The 5 Most Stunning Losses in ASU History
We’re still reeling from Saturday’s stunner, but we’re going to move on after taking one final stab at catharsis. To accelerate the healing process, we’ve compiled a list of the five most stunning losses in ASU history.
(Photo from East Valley Tribune)
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Of course, a list like this cannot be comprehensive. It’s based far too heavily in personal experience. A particular loss can be more or less painful for a particular fan based on perspective. For example, we didn’t fly all the way to Iowa only to see ASU lose 21-2, so it didn’t hurt as much.
So here’s our list. Give us yours in the comments below. There’s no real qualifier, just that the loss was so stunning that it challenged the notion that win or lose we booze because you couldn’t stand the thought of spending time in public.
Let the healing being.
5. Stanford 45, ASU 35 (2005) – There was still reason to believe a strong finish and decent bowl berth were possible after narrow losses to Louisiana State and USC. But the Sun Devils kicked off the “soft” half of their schedule with a lopsided loss to a Stanford team that finished with a losing record. The game wasn’t televised, so we listened in stunned silence as Tim Healy described the beating that eventually led to the Sam Keller-Rudy Carpenter debacle and Dirk Koetter’s eventual demise.
4. Fresno State 12, ASU 9 (2007) – A day after the ASU baseball team allowed the unheralded Bulldogs to even their best-of-three super regional series, Ike Davis and Brett Wallace faked a pregame fight and then failed to produce against a depleted pitching staff. Omaha or bust? Bust.
3. New Mexico State 35, ASU 7 (1999) – Coming off a 31-13 season-opening win over a respected Texas Tech squad and armed with Heisman Trophy candidate J.R. Redmond, ASU gave up 363 rushing yards to a Big West Conference opponent that would finish the season with a 6-5 record.
2. Arizona 28, ASU 18 (1982) and Arizona 16, ASU 13 (1985) – In 1982, ASU was 9-1 and UA was 4-4-1. In 1985, ASU was 8-2 and UA was 7-3. UA won both games to knock ASU out of the Rose Bowl. After the 1982 game, UA coach Larry Smith commissioned a banner that read ASU ROSE BOWL BID, MAY IT REST IN PEACE. ASU didn’t beat UA again until 1991.
1. Arizona 34, ASU 17 (1986) – The Sun Devils were undefeated and heading to their first Rose Bowl. The national championship that eluded the program in 1975 was within reach—until ASU took that 90-minute drive down I-10 to play an UA team with a 4-4-1 record. Long before his career as a professional cheap-shot artist, Chuck Cecil sealed the upset with a 106-yard interception return for a touchdown.
What’s Your Take, Sun Devils?
We want to know when you were most stunned by an ASU loss. Exorcise your demons in the comments below.
I’d like to submit No. 1 USC 38, ASU 28 (2005) – Heading to the locker room with a 21-3 and USC quarterback Matt Leinart’s bell still ringing, ASU QB Sam Keller gave the student section a nod of victory 30 minutes to soon. LenDale White killed the Devils in the second half en route to 198 yards rushing and 2 TDs. Instead of stepping on the Trojans throats ASU got kicked in the balls.
I must say, Saturday night really did feel like a punch in the gut and the worst I have ever felt after a loss. I was actually considering going home instead of boozing after the game.
But I did force myself to go out and after sulking most of yesterday I have come to terms with the loss. And after looking at the above list of harsh losses, you can only come to one conclusion: they happen. Every team has them and I don’t think that Saturday’s loss is indicative of the rest of our season. I am ready to move on and I am ready for Georgia!!
A little of topic here…but it will be interesting to see how Rudy takes the loss, and how the fans treat him.
Particularly if we lose to Georgia and he doesn’t play great, I think we’ll see fans getting all riled up again. I think that would be rediculous, but it’s probably going to happen.
My main beef with the UNLV game is that we didn’t get Rudy in a groove early. I can respect running the ball, but when you have one of the best and most experienced QBs in the nation, you throw it up and go for the blowout.
…back on topic…my first game as an ASU student was against Washington in the fall of 1998. I think we came in the season preseason #7 and lost. As far as I’m concerned, it was all downhill from there.
If I may, I’d like to add the ‘97 Rose Bowl to your list. Though not shocking like Sat. night’s debacle, having the National Championship within our grasp only to have it ripped away in the final seconds is still the worst loss I’ve ever personally experienced in sports.
