Arizona State Sun Devils
The Arizona State Sun Devils are a Division 1 College Football program located in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils hold a proud tradition spanning over 90 years, with the zenith being in the early 1970's and 80s.
The Sun Devils played in the Border Conference between 1931 and 1961, before bolting for the Western Athletic Conference the following year. Led by legendary head coach Frank Kush, the Sun Devils posted a remarkable 62-9 record between 1970 and 1975 (culminating in a thrilling 17-14 upset of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Fiesta Bowl).
In 1978, both Arizona State University and the University of Arizona joined the Pacific Ten Conference. ASU celebrated with an emotional 20-7 victory over #1-ranked University of Southern California.
The Sun Devils then began a slow decline, interrupted only briefly by victories in the 1983 Fiesta Bowl and 1987 Rose Bowl. After a 1987 Freedom Bowl victory over Air Force, the Sun Devils went a combined 43-44-1 between 1988 and 1995.
In 1996, the Sun Devils went a surprising 11-1, highlighted by a 19-0 shutout of the #1-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers in Tempe. ASU quarterback Jake Plummer led the Sun Devils, helping Arizona State into the Rose Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. In a game with National Championship potential, the Sun Devils held a slim 17-14 lead with just under 1:47 left in the 4th quarter. However, the Sun Devils fell to Ohio State 20-17 in one of the most exciting Rose Bowl games ever.
Between 1997 and 2002, the Sun Devils underachieved greatly, leading to the dismissal of popular head football coach Bruce Snyder. The hiring of head coach Dirk Koetter from Boise State University gave the Sun Devils a charismatic leader with a penchant for molding strong quarterbacks.
Arizona State University improved to 8-6 in 2002, highlighted by the play of defensive end Terrell Suggs and wide receiver Shaun McDonald. Quarterback Andrew Walter emerged to pass for a staggering 3,877 yards and 28 touchdowns. The Sun Devils eventually lost a nailbiter to Kansas State University in the 2003 Holiday Bowl.
- http://www.michigan-football.com/ncaa/f/arzstate.htm Arizona State Sun Devils Historical Football Records
- http://thesundevils.ocsn.com/ Arizona State University - Official Athletic Site
- http://www.tostitosfiestabowl.com/ The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Official homepage
- http://www.asu.edu/ Arizona State University Official homepage
Referenced By
Fiesta Bowl | Sun Devil Stadium
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