Territorial Cup Centennial Series: Post-war years lead to growing off-field conflict
When we left off in last week's edition of the Territorial Cup Centennial Series, the University of Arizona had just won their 18th game of the rivalry in 1946, unwilling to relinquish their stranglehold on the Cup. As luck would have it, that 1946 game would be the first in a still-unbroken streak of games between the two rivals, and the next decade would see the tides start to shift in Tempe's favor.
Not right away, however, as Arizona would retain the Cup for an additional two years, taking the 1947 matchup in Tucson in a 26-13 victory, and extending their streak to a still-record 11 straight wins with a 33-21 win in Tempe.
Enter one Wilford "Whizzer" White. After being recruited out of Mesa High School by Ed Doherty, White would dominate the game on offense for the Sun Devils, scoring two touchdowns and run for 145 yards, driving the now Sun Devils to their first win in 18 years and helping to secure a berth in the New Year's Salad Bowl (yes, that was a real bowl name). White was again the star of the 1950 edition, recording a 57 yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, one of his three on the day, en route to a 47-13 Sun Devils win.
White's departure after the 1950 season didn't stop the streak, as the Sun Devils would extend their winning streak to four games with two very different methods. A touchdown barrage, led by three scores from Harley Cooper, powered Arizona State to a 61-14 win in 1951, while John Henry Johnson's game-saving interception helped the Sun Devils escape with a 20-18 win in 1952. Arizona would counter with three straight wins from 1953 through 1955, but the Sun Devils would record their first shutout of the rivalry in 1956, thanks in large part to a goal line interception from Bobby Mulgado at the end of the first half.
By this point, the rivalry was still a decidedly one-sided affair with the Wildcats holding a 23-7 advantage. However, behind the scenes there was a battle brewing off the field that would be decided in the coming decade, and sow even more fuel into an already combustible rivalry.
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