Being there, ready to storm the field once more made it even worse….
You could almost split this into two lists, games ASU SHOULD have won but didn’t and games ASU COULD have won but didn’t.
A few that have gone unmentioned so far:
Basketball vs. UVSU 2006
The 2004 game in Tucson where the 2-8 ua team beat the 8-2 ASU team
The Stoudamire travelling buzzerbeater at Wells Fargo in 2005
Football vs. LSU, 2005
Football vs. Oregon, 2000
Basketball vs. USC in the Pac-10 tournament, 2008
The Koetter punt game vs. USC, 2006
Football vs. North Carolina, 2002 (4 missed FGs)
On a personal note, driving to Oklahoma City to watch ASU lose by almost 50 to Kansas in the NCAA 2nd round was rough on the soul. I really thought Diogu and Milledge could match up with Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison. I was WRONG.
To add to the list, 2 games from my freshman year in 1994, both the UCLA game where we got obliterated 59-23 in SDS and the au game where we threw away a big lead to a superior rat squad, and missed a FG at the gun that would have won the game. Still probably the most painful loss I’ve ever experienced, in any sport.
The ‘97 Rose Bowl really stands out to me. A chance to win a National Championship. Three things I hate with a passion came out of this game. In no particular order… Ohio State football, Joe Germaine and that idiot bastard Lenzie Jackson.
Anyhoo… go Devils.
The East Valley Tribune chimed in with five bad losses that add to our lists. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a lot better! Here’s their list …
Sept. 8, 1984: Oklahoma State 45, ASU 3 — Coach Darryl Rogers was dumbfounded that some preseason publications had his squad at No. 1. In the season opener, ASU made those prognosticators look like fools, as an Oklahoma State squad led by two future All-Pros, running back Thurman Thomas and defensive end Leslie O’Neal, handed the Sun Devils their most lopsided loss since a 42-0 setback against Hardin-Simmons in 1947.
Oct. 6, 1984: California 19, ASU 14 — Things did not get much better as ’84 progressed, as the Sun Devils were gracious enough to hand a Golden Bears team that would finish 2-9 their only Pac-10 victory. ASU wound up 5-6, and after the season, Rogers bolted to become coach of the NFL’s Detroit Lions.
Nov. 12, 1988: Southern California 50, ASU 0 — In a game broadcast on ABC, legendary announcer Keith Jackson said that Sun Devil punter Mike Schuh “can really air-mail it.” That was the nicest thing said on the air about ASU that day, as the second-ranked Trojans amassed 691 yards. The Sun Devils did not run a play on USC’s side of the field until 10 minutes remained in the game.
Sept. 18, 1999: New Mexico State 35, ASU 7 — Sun Devil fans are still wondering how in the world this happened. New Mexico State, 0-14 against ranked teams since 1979, piled up 565 yards against No. 22 ASU. The Sun Devils never recovered, losing two of their next three games en route to a 6-6 finish.
Sept. 30, 2006: Oregon 48, ASU 13 — For all intents and purposes, this loss sealed the fate of former coach Dirk Koetter. After the Sun Devils slept-walked through a conference game it had to win, players questioned the team’s preparation and desire. Quarterback Rudy Carpenter completed just six passes for 33 yards.
[...] with under a minute to play then blocked a field goal in overtime to seal what we referred to as one of the five most stunning losses in Sun Devil history. That 23-20 loss was the first of six consecutive for [...]
bottom line asu sucks hahaha and everyone knows its true i mean who the hell likes musterd and rust colors? i know not me cuz its all about the RED WHITE AND BLUE the color of the WILDCATS!!!!! the colors of our country. Tempe can suck Tucson’s NUT!!!!!!
Bear Down, Arizona
Bear Down, Red and Blue
Bear Down, Arizona
Kick the shit out of asu
Bear Down, Arizona
Bear Down, Red and Blue
Go, go, Wildcats, go;
Arizona, Bear Down
Fall Down Arizona
Fall Down U of A
Trip, Fall, Drop that Ball
Arizona, Fall Down!
I am not sure where the research was done on this article. UA finished 9-3 in 1986. I believe the Wildcats record was 8-2 heading into the ASU game. You are getting the 4-4-1 record confused with the 1987 Arizona team.