midfield. Seven plays later, Drake drove over from the three for the touchdown.
A penalty put the ball back to the eight, but the Sun Devils still picked up the two points as Drake ran the ball over.
Arizona State 47, Arizona 0
Press Box Notes
The Sun Devil victory made it three straight, and the fleet of young backs indicated Arizona State will continue to dominate this football series that started back in 1899 — with an A-State victory. Halfback Nolan Jones, a brilliant runner, and No. 2 quarterback Joe Zuger, both Pennsylvanians, are freshmen. And outstanding backs Joe Drake, Ed Ellis and Bill Kendrick all are sophomores. The Sun Devils have 17 seniors, but the folks who know say Arizona State will field a better cub in 1959.
Arizona fans began filing out of the stands as early as the third quarter, but for them perhaps the most heartening event of the afternoon was the Wildcat victory in the "Battle of the Bands." Arizona's precision marching brought a tremendous ovation. The Sun Devil bandsmen also drew plaudits, but they came up with the only Arizona State error of the entire afternoon. During the halftime show, they formed a cross to indicate Moses receiving the Holy Scrolls. History doesn't tell it that way.
Arizona came up with a double lonesome end formation in the final period, but by that time the entire Wildcat squad was feeling pretty lonesome
The game was slowly played, and the lights were turned on during the final period.
Sun Devil Coach Frank Kush didn't try to roll up the score; he substituted as freely as he could in the final half.
The Arizona performers who drew the most applause during the afternoon were halfback Warren Livingston for his fine 71-yard kickoff return and Kenlyn Williams, the school's national champion baton twirler.
Seven Arizona players closed their careers with the game. They were Hunsaker, Nick Balich, Marty Hurd, Billy Keasler, Ray Martin, Billy Overall and Joe Bognanno.
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.…
