Arizona-ASU Game 21: UA’s late surge sinks Tempe in heated 1947 rivalry game

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.

ARIZONA WILDCATS SPILL SUN DEVILS, 26 TO 13

Matchup: Game 21

Date: Nov. 15, 1947

Where: Tempe

Winner: Arizona, 26-13

What was reported at the time: 

By ABE CHANIN, Star Sports Editor

GOODWIN STADIUM, TEMPE, Nov. 15.— (Special) — Arizona's Wildcats pushed over three touchdowns in a torrid second-half scoring spree to turn back the Tempe Sun Devils, 26-13, here tonight before a record crowd of 16,000 fans. The Wildcats had to fight down a game Tempe team that was dangerous all the way. This great rivalry between these two Arizona state schools went off smoothly with no trouble on the field, except for a joyous Wildcat student section tearing down goalposts on both ends of the gridiron.

The passing of Freddy Enke and running of Charlie Hall once again proved good enough to win. Hall galloped to the first Arizona touchdown, 30 yards, three minutes after the opening kickoff. The Cats pushed Tempe all over the field in the first quarter, stopping the Sun Devil offensive cold.

But Tempe, fired up for this 19th renewal of the rivalry, bounced back in the second period with Morrison (Dit) Warren, fast-starting Tempe fullback, leading the way.

82-Yard Run

Warren, Tempe's standout in the backfield tonight, went 82 yards on a pitch-out to the Arizona eight-yard line. The Wildcat line held, but with Warren and Whizzer White leading the parade, Tempe went 55 yards to score and take a 7-yard lead when White kicked the extra point.

There was little doubt—Tempe was out to win this ball game. The Sun Devils roared back after the halftime festivities to score on a 90-yard sustained march. Warren's running and the passing of Charlie Beall paved the way to the score. That was all the scoring for Tempe as an infuriated Wildcat team fought back with its almost always present late finish.

Enke passed to Smith for one touchdown and then passed to Goff for another. The final Arizona score came near the end of the game when Quarterback Bill Peterson romped 39 yards on a sneak.

Arizona’s line play was paced once more by Harry Varner and Fred Knez. The Cat line looked almost impassable at times—with the exception of the times this Warren carried the ball. He was Tempe’s atomic weapon.

There were few flare-ups on the field, and none broke into violence. In fact, it was a peaceful kind of game as far as pre-game dope had it tabbed.

There were no riots in the stands, but it was a real ball game and the fans who saw it were pleased—on both sides.

Arizona and Tempe shared the first half of play. It was all Wildcat in the opening half. The Cats went to their first half touchdown three minutes after the game opened.

The Wildcat line shoved Tempe into the hole after the opening kickoff, and Tempe was forced to kick out from its own end zone. Beall’s punt went out of bounds on the Tempe 30 and on the first Wildcat play, Hall, on a pitch-out around his own left end, galloped beautifully to score. Goff’s conversion was wide and Cats held a 6-0 edge.

Arizona got another break when a lateral pass from Beall was touched by Arizona’s Smith as the ball went out of bounds on the Tempe 32-yard line. The Cats went to the 15, but from there a passing attack was ineffective and the march fell flat.

After that, Tempe’s running attack was stopped cold, and the Wildcats went on another scoring march only to have a touchdown romp of 31 yards called back on an offside penalty. The first quarter ended with the ball in Arizona possession on the Tempe 21.

Drive to Eight

The Cats drove to the eight where another passing attack missed and Tempe took over on downs. An offsides penalty pushed the ball back to the Tempe three. Three plays later, Warren — the difference in the Tempe offensive over the first quarter — took a pitchout and galloped 82 yards down the sidelines to the Arizona eight-yard line where he was knocked out of bounds.

Penalties and Goff’s alert pass defense held Tempe from scoring. After an exchange of punts, Tempe went on a sustained 55-yard march for its first half score. Warren and White led the touchdown parade. The two handled the ball on all but one play on that TD parade; Warren carried over and White converted to give Tempe a 7-6 lead for the first half. The half ended with Tempe in possession on the Arizona 47.

Arizona kicked off to start the second half, and Tempe went on a 90-yard march to score and pile up a 13-6 advantage. It was Warren and Beall passing to Jim Montgomery, leading the way. The scoring play had Beall passing in the flat to Montgomery, who lateraled to Garner Barnett. Barnett, all alone on this play that obviously caught Arizona with its pants down, breezed 31 yards to score. White’s conversion was no good, and Tempe held a 13-6 lead.

Score Again

But two plays after the Tempe kickoff, Arizona had its first touchdown of the second half. It came with Enke passing to Smith for a 48-yard scoring play. Goff missed the conversion, and the Sun Devils still hung on to a 13-12 lead.

An intercepted pass set up the next Arizona score. Hall, alert on defense, caught a pass from the hands of Beall on a great diving catch on the Tempe 32-yard line.

Enke led the way downfield with hard-driving runs. The score came with Goff making a magnificent catch of Enke’s bullet pass into the end zone. Goff was guarded closely, but he made the catch anyway.

This time Goff converted, and Arizona was back in the lead, 19-13. The quarter ended that way.

The Cats pushed over their final score in the fourth quarter with Peterson making his sensational 39-yard touchdown romp on a quarterback sneak.

Goff converted, and the score was 26-13. The Cats were moving into Tempe territory again when the game ended.