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.
UA wins on last-second FG, 17-15
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Matchup: Game 57
Date: Nov. 26, 1983
Where: Tempe
Winner: Arizona, 17-15
What was reported at the time:
By Jack Magruder
The Arizona Daily Star
TEMPE — Max Zendejas met brother Luis for a pregame chat here yesterday afternoon. Small talk. Best wishes. Break a leg.
“And Luis told me I better not miss,” Max said.
So he didn’t.
Max beat Arizona State, 17-15, with a 45-yard field goal as time expired at Sun Devil Stadium.
UA kicker Max Zendejas, right, and Craig Schiller watch the ball after Zendejas' kick. The ball sailed through the uprights for a 17-15 win against ASU on Nov. 26, 1983.
The UA won a Pacific-10 Conference game before an announced crowd of 70,033 and a CBS regional television audience.
And you know whose leg ASU wanted to use for a wishbone.
“As soon as I kicked it, I knew I hit it right,” said Max, a sophomore. “It was right down the middle.”
The UA had positioned itself at the ASU 28-yard-line after an eight-play drive (seven runs) that gained 35 yards and killed 4:41.
With three seconds remaining, the UA called a timeout to bring out Max, holder Craig Schiller and snapper Steve Justice.
The UA lined up twice. The first time, ASU called a timeout.
“We didn’t talk then, but I looked over to see if he was ready,” Schiller said. “He just smiled at me.
“There was no doubt in my mind.”
The outcome refreshed UA memories of Zendejas’ 48-yard field goal as time expired to beat Notre Dame, 16-13, last season.
“It reminded me a lot of that,” UA senior linebacker John Kaiser said. “There was a little wind in his face...”
“I said, ‘Let Max go,’ ” UA senior linebacker Ricky Hunley said. “The coaches called it perfect. Run the clock down and let him drill it.”
The UA finished 7-3-1 and gained its second consecutive victory over ASU, 6-4-1. The UA had not beaten ASU two straight since the 1961-62 teams did it.
“You better look it up to find out the last time it was three in a row,” junior defensive lineman Dave Wood said.
OK. It was 1960-62.
There were no turnovers in the game. ASU was penalized 12 times for 93 yards; the UA six times for 36 yards.
Max’s winning kick, his only field goal attempt yesterday, succeeded in removing the spotlight from his brother’s face.
Luis, a junior, had three field goals. He broke two NCAA kicking records and tied two.
He kicked 33-, 23- and 36-yard field goals, as ASU rallied from 7-0 and 14-3 deficits.
Luis has 112 points this season and 295 in his career, breaking NCAA records by West Virginia’s Paul Woodside (110 points in 1982) and Texas A&M’s Tony Franklin (291 points in 1975-78).
He tied Woodside’s records for field goals in a season (28) and per game (2.55 average).
“All I heard all day was about records by Luis,” Max said. “That kinda bothered me a little. Just watching him.
“But we both did our jobs. We didn’t miss anything.”
Following the game, UA players assembled below a section of bleachers holding a UA contingent and serenaded it with “Bear Down, Arizona.”
It was apparent UA coach Larry Smith had been crying.
“Any time you win a big game … each one you win gets a little bigger,” Smith said. “We’re accomplishing something.
“We said all week it was going to come down to a kick.”
More than that, what it seemed to come down to was the fact of ASU’s kicks.
ASU outgained the UA, 321 yards to 276, and got inside the UA 20 three times — to the 16 and the six in the second quarter, and the four in the third quarter.
Yet ASU got only three field goals from those drives.
“A great defense bends but doesn’t break,” said Hunley, who had 13 tackles, same as brother Lamonte.
“In a big game, you play for blood.”
Safety Lynnden Brown batted down a third-down pass in the end zone on ASU’s penetration to the six.
Hunley tackled Clack for a loss, Kaiser sacked quarterback Todd Hons, and Brown deflected another third-down pass in the end zone on ASU’s penetration in the third quarter.
“We said we wanted this one for the seniors,” said Brown, a junior strong safety. “Plus we wanted the bragging rights to the state for another year.”
The Wildcats began as if such a task would be no problem. They scored on two of their first three possessions.
The UA scored on its first drive, of 69 yards, when Chris Brewer ran over center Mike Freeman and guard Charlie Dickey for two yards at 8:03 of the first period.
Brewer, a senior fullback, had a game-high 18 carries for 73 yards.
After Luis’ first field goal, at 11:59 of the second period, UA quarterback Tom Tunnicliffe completed a four-yard touchdown pass to Vance Johnson.
That drive took 80 yards and 5:43.
The UA led at halftime, 14-6, after Luis’ field goal with 52 seconds remaining in the first half.
But Tunnicliffe, who finished with 13-of-26 pass completions for 134 yards, missed nine straight passes in the third quarter as ASU went ahead.
Luis kicked a 36-yard field goal with 3:33 left in the third period to bring the Sun Devils within 14-9.
Hons, who completed 21 of 35 passes for 239 yards, threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Mike Crawford with 13:18 remaining to give ASU a 15-14 lead.
ASU coach Darryl Rogers elected to go for two points and called a rollout right by Hons.
UA nose tackle Joe Drake and Kaiser stopped Hons about 1 1/2 yards short of the end zone.
“I was hanging on for dear life,” said Drake, who had Hons by the jersey. “I didn’t want another tie. One tie a year is enough.” Arizona and California tied, 33-33, this season.
“We were in a blitz,” Kaiser said. “I have to contain the quarterback. Joe did a great job holding him up.”
The Wildcats had three possessions after that.
Starting from their eight, they punted. Starting from their 19, they punted after a couple of first downs.
Starting from their 37, they scored the winning field goal.
Brewer had 19 yards on four carries. He gained seven yards on a play in which Tunnicliffe wanted a stoppage of the clock because of crowd noise but was waved off by an official. Brewer also beat a blitz on that play.
Fullback Courtney Griffin gained seven yards on two carries. Tunnicliffe also covered a missed exchange.
The only pass in that drive was seven yards, from Tunnicliffe to Johnson.
“We wanted to keep our poise,” Tunnicliffe said. “There was plenty of time on the clock. First downs. Ball possession.
“When we got in field goal range, we knew we could end the game with a field goal try.
“Overall, my statistics were not that good today. But how do you judge a game? By stats or by who wins?
“I don’t live for stats.”
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.…
