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 59
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Date: Nov. 23, 1985
Where: Tempe
Winner: Arizona, 16-13
What was reported at the time:
By Jack Magruder
The Arizona Daily Star
TEMPE — For the second time in four seasons, Arizona State was given a geography lesson by the University of Arizona.
The Rose Bowl?
You can’t get there from here.
UA senior Max Zendejas kicked ASU into the Holiday Bowl by making a 32-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining, as the UA won, 16-13. It was a Pacific 10 Conference game played before a Sun Devil Stadium record crowd of 72,345 here last night.
“I think it was just meant to be,” UA quarterback Alfred Jenkins said.
“There’s a lot of love on this team.”
Max Zendejas of UA leaps into the air after booting the game-winning field goal against ASU on Nov. 23, 1985 in Tempe.
Zendejas’ winning field goal was set up by a sack — UA defensive tackle Dana Wells caught ASU quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst and caused him to fumble. Defensive tackle Stan Mataele recovered at the ASU 20 with 3:10 remaining.
The UA ran three running plays before Zendejas converted his third field goal in as many attempts. His others were from 42 and 57 yards.
Zendejas’ 57-yarder tied the game at 13 with 9:40 remaining.
Perhaps ASU should be used to that sort of thing, for Zendejas kicks have beaten ASU three straight seasons.
“The key has been, we never give up,” Zendejas said.
UA defensive back Chuck Cecil closed ASU out when he intercepted a Van Raaphorst pass with 1:02 remaining.
And do not believe a tie was irrelevant.
For ASU, a tie would have been like kissing the Rose Bowl queen.
ASU, 8-3 and 5-2 in the Pac-10, would have made the Rose Bowl with a victory or a tie, because UCLA, 8-2-1, 6-2, lost to Southern Cal, 17-13, yesterday afternoon.
But, noooooo.
Instead, the UA, 8-3 and 5-2, won its fourth straight game in the series (for the first time since 1948) and finished tied for first in the Pac-10, with UCLA and ASU.
The UA had never finished higher than third in the Pac-10, and had its most victories since going 9-2 in 1975.
“Co-champs. I love it,” Cecil said.
“(UCLA Coach) Terry Donahue owes me a trip now, by golly,” UA Coach Larry Smith said.
“I felt in my bones all week that it would come down to the wire. We were prepared for it. Today at the hotel when USC scored our guys stood up and cheered. They wanted that it way. Boy, you talk about character, desire and drive.”
The UA will go to the Sun Bowl on Dec. 28 in El Paso, Texas — the contract was signed at 6 p.m. yesterday. The Wildcats will play Georgia.
And UCLA is in the Rose Bowl. It qualified by beating both ASU and the UA. The Bruins will play Iowa on Jan. 1.
ASU gets the Holiday, which might be anything but. The Sun Devils will play Arkansas on Dec. 22.
“We had a golden opportunity, but lost it,” ASU Coach John Cooper said.
As for Zendejas, he might never need to buy another beer in Tucson for his career line against ASU. He made:
— Two fourth-quarter field goals in a 16-10 victory in Tucson in 1984.
— A 48-yarder as time expired in a 17-15 victory here in 1983.
Before that, in 1982, the UA knocked ASU out of the Rose Bowl — and UCLA in — with a 28-18 victory at Arizona Stadium.
“Let’s give Arizona credit,” ASU Coach John Cooper said.
“They’re a good team. We just lost the game. We blew it.”
ASU outgained the UA, 362 yards to 186. It had 23 first downs to the UA’s 10.
But ASU also had five turnovers — three fumbles and two interceptions. The UA lost one of its two fumbles.
In fact, ASU seemed secure, leading 13-3, as a punt by the UA’s Ruben Rodriguez headed toward return man Anthony Parker with four minutes left in the third quarter.
But UA linebacker Byron Evans stripped the ball from Parker at the UA 9. The ball rolled toward the end zone, and UA cornerback Don Be’Ans covered it in the front right corner for a touchdown.
“I knew I had the ball,” Be’Ans said, “but I wanted to wait until it got into the end zone.”
Zendejas’s extra point made the score 13-10 with 3:54 remaining.
ASU then ran off 19 plays and seven minutes, 21 seconds, but Kent Bostrom missed a 22-yard field goal with 9:10 remaining.
The UA moved to the ASU 35, setting up a 52-yard field goal attempt by Zendejas. He made it, but the UA was penalized for illegal procedure, so Zendejas had to try again.
He made it, from 57 yards, his 77th career field goal. He finished two behind UCLA’s John Lee and one behind his brother, Luis, in NCAA Division I-A regular-season statistics.
Then came Wells’ sack, and the rest of the story.
The game’s importance was determined about 4:30 p.m. local time, when the Southern Cal-UCLA final was known.
But that did not inspire ASU, at least early.
The UA scored first, when Zendejas kicked a 42-yard field goal with 7:23 remaining in the first quarter.
ASU, which hurt itself with five penalties for 40 yards in the first period, tied the game on Bostrom’s 35-yard field goal with 3:10 remaining in the half.
Bostrom’s kick concluded a 14-play, 63-yard drive. ASU converted two third-down plays, and running back Mike Crawford gained 40 yards in six carries.
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.…
