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.
Fired-Up Arizona Thumps Tempe, 54-14
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Matchup: Game 28
Date: Nov. 20, 1954
Where: Tucson
Winner: Arizona, 54-14
What was reported at the time:
By ABE CHANIN
Star Sports Editor
Aroused Arizona scored the first time it got hold of the ball and then stormed to a surprisingly easy 54-14 football victory over rival Tempe here last night.
It was the largest Arizona victory margin — 40 points — since 1946 when the Wildcats started the renaissance of Sun Devil football with a 67-0 triumph.
Riding a flaming spirit that was fanned by a pair of stories that drew national attention to Arizona football, the Wildcats crushed the Sun Devils under a grinding attack that totaled 557 yards. For Tempe, the harrowing defeat meant the loss of at least a tie for the Border Conference championship and a final season record of 5-5.
Five different Arizona backs scored in the rout, and Art Luppino, a key figure in the Texas Tech injury story which spread from one side of the country to the other, gained more yardage than the entire Tempe team.
Luppino virtually wrapped up the national rushing and scoring championship as he gained 180 yards — Tempe had only 136 yards the entire night — and scored 10 points. He now has 1,205 yards rushing and 148 points. The Cactus Comet needs only 10 more points and two touchdowns to crack a pair of all-time national records.
Tommy Grimes, in a flashy performance that pleased the crowd of 25,500, scored two touchdowns on runs of 27 and 15 yards. Fullback Max Burnett and Quarterback Fred Schuh each had a pair of touchdowns. The other Arizona TD was scored by barrelling Ed McCluskey.
Arizona struck to its first touchdown 5:25 after the game opened and led 7-0 before Tempe got hold of the ball. The Sun Devils came back to tie it up on a 36-yard pass from Dick Mackey to Dave Graybill. But from there the score mounted until Arizona led 27-7 at halftime.
Quarterback Barry Bleakley, the subject of the other story that brought Arizona national attention, bore out Warren Woodson's faith in him with his best performance since coming here. He was the field-general in the Wildcats' first-half touchdown spree, and for the game he completed eight of 16 pass attempts for 111 yards.
It was as much Arizona’s defense, however, that broke the Sun Devils’ young ball club wide open. A charging line kept Quarterback Mackey off balance so badly that he finished with a net loss of 49 yards for the game. He was never able to get in the clear on the threatening split-T keeper play.
Arizona’s line play was led by Buddy Lewis, Paul Hatcher, Ed Brown, Al Webre, Clarence Anderson, John Mellekas and frosh end Spike Phegley.
Here’s how the scoring went:
First Quarter
Arizona took the opening kickoff and marched 66 yards in 12 plays to score with 5:25 minutes gone. Bleakley completed two of three passes, and Luppino breezed left end for 17 yards on the key plays. Burnett carried over from the one and Luppino kicked the point.
Arizona 7, Tempe 0
Four minutes later, Luppino got off a 12-yard jaunt but fumbled and John Julian recovered for Tempe on the Arizona 39. Dick Mackey then passed straight down the middle to Dave Graybill for 36 yards and the touchdown. It was Graybill's first play of the season. Jack Stovall kicked the point.
Arizona 7, Tempe 7
Arizona took the return kickoff and paraded 81 yards in 10 plays to score again. Bleakley passed for 24 yards to Spike Phegley and then, on a surprise play, completed another heave to Luppino for 18 yards. Two plays later, Grimes took a pitchout around right end, broke for the sidelines and then cut behind his blockers beautifully to go 27 yards for the touchdown. Grimes missed the extra point kick — his first miss of the season.
Arizona 13, Tempe 7
Second Quarter
The Wildcats missed a scoring chance early in the quarter when Grimes intercepted a Mackey pass and ran 23 yards to the Tempe six. But Tempe held, standing off Bleakley's passing attack.
A short while later, the teams traded pass interceptions. Dick Mackey intercepted a Bleakley pass to give Tempe the ball on the Arizona 46. But in return, Gove Allen intercepted a long Mackey pass and ran 15 yards to the Arizona 30.
With Schuh at quarterback, Luppino took a pitchout to the left and raced magnificently behind the team's blocking 57 yards to the Tempe 10. Four plays later, Schuh dived over from inches out, and Luppino kicked the extra point. Four minutes were left.
Arizona 20, Tempe 7
With minutes to go, Guard Ed Brown intercepted another Mackey pass and ran seven yards to the Tempe 49. Bleakley passed 23 yards to Allen, and three plays later Burnett piled over as the first half gun sounded. Grimes' kick was good.
Arizona 27, Tempe 7
Third Quarter
Arizona started quickly to another touchdown when Burnett returned a punt 31 yards to the Tempe 22. Grimes carried seven yards on one play and then raced the remaining 15 on the next play to score. Grimes kicked the point.
Arizona 34, Tempe 7
A short while later, Burnett drove 23 yards to score, but a penalty on Arizona nullified the score and two plays later Chuck Mackey recovered Burnett's fumble on the Tempe 24.
Tempe couldn't move then, but Carl Beard fumbled on the Arizona 31 and Fritz Province recovered there for the Devils. In 10 plays, Tempe scored with Bernie Sedlar going over from the three. Stovall kicked the point.
Arizona 34, Tempe 14
Fourth Quarter
An Arizona drive that started on the UA 42 culminated with a score early in the fourth with Schuh going over from two yards out. Luppino kicked the point.
Arizona 41, Tempe 14
McCluskey set up Arizona's next TD on a 38-yard drive to the five. Luppino took a pitchout to the left, scored and kicked the point.
Arizona 48, Tempe 14
Phegley set up the final score as he drove in to block Dick Mackey's punt and knock the ball out of bounds on the six. Ed McCluskey drove for the score. Luppino missed the conversion.
Arizona 54, Tempe 14
Press Box Notes
The game was marred by the ejecting of three players from the game — Arizona's Don Bowerman and Trigger Phillips and Tempe's Mike Stanhoff. Bowerman was caught punching Tempe's Jim Bilton on a scrimmage play. Grimes, a senior finally getting his chance after being plagued by injuries throughout his career here, averaged 10 yards per carry in a scintillating performance. But an ankle injury held him from carrying the ball more than five times last night.
Here is the way Luppino now stands in the national picture: Penn State's Lenny Moore, second to Luppino last week, ran for 68 yards against Pitt yesterday to finish the season with 1,082 yards. Luppino's 1,205 is far ahead of that figure, and with a game to go, he should surpass the 1953 championship mark of 1,256 set by Illinois' J. C. Caroline.
Luppino now has 21 touchdowns to compare with the record of 22 held nationally by Bobby Reynolds of Nebraska and Whizzer White of Tempe.
Last night's performance was the best all-around play Arizona has shown all year. Both the defensive and offensive performances were tops. The key was Arizona's line play, which held Tempe to only 32 yards rushing in the first half.
Arizona closes its 1954 season against Wyoming here next week as the Cats try to prove their coach a prophet with a 7-3 final record.
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.…
