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Fiesta Bowl 1975
Arizona St. 17 Nebraska 14 |
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TEMPE (AP) – Arizona State's football team had something to prove, but it took a roll of the dice by a sophomore quarterback for the Sun Devils to pull out an upset over Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl.
For years the Arizona State schedule has been criticized as being weak. Friday, second year quarterback Dennis Sproul decided he could handle the Cornhuskers and the result was a convincing 17-14 triumph over the Big Eight co-champions.
"I hope to hell this keeps those people off our butts who have been complaining about our supposedly soft schedule," fumed Coach Frank Kush after his Sun Devils extended their two-year winning streak to 13, longest in the nation by a major college team.
Then Kush reminded writers huddled in a steam-filled locker room that ASU's seventh-ranked team will return most of its starters next year.
"There's no question we'll be better offensively next year," he said. Asked if his 12-0 team should be considered for the No. 1 spot in the national polls, Kush said, "We can only wait 'n' see what happens in the other bowl games.
Sproul, only 19, faced a fourth down and one situation early in the fourth period with his team trailing the sixth-ranked Huskers 14-6. Kush sent his field goal unit onto the field, but Sproul called time out and ran to talk to the coach.
"Sproul indicated he could make it and he ran the quarterback sneak," said Kush. "It was a good call because it worked."
Sproul, who gained two yards on the crucial sneak, was injured on the play, however.
Fred Mortensen, another sophomore, came in at quarterback and one play later hit flashy wide receiver John Jefferson with a 10-yard touchdown pass only the second scoring toss of the 1975 season against Nebraska. Mortensen then hit Larry Mucker for the two-point conversion on a near identical play that knotted the score.
Earlier in the game, Danny Kush, the coach's son, had kicked two field goals, of 27 and 34 yards. With less than five minutes to play, ASU gave him another chance and the junior kicked a 29-yarder for the victory.
"The first two were easy," he said. "On that third one, I was really nervous."
The Sun Devil offensive unit comes back almost intact next year, including Sproul and Mortensen, Jefferson and Mucker, halfbacks Fred Williams and Stan Robinson and tight end Bruce Hardy.
"This was the biggest win ever for the team, the school, the Western Athletic Conference and the state," said Kush.
"I can't understand why everyone keeps putting them down," said losing Coach Tom Osborne. "They are a very good football team and deserve to be recognized as one of the top teams in the country."
And they'll get another chance to show their power in 1976.
Nebraska gained its 14-6 lead after three periods on the strength of two short touchdown runs by powerful 6-foot-3, 207-pound I-back Monte Anthony. His runs of one yard in the second quarter and four yards in the third put the Cornhuskers in command.
With three minutes left in the third period, Sproul had the Sun Devils at the Nebraska 24 when a pass to Jefferson was intercepted by defensive back Jim Burrow, who returned the ball to the 20.
However, Nebraska was penalized for clipping and the Huskers had the ball at their own three. On the first play from scrimmage, safety Alex Slencel blitzed-not unusual for the gambling Sun Devils-and nearly trapped Anthony for a safety.
The ball was spotted at the one, and three plays later Randy Lessman was forced to punt from deep in his own endzone. The ball sailed to the ASU 48, but when Mike Haynes was hit late by a Nebraska player, a personal foul was assessed and ASU set up shop on the Nebraska 37.
Williams opened the drive with a 15-yard burst and four more up the middle as the third stanza came to a close. Three plays later the Devils faced the key fourth-down situation.
"I felt, when I was going on the field, that we should go for the touchdown," instead of the field goal try, said the younger Kush. But Danny, the eldest of three Kush sons, went out without questioning his father's decision.
Mortensen, the team's regular punter, has alternated with Sproul most of the year at quarterback. Last year, when Sproul was a freshman he was the only quarterback the team had because Mortensen was on the second year of a Mormon mission.
Osborne compared ASU favorably with Oklahoma, the only team to beat Nebraska before Friday. Their secondary, their linebackers and their skill people are equal with Oklahoma.
Arizona State, the nation's No. 6team in per-game offense, outgained the Cornhuskers 335-288 and played another outstanding defensive game. The Sun Devils have given up just 127 points in 12 games.
Jefferson, who caught eight passes for 113 yards, was voted the game's outstanding offensive player and Larry Gordon the top defensive player. He had 12 tackles and an interception before the mostly hometown crowd of 51,396-a stadium and Fiesta Bowl record (video).
In defeat, Tony Davis established a Nebraska career rushing record by picking up 60 yards. His total of 2,445 yards in three years surpassed the 2,420 set by Jeff Kinney in 1969-70-71.
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Kush set to kick game winner. |
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| ASU's Dennis Sproul engineered the upset. | |
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ASU's Freddie Williams motors through the Husker defense. |
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John Jefferson revels in the victory.
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When it was over, the scoreboard said the WAC had achieved parity. |
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Attendance- 51,396
Scoring Summary Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter
Individual Statistics Rushing NU- Anthony 22-94, Davis 17-60, O’Leary 10-45 ASU-
Williams 18-111, Robinson 8-30, Sproul 10-19 Passing NU- Luck 12-22-90 ASU- Sproul 14-35-163,
Mortensen 1-2-10 Receiving NU- Thomas 6-44, Shamblin 2-13, Heiser 2-12, Craig 1-12, Mushinskie 1-9 ASU- Jefferson 8-113, Mucker 3-39, Robinson 3-13, Williams 1-8
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"I
had been ready to play all week," said Mortensen, "and I was sure glad
to get in there.." He said the touchdown pass and two-point conversion
were basically the same play with different receivers.
